Tom Brady: Super Bowl Win Not Tainted By Deflategate
Tom Brady broke his silence on the Deflategate report without really saying much about the scandal.
In an atmosphere that he equated to “a Patriot pep rally,’’ Brady spoke at Salem State University on Thursday evening in his first public appearance since the NFL’s Ted Wells report implicated him in Deflategate. The event was a pre-scheduled speaking engagement that garnered heightened attention after the report stated that Brady was likely “at least generally aware’’ of probable wrongdoing by Patriots staffers.
“I don’t have any reaction to it,’’ Brady responded when first asked about the report by moderator Jim Gray. “Our owner commented on it yesterday and it’s only been 30 hours so I haven’t had time to digest it fully. But when I do, I’ll be sure to let you know how I feel about it, and everbody else.’’ [fragment number=0]
After teasing Brady about being a slow reader, Gray asked when Brady would fully address the 243-page report.
“Hopefully soon,’’ Brady said. “There’s still a process that’s going forth right now and I’m involved in that process. So whenever it happens, it happens. I’ll certainly want to be very comfortable in how I feel about the statements that I make.’’
While Brady opted not to address the report in detail, he told the crowd the scandal did “absolutely not’’ detract from his enjoyment of the team’s win in Super Bowl XLIX.
“We earned and achieved everything we got this year as a team,’’ Brady said. “I’m very proud of that and our fans should be too.’’
Asked if he believed the team’s victory over the Seattle Seahawks was tainted, Brady initially prompted the crowd to answer. After hearing its emphatic “No,’’ he offered the same response.
“No, absolutely not,’’ he said.
[bdc-gallery id=”462954″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com