The first rule of Deflategate: Don’t talk about Deflategate
Apparently, Deflategate and the movie Fight Club share a rule: You don’t talk about them.
New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts players have dodged questions about the ball-deflating scandal, which ensued after the Patriots beat the Colts in the AFC Championship Game in January. As the two teams face off on Sunday, their evasive maneuvers have been on full display this week.
When asked by a reporter Wednesday if anyone has pulled him aside at the grocery store and urged him to kick Indy’s butt, Bill Belichick said, “I haven’t been to the grocery store in a couple years.’’
The next question was whether he was hearing from friends, family, neighbors.
“Have I heard from my family and friends? Yeah, sure,’’ Belichick said.
It was only the beginning.
Belichick’s mentee of evasive speech tactics, Tom Brady, was up to the podium next. Like the interview with Belichick, no reporter said the word, “Deflategate,’’ according to the team’s official transcript. But many asked whether his approach for the Colts was different than other weeks.
“I’m always pretty motivated,’’ he said. “I try certainly, to be a professional with how I approach every week.’’
The interview was robotic.
“Isn’t there any human part of you that wants it a little extra this week?’’ a reporter asked.
“I’m a human. There’s no doubt. I’m definitely human,’’ Brady said.
No one had doubted it — except, perhaps, until now.
Meanwhile, in the Colts locker room, it was as if Deflategate barely happened.
“What distractions? We haven’t really talked about that,’’ Colts running back Frank Gore said.
Tight end Dwayne Allen didn’t seem particularly aware of the Patriots’ existence — let alone a ball deflating scandal implicating the quarterback he’d play against on Sunday night.
“I’m not sure,’’ Allen said, when asked who he was playing next week. “It’s the next game. Nameless, faceless opponents.’’
What kind of film study was he attending?
Casting the “Deflategate’’ movie
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