Bill Belichick Insists New England Patriots ‘Have Absolutely Followed Every Rule to the Letter’

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called a press conference on Jan. 24.
He claims the Patriots have “followed every rule to the letter.”

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called a surprise press conference on Jan. 24 to clear the air on the infamous “DeflateGate” scandal.

Bill Belichick claims his New England Patriots are innocent in the infamous DeflateGate scandal.

Belichick called a press conference on Jan. 24 clear the air on the ongoing issue which has rocked the league during the days leading up to Super Bowl XLIX, per NFL.com. He says the Patriots have obeyed every rule there is. Belichick also explained in greater detail the process of gauging how fit game balls are:

“At no time there was any intent — whatsoever — to try and compromise the integrity of the game.

“I believe now, 100 percent, that I have personally and (the Patriots) have absolutely followed every rule to the letter.

“It’s similar to the concept of when you get into your car and the light comes on and it says low tire pressure, because the car has been sitting in the driveway outside overnight, and you start it up and start driving it, and the light goes off — it’s a similar concept to that.

“So the atmospheric conditions, as well as the true equilibrium of the ball, is critical to the measurement. In no, at no time were any of our footballs prepared anywhere other than in the locker room or in an area very close to that. Never in a heated room or heated condition that has absolutely never taken place to anyone’s knowledge or to anyone’s recollection — that just didn’t happen.”

NFL.com listed the other highlights of Belichick’s press conference:

He said the Patriots “err on the side of caution” and “did everything as right” as they possibly could.

FU MODE – ACTIVATE! RT @DanWetzel: In era of mealy-mouthed, PR-vetted statements, Belichick dares NFL to come at him: http://t.co/OdfvU9U60l— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) January 25, 2015

Belichick revealed his quarterbacks held balls with different pounds-per-square-inch (PSI) levels during the AFC title game and guess if they were inflated differently. The team concluded it was difficult to say whether their PSI levels were different or not.

Belichick maintained the Patriots have intergrity, saying they are a true contender which has beaten quality opponents in the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts.

In the end, Belichick admitted his limitations when it comes to the game of football. He said he’s “embarrassed” as to how much the whole DeflateGate scandal has diverted his attention away from preparing for Super Bowl XLIX against the defending champions Seattle Seahawks:

“I’m not a scientist. I’m not an expert in footballs. I’m not an expert in football measurements. I’m just telling you what I know. I would not say I’m Mona Lisa Vito of the football world, as she was in the car expertise area.

“I’m embarrassed to talk about the amount of time that I’ve put into this relative to the other important challenge in front of us.”

A day prior to Belichick’s press conference, the NFL had already interviewed 40 individuals regarding the DeflateGate scandal, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The investigating team is led by NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash, attorney Ted Wells, and investigatory firm Renaissance Associates. The latter specializes in forensics, video and electronic information.

Reiss stresses the main focus of this investigation is Rule 2, Section 1, which requires the football be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 psi.

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