Deflategate Be Damned: Tom Brady Says Those Balls Were Perfect.

When I first heard about this thing called "Deflategate" last Monday morning, my heart sank. I couldn't have felt more disappointed to think that the New England Patriots could have purposely deflated their game balls to gain an advantage in the AFC Championship. I was crushed. This is not the distraction fans in New England needed in the two weeks leading up to Tom Brady's sixth appearance in the Super Bowl.

After the dreaded "spygate" scandal that named my favorite team a bunch of cheaters, my fan psyche was fragile. I despised the fact that many felt the Patriots couldn't win another championship without cheating. This under inflated ball controversy was just one more incident to get those haters up in arms about punishing and penalizing and disciplining this team. Some critics even called for the NFL to ban the Pats from participating in the Super Bowl all for a couple of flat-ish balls.

We've heard every argument in support and against these accusations. And many of the teams' backers have vehemently maintained a football that was deflated less than two psi under the league requirement could not be the reason the Patriots destroyed the Indianapolis Colts by 38 points. Even D'Quell Jackson, who intercepted a Tom Brady pass and was reported to have brought attention to the deflated ball, says he had nothing to do with it. Sounds like a conspiracy to me.

So the Patriots are forced to defend themselves to the media and present technical evidence as to what happened to the balls after they were approved by the officials. Bill Belichick turned into a mad scientific with experiments and facts on the effects of atmospheric conditions on leather balls. Tom Brady is raked over the coals as to why he didn't notice the balls were under inflated because all these moronic reporters actually think once the ball is hiked and the play is happening that Brady has time to squeeze the ball and think to himself, "huh, that feels soft. I should report this to someone." (If anything, these press conferences have been a treasure trove of completely awesome soundbites.)

And then we hear that the balls were presented to the officials not properly inflated but the balls were approved. Or that because of a delay in the starting time of the AFC Championship game, the balls were in the possession of some rogue locker room attendant who spent the next ninety seconds in the bathroom frantically letting the air out of the balls... but only eleven of them because he ran out of time.

It was clear to me that a few days into this whole hullaballoo, it was all just a giant pile of bullshit. Haters are going to hate even when there is no tangible proof that the Patriots were directly responsible for the soft balls. For a brief moment, I thought it might actually dissuade me from caring about the Super Bowl. But then I stopped worrying about the consequences and now have joined the camp that believes this whole ordeal is a non-issue and just a reason for all those idiot former football players who think their opinions are important to bash a team that most likely has pounded on them in the past.

That disappointed me thought the Patriots were going to be damned if they did or damned if they didn't win. The won because they cheated or they lost because they couldn't cheat. But then I snapped out of it. With the mega-watt spotlight shining on this team right now, there's not a snowball's chance in hell that they would or could ever cheat in the Super Bowl. Every commentator, reporter, NFL representative and official will have them under the world's most powerful microscope just waiting for them to slip up. The Patriots will be on their best behavior so if when they win, they win clean.

Day 346: NFL Free Agency: It's Not Good for the Blood Pressure

All day my guts have been in a twist. I've been anxious and short with people and just sort of an all-around douche. At first, I couldn't figure out what was eating at me. And then I realized it was the stupid NFL free agency that's got my undies in a bundle. It's just downright nerve wracking.

It's even more of a killer when your favorite team *cough* New England Patriots *cough* has been virtually silent and has only managed to lose players. I was never a real Aqib Talib fan but shit, if they're going to let a guy like that go, they damn well better have someone just as good, if not better in the wings. That did NOT happen last season when Wes Welker jetted off to Denver and Tom Brady was left with a collection of mediocre receivers. So you can totally understand why I'd be a little gun shy.

So with Talib gone and Julian Edelman also hitting the free agent market, I'm definitely shaking in my boots. Despite winning the AFC East (which basically a team of chimps could've done last year), the Patriots are still riddled with holes. Edelman needs to be a priority. He was the only solid, consistent receiver last season with 105 catches. He managed to escape serious injury and provided Brady with a pretty stable (albeit vertically challenged) target. Even if they manage to get him to stay, they could still use another durable receiver to take some pressure off. Why are the Pats not on the radar for Eric Decker? Spend some money, for crying out loud!

But honestly, what's really making me crazy is the Darrelle Revis situation. The Tampa Bay Bucs released Revis today making him the #1 free agent right now and there are a lot of teams looking at him. The Patriots, Eagles, Jets, Giants and Falcons have all expressed interest in the five-time Pro Bowler. I just hope that Revis is taking into consideration which team he'll have the best chance of getting to the playoffs with (hint, hint)—in addition to the money, of course. Can't forget about the cashola!

Please oh please Mr. Belichick and Mr. Kraft... bring Revis Island to New England!!

THIS JUST IN: DARRELLE REVIS TO THE PATRIOTS!! ONE YEAR, $12 MILLION!! They must have heard my pleas!!

Day 285: Giving Bill Belichick a Reason to Smile

The New England Patriots have made the playoffs again this year—something that has become more expected than hoped for with this team. Since Bill Belichick took over the head coaching duties for the Pats back in 2000, they've missed the post season just three times with only one sub-.500 year. They've made it to the Super Bowl five times, winning it all three. He has a trio of Coach of the Year awards, including one in 2007 when the Patriots finished the regular season 16-0.

A lot of really good stuff has happened to Belichick during his time in New England. He pretty much controls every aspect of the team. He probably makes a bajillion dollars. He gets to coach Tom Brady. He can be really vague and assholish to the media and it's just how he is so he can get away with it. Seriously? I'd be smiling like the cat who ate the canary. But not this guy.

It's no secret that Bill Belichick isn't the most smiley guy on the planet so when he does turn his frown upside down, it's something to be documented. Because his grins are so rare, the Wall Street Journal took to the post-game press conference footage to document each and every time this infrequent occurrence transpired. In case you're wondering, that's 114.5 minutes of footage to comb through to find something about as easy to locate as a needle in a haystack.

For a guy who wins more often than he loses, he has a lot of reasons to smile. But he doesn't. I have to wonder if smiling pains him. Maybe deep down inside, he's ridiculously happy but it's hurts too much to show it. In the end, the Wall Street Journal concluded that Belichick smiled just seven times and even threw in a laugh—but just one of those. Laughing must really hurt him. If so, maybe he should try cartwheels instead.

Of course, all seven previous smiles took place after wins so I'm really hoping the Patriots give him a reason to do it again on Saturday.

Day 273: NFL Week 17... Depressed.

The end of the regular NFL season always depresses me. Sure... the Patriots will have at least one more game in the postseason, but if they screw that up, it's over. Those 17 weeks of football seem to fly by faster than any other sports season out there. Those precious 17 weeks...

Most years (present season included) week 17 can be a crazy collection of if/then scenarios for lots of teams on the postseason bubble. If this team wins and this team loses than this other team will make the playoffs but only if they win too. Or, like with the Pats, the outcome of their final week could mean either a first-round bye or a fourth seed. Thankfully, the Patriots beat the Bills 34-20 on Sunday to take the #2 seed in the AFC and earn that first-round bye.

Normally a Patriots game during the final week is pretty boring. They've usually wrapped up their spot in the playoffs and it's not even worth watching. But today... today was fun. The weather was horrific—torrential rain, puddles on the field, slippery pigskin. You couldn't have paid me enough money to sit in those stands in that weather. I was quite comfy wrapped in my blanket on the couch!

LeGarrette Blount made that last game even more fun by putting on quite a show. He rushed 24 times for an astounding (and career high) 189 yards and two touchdowns. His longest rush of the day was 36 yards. And if that wasn't impressive enough, the 250 pound running back added another 145 yards on kickoff returns. His 334 all-purpose yards set a new franchise record—and put him 12th in NFL history. Bill Belichick even said he was "the best player on the field."

Tom Brady's day was just ok—14-for-24 for 122 yards, one touchdown and a bullshit interception that wasn't his fault. But with the weather like it was, who can blame him for relying on the running game to get the job done. Good thing that running game didn't let him down! And Stephen Gostowski, who is having quite a season himself, made four field goals to add to the scoring.

So now it's on to the playoffs. With all the injuries the Patriots have had to endure this season, I don't have high hopes for much success in January. But that's how I like to handle it... if I get too cocky about the Pats' chances in the postseason (*cough*2008*cough*), I think it's bad luck. If I'm more of a glass-half-empty fan, things tend to work out a little better. Let's see if this theory holds true this time around.

Good Luck, Patriots! Kick some ass...

Day 226: Hazing is Stupid.

Over the past week, I haven't been able to turn on sports radio without hearing about Richie Incognito, the bully. Or Jonathan Martin, the bullied. Or the Dolphins and their dysfunctional organization and lack of locker room control. Or the loads of hazing that goes on in football and other sports and organizations.

Despite its prevalence, hazing is a real shitty thing to do to a teammate. The dictionary defines "team" as "a group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport" or "two or more people working together." How does beating someone up or insulting and threatening their family build positive relationships? Isn't it necessary to have trust and respect for your teammates in order to form a successful and cohesive unit? Where some think that hazing constructs a stronger bond, I beg to differ. Hazing is more likely to make those victims feel threatened and nervous. So how does that person perform to their abilities if the anxiety of what might happen to them if they fail is haunting them?

Colleges are constantly in a battle with fraternities, sororities and sports teams and clubs over hazing its members, and many are forced to face the reality that sometimes these actions end in serious injury, or in some cases, death. According to a University of Maine study, more than half of college students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing. This would explain why we hear about it more often than we should.

It's nearly impossible to believe that coaches are not aware of what these students are doing. The UMaine study says hazing has a public aspect, with 25 percent of coaches or organization advisors aware of a group’s hazing behaviors; 25 percent of the behaviors occurring on campus in a public space; in 25 percent of hazing experiences, alumni were present; and students talk with peers or family (26 percent) about their hazing experiences.

As of this week, the NFL has not yet sent any memos regarding the banning of hazing or guidelines for handling incidents. In Bill Belichick's weekly visit with WEEI's Salk and Holley, he weighed in on his feelings on hazing. Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever heard Belichick talk this in depth about any subject... ever. To read the whole conversation, click here. The whole discussion was interesting coming from the view of a very successful coach, but this comment really struck me as a really great synopsis of the whole situation.

"We’re all grown men. We’re all adults. It’s really about relationships, and if the relationship is not working, then somehow it’s up to the people involved in that relationship to either fix it or resolve it or terminate it, whatever it happens to be."

No one should have to live under the fear of hazing. Sure, sometimes there's a rite of passage to becoming part of a team. That rite should not involve violence, extortion or abusive or threatening words.

Day 221: Ever Wonder What Bill Belichick Says on the Sidelines?

With everything that is said about New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick in the media, I would imagine him to be a monster on the sidelines. I imagine him berating players for the littlest of mistakes. I imagine him with a torture room hidden behind a bookcase in his office reserved for the biggest screw ups. Truthfully, this man scares me.

I'm always floored by how he treats the media in press conferences and interviews. But then again, some of those questions are really stupid and I don't blame him for his two-word answers. And do these people not learn? Why would you ask him about the status of a player that has been out for a few weeks when you know he won't give you a straight answer? Honestly, they deserve the short, glib answers. But he still scares me.

So it's always nice to hear him in his natural environment, pacing the sidelines with his headset and hoodie, doing what he does best: coaching. Maybe Belichick doesn't enjoy his time with the media—who can blame him. That's not his passion. His passion is coaching. His passion is winning.

After seeing him recently miked up for the Pittsburgh game last weekend, you realize he's not so scary after all. You see that he's happiest when he's on the sideline and his team is ahead on the scoreboard. He's happiest when his defense is keeping that pesky opposing quarterback in the pocket. Or sacking his ass for a big loss. He's happiest when the offense is pumping on all cylinders and making plays and scoring touchdowns.

NFL.com posted this video that you just have to watch. The best part is the whole video happens at the beginning when he's discussing the stature of some of the Red Sox players... I have a whole new love for Bill Belichick... he doesn't scare me at all anymore.

Day 184: Patriots Suffer Huge Loss in Win over Atlanta

I'm not going to lie, I was scared for the Patriots going into the game this past Sunday night in Atlanta. The Falcons might have only been 1-2, but they lost close games to New Orleans (4-0) and Miami (3-1) and with the Patriots still missing some key players, it could've gotten ugly. The Pats teased us all week with the possibility that Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola might be back on the field, but then whipped the rug out from under us just moments before game time.

But mostly I was scared for my chances in the football pool. You see, after two ugly weeks where I finished near the bottom of the pack, I really needed a good showing. And heading into the Pats-Falcons game, I was tied with three other players for the lead... three other players who all picked the Falcons. All I needed was a Pats win and I was most surely in the money!

I managed to make it through the first half and just into the third quarter of the game before my heavy eyelids forced me to bed. I'm almost glad I didn't last until the end—from what I heard, it was quite a stressful final few minutes. The Falcons made a surge late in the fourth and nearly tied it up with time expiring. Thank you, Aqib Talib for your quick hands. I really don't need that kind of anxiety as the clock nears midnight.

Tom Brady had his best game of the season so far, finally starting to connect with all those new receivers. He went 20-for-31 for 316 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Kenbrell Thompkins also had a breakout game with six catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. One of those catches was an acrobatic number where he came back over the defensive back to grab the ball.

All great news, right? Well...something not so great happened too.

In the win, the Patriots suffered a pretty huge loss. Big Vince Wilfork went down in the first quarter with what appeared to be an ankle injury. He limped off the field and looked as if he might just need to sit out a play or two, but then the next thing I know, he's being driven off the field on that damn cart. Not a good sign.

The report was very bad for the Patriots' defense. Big Vince has torn his right achilles tendon and will most likely miss the rest of the season. It's going to be difficult for the Pats to find someone of his caliber (and size) to fill that gaping hole. Bill Belichick, on WEEI with Salk and Holley on Monday, was more forthcoming that usual with the status of Vince.

"It doesn't look too good for Vince," Belichick said during his weekly interview. "I think he's got a pretty serious injury, and it's probably unlikely that he'll be able to play again this year."

You know things are bleak when Belichick gives up information like that. He's the type of guy that will tell you a player in a full body cast is questionable for the following week. But Vince's injury is obviously a concern for everyone. Just when things are starting to look up with a couple of major players set to make their return in the next week or two, the Pats get hit with this sucky blow.

"Clearly, there are no Vince Wilforks just standing around out there on the corner waiting to sign with the Patriots or some other NFL team," Belichick said on WEEI. "He is a special player, one of the very best at his position. There's no way that you would replace him with one guy -- that's totally unrealistic. But we'll try to do what we can to make our team as competitive as possible with the 46 guys we put out there against Cincinnati this Sunday."

Ugh... Well, in case you didn't hear, the Patriots won 30-23. Oh, and I did win the football pool this week. *moonwalks*

Day 183: First Half Recap: 6 Months Down, 6 Months to Go!

The Balls of All Sizes quest for 365 consecutive days of sports blogging is half over as of today. For six straight months, I have (surprisingly) stuck to my goal and it has been a blast doing it. I've learned a lot about sports I don't normally watch and blogged about some that don't really involve balls. A lot has happened over the past six months—some pretty awesome stuff and some pretty awesomely bad stuff. 

Just in case you're new to Balls, here are a few of my favorites:

April 12:  Day 12: Happy Birthday, Dad!

What better way to honor my dad on his birthday than to write a post for him. He's the reason I love sports so much—it's his fault I care so deeply about every win and loss.

April 24:  Day 24: Happy Birthday, Mom!

It just wouldn't have been fair to honor dad without giving mom her day in the sun. She also has a lot to do with my sports addiction. She allowed it.

May 10:  Day 40: An Act of Kindness. A Happy Fan.

Even though I'm not a Dodgers fan and really don't care what they do, I fell in love with this story and Matt Kemp's selfless act of kindness making a young man's day.

May 22:  Day 52: Jerry Remy: Commentator Extraordinaire or Playgirl Pinup?

This post totally cracked me up to research and write and it was one of my most successful with 122 views. (For me, that's a banner day!!)

June 27:  Day 88: Aaron Hernandez is a Dumbass

Even though there were a couple Hernandez posts that precede Day 88, this one is by far my favorite. Not only because I got the chance to rant about a completely ridiculous situation, but also because the damn post got 251 views. Must've been the title!

June 29:  Day 90: These are a Few of My Favorite (Fenway) Things

Just because I love Fenway Park so much... if anyone ever tears this ballpark down, I'll be forever broken. Baseball season is the only time of year I sort of wish I lived in Boston.

July 16:  Day 107: An Open Letter to the Pre All-Star Break Red Sox

I actually got to the point of hating the Red Sox towards the end of last season. I went to a game in August and wanted so badly to throat-punch each and every guy on the field. It was just to nice to love this team again.

July 17:  Day 108: Those Rolling Stone Idiots Really Have No Clue

I've never been so disgusted with a publication as I was with Rolling Stone for glorifying that asshole who was responsible for the Boston Marathon Bombings. 

August 8:  Day 130: Wes Welker Left Because Bill Belichick was Mean... Really?

I love this post for many reasons, but mainly because I was half in the bag when I wrote it. And I still think I managed to write a pretty mistake-free post that actually made some sense!

September 9:  Day 162: Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

This post was a favor for a friend who loves sailing. Who knew that I would become so caught up in the America's Cup, I would write not one, but three posts about the oldest trophy in sports. It was fun doing the research and learning all about this rich man's race.

September 21:  Day 174: Red Sox Clinch the AL East... And I WAS THERE!!

Of course this one is on my list... I've never been to a division clinching game before so this was so much fun. What a season for the Sox!!

Well, I think that's probably enough favorites for now. I just hope the next six months provide as much material as the first six did. Minus murderers on my favorite teams... I've had enough of that. 

Do you have a favorite?

Day 154: Ding, Dong, Tebow's Gone.

Well... the great Tim Tebow experiment of 2013 is finally over. And guess what... it failed. But then again, we kind of all had the feeling it would, didn't we? At least if the Patriots insisted on keeping him at quarterback—a position he clearly has no business playing judging from his career 47.9% completion percentage. To give you a point of reference, Tom Brady has the 6th highest completion percentage among active QBs at 63.7%.

Tebow is a pretty solid guy. I mean at 6-2, 236 he's not a lot smaller than former Patriots tight end, Aaron Hernandez... and we know he's not going to be catching any passes this fall. So why didn't they try to groom him into something other than a third string quarterback? He has rushed before, he could probably catch a pass... so was it Tebow's decision to continue down the path of QB? Or did he ask Coach Belichick to give him a chance somewhere else on the field?

The former Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion from Florida just had too much going against him. His ball release is too slow which makes him an easy target for hungry linebackers. When he does get a pass off, it's wobbly and incredibly inaccurate, often times falling short of the intended receiver. And sure, he can scramble his way out of almost any situation, but most scrambling quarterbacks can also throw too.

Seeing Tebow's troubles makes me really appreciate what Tom Brady does. The way he drops back for a pass, and within a matter of seconds, sees the field, his options, the coverage, makes a decision and either throws to a receiver or throws it away. If the great Bill Belichick couldn't fix this kid, I'm not sure anyone can.

So where will Tebow end up? Does he try his luck north of the border? Arena league? At 26, is his short career in the NFL kaput? Like with all he's done in the NFL and his life leading up to this point, Tim Tebow took his release with dignity and class. He posted the following tweets(s):

"I would like to thank Mr. Kraft, Coach Belichick, Coach McDaniels and the entire Patriots organization for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a classy organization. I pray for nothing but the best for you all. I will remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback."

I've never been a big Tebow fan, but I wish him well in his pursuit and hope he finds a home somewhere. I'm just glad it won't be with the Patriots.

Day 117: Patriots' Training Camp is Now in Session

Today marked the first official day of the New England Patriots 2013 Training Camp...yay! There are 42 days until the season opener against the Buffalo Bills on September 8th and I'm ridiculously excited for football! With all that's happened over the offseason, it will be nice to get back to some sense of normalcy. But I'm also a little nervous about what will happen with the somewhat new and slightly depleted receiving core.

The Aaron Hernandez disaster has cast a bit of a dark cloud over the start of training camp, but from the looks of it, the coaches and players are eager to put it behind them and get on with playing some football. On Wednesday, Coach Bill Belichick gave us more than anyone thought he would, and yesterday was the Patriots' captains' turn. Obviously under a gag order on what they could and couldn't say, each player chose their words to the press carefully.

It has obviously been tough for the players to accept what has happened. It must be hard to think about the former teammate you thought you knew being a murder suspect—a guy with whom you spent most of every day of the football season. I'm sure Robert Kraft isn't the only guy who's feeling duped right about now.

“At some point you have to move forward and I think we as a team are doing that,” Tom Brady said. “The best part is really coming out to start the football season and talking about what the challenges we have ahead of us. Certainly it’s been a challenging offseason, but we’re going to try to move forward as best we know how."

Vince Wilfork told reporters about the sign on the locker room wall: "Put your team first and do your job." This was obviously advice that Aaron Hernandez didn't heed. His actions were selfish and reckless with no thought given to how murdering someone (or someones) would not only affect his life, but the future of a team to which he made a commitment.

"Camp has started," Wilfork said, "It's tough, but at the same time, we have to continue to do our jobs. To start training camp on a note like this is tough. We're not going to disrespect anything that's going on with the families, but we have to play football."

Brady insists the ongoing saga hasn't had any negative repercussions on the team's morale—which is good news. Training camp has officially started and there's business to be done. Important football business that will be executed without the help of the former tight end turned murderer.

It's now about the football. 

Day 116: Bill Belichick Addresses Aaron Hernandez Situation

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is known to be a man of few words. Usually those few words tell us nothing we want to know. His answers are vague and his impertinent attitude towards members of the press is often frustrating—even to us regular folks who just want to know if an injury is going to keep a key player sidelined for the upcoming week.

He never gives a straight, clear answer in response to anything. And if he refuses to talk about a subject, there's not a reporter out there that can extract information from him. So you can imagine the predictions in the media world regarding his press conference this week on the upcoming season. It was his first meeting with the press since the Aaron Hernandez murder rap and no one could've been prepared for the bounty of information he offered up.

I'm sure the entire statement was carefully crafted by the massive public relations team the Patriots must employ. He didn't sway from the subject at hand, nor did he offer up anything we didn't already know or assume. But he spoke... and whether or not someone forced him to read this statement doesn't really matter. What matters is that Bill Belichick actually told us some stuff. And it sort of appeared like some of it actually came from the heart. (I wasn't sure he actually had one.)

If you missed it on Wednesday, here's the video. His actual statement lasts less than eight minutes... the rest are questions from the media.

So how many times this preseason do you think he'll need to say the line about refraining from "making comments about the ongoing judicial process?" I think a lot.