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 As snow blanketed the U.S. Northeast the Patriots stepped off
their flight into the teeth of a full blown controversy as hundreds
of media welcomed them with questions about an NFL investigation
into their use of under-inflated footballs during a victory over
Indianapolis that clinched a Super Bowl berth.
For over a week the Patriots have been hammered by questions about
how 11 of 12 footballs used in the AFC Championship game did not
meet NFL standards.
On Monday the team blasted back, with team owner Robert Kraft sent
out to take on the media.
Defiant and confrontational, a grim-faced Kraft opened the Patriots
first Super Bowl news conference with a scathing rebuke of the media
and the league for questioning his team's integrity and that of
coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
Both Brady, a three-time Super Bowl winner, and Belichick have
denied any knowledge or involvement in what has become known in the
American media as 'Deflategate'.
 "I want to make it clear that I believe unconditionally that the New
England Patriots have done nothing inappropriate in this process or
in violation of NFL rules," Kraft told a packed conference hall.
"Tom, Bill and I have been together for 15 years, they are my guys,
they are part of my family ... and I have never known them to lie to
me.
"It bothers me greatly that their reputations and integrity and by
association that of our team has been called into question this past
week."
Kraft said that once the NFL's investigation, being led by Ted Wells
and which is expected to last several more weeks, is completed that
he will expect an apology from the NFL.
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"If the Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine
that our organization tampered with the air pressure in the
footballs I would expect and hope that the league would apologize to
our entire team and in particular coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady
for what they have had to endure this past week," said the Patriots
billionaire owner.
"I am disappointed in how this entire matter has been handled and
reported upon.
"We expect hard facts as opposed to circumstantial leaked evidence
to drive the conclusion of this investigation."
While Kraft met the controversy head on, Belichick had a different
game plan, simply refusing to answer any questions on the subject.
Belichick, who was fined the league maximum of $500,000 in 2007 for
videotaping an opponent's defensive signals, followed Kraft to the
podium and said his only focus was on Sunday's Super Bowl foes
Seattle.
"My attention is totally turned now and focused on the Seattle
Seahawks and our game Sunday and that is where it is going to stay
for this week," said Belichick. "This week it is all about Seattle."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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