Patriots Owner: We ‘Reluctantly’ Accept Deflategate Punishment
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that he would not appeal the NFL’s punishment for their role in the scandal surrounding Tom Brady and his soft balls.
“I’m gonna accept, reluctantly, the penalties given to us, and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric,” Kraft said in a press conference just held in San Francisco, noting that “a lot of Patriots fans will be disappointed in that decision.”
“I really feel that at this point and time, taking this off the agenda — this is the best thing for the New England Patriots and our fans,” Kraft added.
The NFL star suspended the star quarterback for four games after an investigation discovered that Brady was “at least generally aware” that two locker room attendees under-inflated his footballs during the AFC Championships last year, making them easier to catch. Brady’s camp will appeal the decision to Commissioner Roger Goodell.
While the Patriots as an organization itself was cleared of involvement in the ball scandal, the NFL still levied a harsh fine against them: the loss of a first-round draft pick, and a $1 million fine. (Ironically, Brady’s four-game suspension means that the Pats won’t have to pay him for those games, and will actually make money from his absence. But that money will not fill the absence of Tom Brady from the hero-shaped hole in the hearts of New Englanders.)
Watch below via CNN:
[Image via screenshot]
—
