Kraft Believes Brady, Says DeflateGate 'Never Should Have Risen To This Level'
BOSTON (CBS) – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft says the entire DeflateGate situation "has been very disturbing," but he believes his quarterback Tom Brady has been honest with him.
Kraft made the comments in his first interview since the NFL suspended Brady last week for 4 games, fined the Patriots $1 million and took away 2 draft picks for intentionally deflating footballs in the AFC Championship.
He told Sports Ilustrated's Peter King in the Monday Morning Quarterback:
"I just get really worked up. To receive the harshest penalty in league history is just not fair. The anger and frustration with this process, to me, it wasn't fair. If we're giving all the power to the NFL and the office of the commissioner, this is something that can happen to all 32 teams. We need to have fair and balanced investigating and reporting. But in this report, every inference went against us … inferences from ambiguous, circumstantial evidence all went against us. That's the thing that really bothers me.
"If they want to penalize us because there's an aroma around this? That's what this feels like. If you don't have the so-called smoking gun, it really is frustrating. And they don't have it. This thing never should have risen to this level."
Kraft spoke to King in a phone call Saturday for nearly an hour. The Pats owner said Brady told him he was innocent.
"Yes. Because we had the discussion—if you did it, let's just deal with it and take our hit and move on. I've known Tommy 16 years, almost half his life. He's a man, and he's always been honest with me, and I trust him. I believed what he told me. He has never lied to me, and I have found no hard or conclusive evidence to the contrary."
King said Kraft "sounded alternately defiant and angry" during the call, adding that Kraft is "convinced the league does not have a smoking gun" and that "the Wells Report distorted the science to fit a conclusion that doesn't work."
"This whole thing has been very disturbing," Kraft said.
Other highlights of the interview:
His current relationship with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell?
"You'll have to ask him."
Will he fight the NFL penalties in court?
"I won't say."
Why did he suspend John Jastremski and Jim McNally despite fiercely proclaiming his organization's innocence?
No comment.
Was he punished for having a close relationship with Goodell?
"It's hard for me to accept that."
Why accept the 2007 Spygate punishment, but not these?
"This is an accusation of wrongdoing, without proof."
You can read the entire Peter King article here.
Kraft and Goodell are both expected to be at the NFL spring league meetings Tuesday in San Francisco.