Survey: 43% Of Americans Support NFL In DeflateGate Case, Only 16% Believe Patriots
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- It was already apparent that not much of America is on the Patriots' side in DeflateGate. But new numbers suggest that not only do they not believe the Patriots, they believe the NFL's case.
A survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Yahoo Sports! asked 1,174 American adults who they believe between Tom Brady (and the Patriots) or the NFL. 40.3 percent of those surveyed in the "general public" said they believed the NFL, with only 16.3 percent supporting the Patriots' side. The remaining 43.4 percent answered, "Don't know." Go to Yahoo! Sports to see a handy infographic.
The 43.4 percent of undecided people included 48 percent of all millennials surveyed, as well as 36 percent of Baby Boomers and 38 percent of Generation X. As far as gender splits, 49 percent of all men sided with the NFL as opposed to 38 percent of all women.
In the New England area, it's no surprise that 58 percent of all people surveyed said they believe the Patriots - if anything, that number sounds low. Only 18.8 percent of all subjects backed the NFL. Nearly the same percentage of all Americans who believe the Patriots believe the NFL in the New England area, indicating what you already knew: the rest of the country hates the Patriots, enough to support Roger Goodell and his front office.
Fair or not, this is the reality of DeflateGate. A large chunk of America wants to see the Patriots punished, and they're willing to back the NFL to get there.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
