7msports > Rugby Video > New England Patriots Owner defends team integrity
-
Intro:
The New England Patriots held their first news conference of Super Bowl week on Monday (16 January) at Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona.
Script:
SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Kraft, New England Patriots Owner
(On 'deflategate' and the NFL's investigation).
"And 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. Tom (Brady), Bill (Belichick), and I have been together for 15 years. They are my guys. They are part of my family. And Bill (Belichick), Tom (Brady) and I have had many difficult discussions over the years, and I have never known them to lie to me. That is why I am confident in saying what I just said, and it bothers me greatly that their reputations and integrity and by association that of our team has been called into question this past week. As I said on Friday in my prepared statement, we welcome the league's investigation and the involvement of attorney (Ted) Wells. I am confident that this investigation will uncover whatever the facts were that took place last Sunday and the science of how game balls react to changes in the environment. This would be in direct contrast to the public discourse which has been driven by media leaks as opposed to actual data and facts. Because of this, many jumped to conclusions and made strong accusations against our coach, quarterback, and staff questioning the integrity of all involved. If the (Ted) Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organisation tampered with the air pressure in the footballs, I would expect and hope that the league would apologise to our entire team and in particular Coach (Bill) Belichick and Tom Brady for what they have had to endure this past week. I am disappointed in the way 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."
Video Category
Video Info
New England Patriots Owner defends team integrity
Wednesday, January 28 2015Category:Rugby