It’s the scandal that just won’t go away as there is a new development in Deflategate. The Baltimore Ravens allegedly tipped off the Indianapolis Colts about underinflated footballs before the AFC Championship game in January. On Wednesday they denied tipping off the Colts about the deflated footballs.
According to the Associated Press, court documents in New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s lawsuit against the NFL show that the Ravens contacted the Colts about deflated footballs that were used when the Ravens lost to the Patriots the week before the AFC Championship game. Colts equipment manager Sean Sullivan said Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg called Colts head coach Chuck Pagano about balls that were used in the kicking game. Sullivan said that the Ravens were given new footballs instead of using balls that were prepared properly.
The Ravens said in a statement that noone from the Ravens talked to the Colts about deflated footballs and they didn’t know anything about deflated footballs.
“I’ve been consistent from the beginning when asked about whether the Ravens tipped off the Colts about deflated footballs. I’ll say it again – we didn’t. We knew nothing about deflated footballs,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement on the Ravens website. “As a former special teams coach, I know that members of the kicking group from teams talk to their counterparts all the time about conditions, including field, weather and footballs. I learned this morning that our kicking consultant (Randy Brown) sent a text to Coach Pagano on Jan. 16 suggesting to the Colts that they pay attention to how the officials rotate the kicking balls into the game. Coach Brown’s text did not mention the Patriots and did not complain about anything the Patriots did. The Colts never responded to Randy’s text, and he had no further communications with the Colts on this matter.”
Rosberg said that Pagano called him around January 12 to ask about a substitution play the Patriots had used against the Ravens in the divisional playoff game, ESPN notes. He said that there was no conversation about footballs.
As previously reported, Tom Brady was suspended for four games for his role in Deflategate, the Patriots were fined $1 million, and lost two draft picks. Brady appealed his suspension and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the suspension.
Brady is now suing the NFL over his four-game suspension, so it looks like Deflategate will go on for many more months.