Ted Wells, one of the NFL ’s lead investigators in the case of the underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game, said Monday that “no one should draw any conclusions” and the investigation is expected to last several more weeks.
Wells’ statement came after Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported Monday that NFL investigators are focused on a New England Patriots locker room attendant.
Led by league executive Jeff Pash and Wells, the NFL is trying to determine how 11 of 12 balls used by the Patriots against the Indianapolis Colts were found to be underinflated at halftime of the AFC title game.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have said they do not know why the balls were underinflated, although Belichick on Saturday said a study by his staff determined that “atmospheric conditions” likely were to blame.
The footballs were re-inflated to proper pressure at halftime, and the Patriots outscored the Colts 28-0 in the second half as they won 45-7 and advanced to the Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., where they will play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
According to Glazer’s report, the attendant allegedly took balls from the officials’ locker room to another area on the way to field before the game.
The league’s investigators have interviewed the attendant and have video, Glazer’s sources said, and the league is trying to determine whether the attendant did anything wrong.
Wells, who oversaw the 2013 investigation into the Miami Dolphins’ bullying scandal, released a statement Monday, saying: “We are following customary investigative procedures and no one should draw any conclusions about the sequence of interviews or any other steps, all of which are part of the process of doing a thorough and fair investigation. I expect the investigation to take at least several more weeks.
“In the interim, it would be best if everyone involved or potentially involved in this matter avoids public comment concerning the matter until the investigation is concluded. The results will be shared publicly.”
Impartial staff to handle Super Bowl balls
PHOENIX — Like nearly everyone else in America, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll knows more about footballs than he did a week ago as a controversy over deflated balls continued to dominate the Super Bowl buildup on Monday.
Until the New England Patriots’ blowout victory in the AFC championship, game-day balls were seldom given a second thought but are now the subject of an NFL investigation.
Everything from who has access to the balls, to the process for selecting them and the inflation figures have been debated.
“Maybe everyone would think you should have seen it before but I never checked on how the whole process of how our footballs were handled until this week,” Carroll told reporters.
“This one has not been looked at as maybe intently as it is now. I know every step of it now. … So my awareness is up. It will never be the same because of what just happened.”
Each year, 700,000 footballs are produced for official NFL use, including 72 that will be used in Sunday’s Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, between New England and Seattle.
Given the current scandal, those 72 balls are likely to come under intense scrutiny.
As is custom, the NFL’s procedure for selecting Super Bowl balls, which must be inflated to between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch, will differ from other games during the season.
Both teams’ quarterbacks will still be allowed to select the balls they want to use but, after that, independent equipment managers and ball attendants will handle the footballs.
“Like many aspects of our policies and procedures, there are modifications for the Super Bowl,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora said in a statement.
“At the Super Bowl, the equipment manager of another team (Bears, Tony Medlin) is in charge of the game balls and arranging for the ball attendant crews, which are hired before the Super Bowl teams are determined.
“The officials will maintain strict control of the game balls for the Super Bowl.”
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson only concerns when it comes to footballs is that he has one to throw.
“In terms of the football pregame, I just want to have a football out there to throw. That’s all I look forward to,” said Wilson.