Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is the most outspoken player in the National Football League. The All-Pro and Stanford graduate has plenty of thoughts on DeflateGate, commissioner Roger Goodell and the New England Patriots, whom he will face in Super Bowl XLIX this Sunday.
When asked at an introductory press conference about the scandal, Sherman blasted New England and the commish, rightfully pointing out some issues with their recent behavior, per Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports.
“I think perception is reality. It is what it is,” Sherman said. “Their resume speaks for itself. You talk about getting close to the line, this and that. I don’t really have a comment about that. Their past is what their past is. Their present is what their present is.
“Will they be punished? Probably not. Not as long Robert Kraft and Roger Goodell are still taking pictures at their respective homes. [Goodell] was just at Kraft’s house last week before the AFC championship. Talk about conflict of interest. As long as that happens, it won’t affect them at all.”
Here’s the clip of what Sherman had to say, if the text doesn’t quite satisfy you:
Below is the picture Sherman is referring to…
Richard Sherman: Pats Won't Be Punished Because Goodell & Kraft are BFFs http://t.co/6NyENAKnmU via @thacover2 pic.twitter.com/KYUnVchn7m
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) January 25, 2015
Speaking of Goodell’s good friend, not even Kraft seems content with the way this controversy has evolved. The Patriots owner sent an ominous-sounding message to the league office that he didn’t appreciate the DeflateGate investigation and the way it’s been handled publicly. Via Pro Football Talk:
“If the Wells investigation is not able to definitely determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure in the footballs, I would expect and hope that the league would apologize to our entire team, and in particular, Coach Belichick and Tom Brady, for what they have had to endure this past week,” Kraft said Monday night.
[…]
“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.”
That strongly-worded statement from Kraft comes as a GQ piece is made public that refers to him as Goodell’s strongest ally and even “assistant commissioner.” With Goodell taking fire from all sides once again, his press conference this week at the Super Bowl is can’t miss television.
[Yahoo]
