Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana isn’t afraid to speak his mind regarding “Deflategate,” and the fact that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady allegedly played with under-inflated footballs in the conference championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Blatlantly calling the NFL rule “dumb,” Montana took this stance on the scandal:
“It is one of those things that is a rule, right?” Montana said (via triblive.com). “It might be a dumb rule, but it doesn’t matter. He didn’t deflate them himself, but you can pick up the ball and can tell if it is underinflated, overinflated or what you like. Everybody is afraid to say it, but if the guy did it, so what. Just pay up and move on. It’s no big deal.”
Montana’s words are crystal clear. In fact, playing with tampered footballs may have been something he would have done during his career:
“I wish I’d known (it could make a difference) because I couldn’t throw a wet ball to save my life. Heck, I would’ve thought about (deflating the ball), sure.”
Fortunately for Montana, he played it straight over the course of a brilliant 15-year career that earned him the Super Bowl MVP award three times.
The stance Montana has taken regarding Deflategate and Brady’s alleged involvement is the one that many current and former NFL players share.
In the meantime, Brady faces a NFL-mandated four-game suspension. His appeal is scheduled for June 23 and could result in the NFL reducing or eliminating the suspension.
Photo: USA Today Sports