On a day when the biggest story in the NFL revolved around a controversy in New England, it was inevitable that some Seahawks players would be asked about the deflated football scandal surrounding the Patriots (get used to this storyline, it’s not going away any time soon). A few players smiled or laughed when asked about the Patriots’ reportedly tampering with the air pressure of footballs in the AFC championship game, but didn’t say much on the topic.
When Doug Baldwin was asked if it is easier to catch a deflated football, the receiver grinned and noted that he had the head of the team’s media relations department standing right behind him.
“Can I really answer this question? What do you want me to say to this? Can I answer it truthfully?” that series of question got a no from the media relations person behind him. “I don’t know. Sorry.”
Quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t have much to say on the topic either, saying, “I don’t know anything about that, so there’s not much I can comment on that. They’re a great team, so I don’t think that’s an issue probably, but I have no idea.”
Asked if he has any preference on how inflated or roughed up a football is, Wilson laughed and said, “Just as long as they have laces. As long as the football has laces, I’m good to go.”
As you might expect, Richard Sherman had a bit more to say, but stopped short of taking any shots at next week’s opponent. Asked if he’s ever noticed a ball being underinflated, Sherman said, “I have to go back to my collection and check them now. I’ve got to see if there are pounds missing or anything like that. No, I’ve never heard of that, and I’m not sure anything will come of it, honestly, if it’s true or not true.”
“It’s not going to have any effect on this game. Nobody’s going to get suspended, nothing’s going to happen. They’re going to play this game. Whatever they did, the risk-reward is better.”
Sherman then turned to a topic that has been an issue in the minds of many players around the league for a while—the inconsistency of punishment handed out by the league. For example, the NFL reportedly was prepared to not let Marshawn Lynch play Sunday if he came out in the gold shoes he was planning on wearing, and players are regularly fined big amounts for uniform violations, such as wearing the wrong socks. Yet as Sherman notes, there’s a good chance New England won’t deal with any punishment for doctoring balls, at least not before the Super Bowl.
“They were going to suspend Marshawn for gold shoes… but they you’ve got balls being deflated, and that’s the issue,” Sherman said.
Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell also stayed away from the topic: “We throw whatever is given to us. If it’s flat, we’d be in trouble, but if it’s a little under, a little more, we just throw the thing. And if you’re handing it off, it doesn’t matter how much air is it.”
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