A year later, people are still talking about "Deflategate."
First, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for his role in allegedly deflating footballs in a championship game. Then he wasn't. Now he is again. Depending who you ask, the repercussions of this whole scandal have been fair, unfair, necessary, pointless, etc.
If you ask an ex-NFL quarterback about "Deflategate," however, you learn that there's another word to describe the idea of a quarterback requesting changes to footballs: common.
To Rodney Peete, a 16-year veteran quarterback who began his professional career in 1989 with the Detroit Lions, Brady's involvement in "Deflategate" isn't as black-and-white as being labeled a unilateral cheater.
"I look at it as he bent the rules a little bit," Peete says. "Everybody tries to get an edge. And I can't confirm or deny that I ever asked the ball boy to inflate or deflate the balls."
“There's no way you know, 'OK, deflate it to 2.1-whatever.'”
In the NFL, footballs are supposed to be inflated to a certain pressure gauge range. Reports suggested that balls supplied by the Patriots in the AFC championship game in the 2014 season were under-inflated. But, as Peete explains, players like Brady aren’t intentionally trying to cheat the system.
"That's the problem... There's no way you know, 'OK, deflate it to 2.1-whatever,'" Peete asserts. "You say, 'Take a little air out of it, put a little air in.' That's it."
For Brady to be singled out and portrayed as one who deliberately defied league regulations, Peete adds, is nonsense.
"The whole 'Deflategate' thing is ridiculous to me," he says. "If you talk to anybody that's played quarterback, there's always somebody tampering with the balls. So it's just a non-starter for me."
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article referenced earlier, inaccurate reports that 11 of the Patriots' 12 balls were under-inflated by 2 psi. Most were under-inflated by between 0.5 and 1.5 psi.
Rodney Peete retired from playing football in 2004. He now appears on a variety of NFL and college preview and recap shows, and also stars in "For Peete's Sake" with his wife, Holly Robinson Peete, and their four children.
Peete shares another candid football reflection in his latest blog:
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
