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SPORTSSaturday 5 September 2015
Deflategate “knew about, approved In this Feb. 2, 2015, file photo, New England Patriots equipment manager to
of, consented to and pro- quarterback Tom Brady poses with NFL Commissioner Rodger make sure referees saw
Continued from Page 17 vided inducements and Goodell during a news conference after NFL football’s Super the air-inflation rules before
rewards” to support the Bowl XLIX in Phoenix, Ariz. games “because really I
The NFL is appealing the scheme. don’t want that to ever
decision to the 2nd U.S. Without addressing the Associated Press happen again.”
District Court of Appeals, a points later, Berman re- Before the AFC champi-
process that will likely play capped portions of Wells’ feel. He said one of the the New York Jets last sea- onship game, Brady said
out much more slowly than report and arguments team’s equipment employ- son, because he hated the he did something unprec-
the urgency afforded the made by an NFL attorney ees, John Jastremski, used game balls. edented because of a
initial lawsuits. And while that there were signs Brady sandpaper, dirt and even The quarterback got angry, bad weather forecast: He
Brady plays, the league’s was involved, despite no leather conditioner ob- he said “because I didn’t decided 36 hours before
appeal won’t focus on smoking gun. tained from one of Brady’s like — for the first time in my game time to break in new
footballs or the quarter- The judge also referred college coaches. Jastrem- career, I didn’t like the way balls to try to avoid the
back, but on disagree- to Brady’s extensive tes- ski and another equipment the football felt.” problems he had during
ments with Berman. timony to Goodell about employee were fired by It turned out the balls had the Jets game.
During the case, the NFL his preferences for foot- the Patriots over the defla- been inflated to 16 pounds But when questioned
argued that a federal balls — testimony that was tions. per square inch — well about the inflation of balls
judge must defer to the released as a result of the Under questioning from above the 12 1/2 to 13 that day, the terse answers
judgment of an arbitrator litigation. Berman said he Goodell, Brady said he was 1/2 psi allowed by the rule came back. Brady said
who was properly chosen reviewed the testimony, told about inflation levels book. “no” when asked whether
in a process spelled out in but offered nothing more after a rainy game against Brady said he told the he said anything to Jast-
the collective bargaining about its contents. remski about the pressure
agreement between the The June testimony by levels or whether he sug-
players’ union and the NFL. Brady included terse mo- gested anything about
An appeal on the same ments when asked about pressure at any level.
grounds would argue Ber- anything related to infla- Without addressing Brady,
man went too far, that fed- tion of footballs. Berman said the NFL over-
eral courts can only over- Did he ever consider ball reached.
turn an arbitrator’s award if inflation in choosing game At one hearing, the judge
there’s an extreme offense balls? said he didn’t see the
and Goodell’s mistakes “Never,” Brady said. “-gate” in “Deflategate,”
weren’t serious enough to Did he ever discuss the in- the nickname bestowed on
flip the suspension. flation of footballs with a the scandal as it morphed
Berman followed a path ball handler? into a mini-soap opera. At
he outlined during two “Never.” another hearing, Berman
hearings when he ham- In his entire career, did he referred to the controversy
mered the league, saying ever ask the Patriots to al- as the “deflation situation.”
Goodell went “far beyond” ter footballs once he ap- Berman said he was over-
the investigative conclu- proved them? turning the NFL’s suspen-
sions of attorney Ted Wells. “No.” sion of Brady because the
The report from Wells said But Brady had plenty to say player was never warned
Brady was likely “gener- about the extensive pro- he could face suspension
ally aware” of the plot; cess of preparing footballs and because of “several
Goodell later said Brady and the importance of significant legal deficien-
getting the right grip and cies” in the NFL’s treatment
of Brady.q
Oliveira of Portugal wins 13th
Vuelta stage, Aru keeps lead
Lampre’s Nelson Oliveira of Portugal, left, raises his arms after winning the 13th stage between TARAZONA, Spain (AP) — happiest days of my life,
Calatayud and Tarazona, 178 kilometers (110,6 miles), of the Spanish Vuelta cycling race that Nelson Oliveira of Portugal my first international win
finish in Tarazona, northern Spain, Friday, Sept. 4, 2015. sped away to win the 13th and to get it on the Vuel-
stage of the Spanish Vuel- ta,” he said. “I had circled
Associated Press ta, while Fabio Aru kept his this stage on the calendar.
lead on Friday before the Those were the longest
Grand Tour enters three 20 kilometers of my life.”
straight days in the moun- Aru finished in the peloton
tains. Oliveira broke free with the remaining main
from an escape group of rivals following the expul-
24 riders with around 20 ki- sion of Astana teammate
lometers (12 miles) to go on Vincenzo Nibali and Chris
the hilly 178-kilometer (110- Froome’s withdrawal due
mile) ride from Calatayud to a broken foot.Spain’s
to Tarazona. Joaquim Rodriguez re-
The Lampre-Merida rid- mained in second place at
er had time to savor his 27 seconds behind the Ital-
first international win. He ian leader. Dutchman Tom
slowed down, zipped up Dumoulin was 30 seconds
his maillot, and bowed to back, while former cham-
the crowd as he crossed a pion Alejandro Valverde
minute ahead of the chas- was sixth at 1 minute, 52
ing pack.“This is one of the seconds off Aru’s pace.q
