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via Imago

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A scandal broke out when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won 45-7 over the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC Championship on January 18, 2015. Patriots equipment assistant John Jastremski and locker room attendant Jim McNally were found to have allegedly tampered with the football by deliberately deflating it to give a catch advantage. As the starter, Tom Brady was dragged into the scene as potentially playing a role in what transpired. 

During his conference speech, Tom Brady denied all allegations when he addressed the press. Looking back on it, the 46-year-old retired NFL GOAT believes that hate was immense during that time, given the Patriots’ success. However, an investigative report three months later tells a different story.

Tom Brady faced critics who shot their suspicions at him for the Deflategate scandal

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The Dynasty recently released an episode that delved into the Deflategate scenario where Tom Brady was thrown a tricky question. The Patriots docuseries documented the star QB’s conference speech on January 22, 2015, when a reporter asked him straight to the face, “Is Tom Brady a cheater?” After a nervous chuckle, Brady replied, “I don’t believe so. I feel like I’ve always played within the rules. I’d never do anything to break the rules. You know I believe in fair play, and I’ll always believe in that as long as I’m playing.”

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Even with Brady denying any knowledge about the deflation issue, reporters bombarded him with questions, leading to apparent discomfort from the QB. In the video, the older Tom Brady attributed these attacks to envy, saying, “Early on, I kind of laughed it off. But there was a lot of built-up tension and hate from a lot of people that was part of, I think, our success of the Patriots.” By then, Tom Brady already had three Super Bowl wins under his belt with the Patriots and was on the way to seeking their fourth, which they eventually won 28-24 against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015. However, as far as the Deflategate issue went, Tom Brady had to pay the price for his alleged tampering. 

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What was the price Tom Brady paid for the Deflategate scandal?

Per a Deflategate report by attorney Ted Wells, Tom Brady had a telephone call with John Jastremski the morning after the conference victory. After the initial denial, Jastremski admitted that the two had discussed deflation. This allegation led to Tom Brady serving a four-game suspension. The Patriots, meanwhile, were fined $1 million and forfeited two draft selections in 2016.

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Tom Brady returned with the Patriots on October 9, 2016, putting a glorious end to the Deflategate issue. While the shadow of the scandal hung about for the rest of the season, naysayers and critics were silenced when Brady again led his team to another Super Bowl in 2017 victory over the Atlanta Falcons while winning the prestigious title of the SB MVP.

READ MORE: Deflategate Investigation Confirms Tom Brady Spoke To Accused John Jastremski For 13 Minutes On Allegations vs. Patriots