Boston Celtics Legend Larry Bird Candidly Discussed Tom Brady and Deflategate Scandal That Rocked the NFL; But Absolutely Buries Peyton Manning and Indianapolis Colts: “People Finally Realized They Would Have Beat Us Anyway”

The Deflategate scandal is still one of the NFL’s most contentious issues of the decade. The scandal brought the Patriots and Tom Brady to light. Using semi-inflated balls for self-advantage became public, and fans scrutinized TB12’s career. However, Celtics icon Larry Bird believed the Colts never had a shot against the GOAT.

The Deflategate scandal was an adverse period for the New England Patriots. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were clamoring for the Super Bowl spot, and the franchises had a brewing rivalry. When the scandal came out, Brady’s career hit a blockade, and the league suspended him for a few games. Regardless of the outcome, the scandal remains an unforgettable moment.

Amidst all the deflation drama and the AFC Championship game, The Boston Globe asked Indy-born Larry Bird to lay his opinion. The former Indiana Pacers executive knew the New England Patriots would defeat the Indianapolis Colts, anyway.

Read More: “Everybody Forgets About All the Bust Drafts. You Drafted Two GOATs!”: Tom Brady’s Founding Coach Bill Belichick Gets Defended by Hall of Famer For Picking The Wrong WR

“It was written about a lot around the country, but here in Indianapolis, most people knew. We knew the Patriots was going to beat them anyway. I thought it was pretty chintzy. People finally realized they would have beat us anyway. I just laughed about it. They got the footballs they played with and we got our footballs. And their footballs beat our footballs,” He mentioned.

Needless to say, the NBA Icon’s predictions were correct. In that championship game, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots defeated the Colts 45-7. The Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era survived and thrived and led the Pats to their fourth Super Bowl victory.

Tom Brady was privileged to be noticed with Larry Bird

TB12 might be Tampa Tom at the moment. But he was once a true icon from Boston, Massachusetts. Winning six Super Bowls with the Patriots and preserving the team’s longest stretch of greatness is an unimaginable feat to achieve. For such factors, the fans keep TB12 alongside other Boston athletic greats, Larry Bird and Bobby Orr. Tom Brady acknowledges that being in that class is a dignity.

Brady said via NESN that while in California, he looked up to lots of his heroes. Larry Bird, of course, was phenomenal. Tom lived in Foxborough for a long time and considered himself a Bostonian.

Cut to 2022; Tom Brady will be back for his 23rd season despite pulling the retirement plug. The championship hunger inside the NFL GOAT remains. Tampa Tom would become lethal this year and make his case for the Lombardi for the upcoming campaign.

Watch This Story: Tom Brady Went to the Same High School As This Controversial MLB Hall of Famer Who Was Also a 14x All Star