ESPNFirst up, we're talking balls here.
And not just balls—Tom Brady's balls. Or his possibly not-quite-inflated-enough balls, which the New England Patriots have been accused of using on purpose in their AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts last weekend.
Brady told reporters at a press conference that he "did not alter" his balls, nor would he ever knowingly break NFL rules.
"When I pick those footballs out, at that point, to me, they're perfect," he said. "I don't want anyone touching the balls after that. I don't want anyone rubbing them, putting any air in them, taking any air out. To me, those balls are perfect and that's what I expect when I show up on the field."
The superstar quarterback also said, referring to the controversy in general, "This isn't ISIS."
But before we suck all the air out of the room ourselves, here are 19 tweets that really tell you all you need to know about the sports controversy that instantly blew up and became...Deflategate.
Deflategate is the perfect story for @serial to tackle in Season 2, is it not? https://t.co/km61xUekCa
? Adam Hart (@adamhart) January 22, 2015And then here's this, just for fun: