Tom Brady jokes he had an "enjoyable offseason" at Patriots gala
Tom Brady described his off-season as “enjoyable” at the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation kickoff gala in Gillette Stadium on Tuesday when asked for a memorable moment since the team's Super Bowl victory, reports Matt Reis of ESPN.com
The response came during a panel featuring Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Matthew Slater and Devin McCourty, and drew laughs from the crowd. Brady later added that he has also enjoyed following wide receiver Julian Edelman on Instagram, where he posts pictures of his latest fashion, television appearances, and recent travels to Jerusalem.
Owner Robert Kraft hinted at the Deflategate scandal that has now turned into a battle in court between Brady and the NFL.
“I spoke on behalf of the team and addressed the organization's position regarding, in my opinion, the most overblown story in recent NFL history,” Kraft said. “I advised our coach, his staff and all of our players to ignore the noise and keep their focus on what was most important for this upcoming season.”
• MCCANN: Five takeaways from 'final' Brady v. NFL hearing as ruling nears
Brady was suspended four games by the NFL for his alleged role in deflating footballs before the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game appearance in January. The NFL commissioned attorney Ted Wells to investigate the matter, and his report concluded that Brady was at least ”generally aware” of the alleged deflation scheme.
In July, the NFL asked a New York federal court to uphold Brady’s suspension. The sides failed to reach a settlement, and a ruling in the case is expected this week.
The defending Super Bowl champion Patriots open the NFL season on Sept. 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
