U.S. senators rip NFL over Deflategate
Two United States senators from Nevada criticized the NFL over the league's ongoing investigation of the New England Patriots in the “Deflategate” scandal.
Nevada Sen. Dean Heller (R) said he wanted to seek "decisive actions ensuring all teams are playing according to the rules" and called for the league to "restore the credibility of the game."
Heller also said the NFL should work with the NFL Players Association to come up with a solution before the Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 1 in Super Bowl XLIX.
"As the Senator from the only state where sports betting is legal, it is imperative the integrity of the game never be questioned," Heller said on his website. "When individuals break professional rules to gain unfair competitive advantages, everyone associated with the game is impacted. This type of behavior should never be tolerated."
• SI's complete coverage of Deflategate | Super Bowl coverage hub
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick denied having anything to do with deflated balls that were used during the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts.
"I can’t believe the National Football League, with the billions of dollars it makes, couldn’t at least determine how much air should be in a football," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said, according to Politico.
NFL vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said that the league expects to complete its investigation by Friday.
- Scooby Axson
