Hours after the NFL levied sanctions against Tom Brady and the Patriots for their alleged role in the doctoring of footballs, Brady’s agent Don Yee went on the offensive and heavily criticized the findings of Ted Wells’ report. This afternoon, Wells held a conference call with reporters to offer his rebuttal to Yee’s comments. Here are some of the highlights from what proved to be an entertaining Q&A session..
- Wells said that no one from Brady’s camp raised any issue with his impartiality and noted that owner Bob Kraft welcomed his appointment, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
- The team led by Wells only asked Brady for printouts of his text messages and not for his actual phone, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweets. This is an important distinction because the quarterback cited privacy concerns with regard to handing over his phone.
- Outside of that, Brady was “totally cooperative” in the investigation, Wells said, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter).
- Wells said the Pats declined his request for a second interview with Jim McNally (per SiriusXM NFL Radio on Twitter). The second interview was requested, and denied, after Wells discovered the now famed “Deflator” text, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Wells said NFL security talked with McNally three times, but he only personally interviewed him once, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Wells strongly rejected the notion that the text messages are circumstantial evidence, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.
- Yee says that he took copious notes throughout the questioning of his client and Wells says he has no issue with the agent publishing those notes, Rapoport tweets.
- The investigator rejected the notion that his fact finding mission was a “sting operation,” Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets.
- NFL executive VP Jeff Pash, whom the league tabbed to co-lead the investigation, was just “a facilitator” and didn’t participate in interviews, according to Wells (via Tom Pelissero of USA Today on Twitter).
- The investigation cost the NFL “millions,” Wells said, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).