The New England Patriots did not intentionally deflate footballs in order to gain a competitive advantage in the AFC Championship Game, head coach Bill Belichick said in a press conference Saturday.
Belichick was unequivocal in his defense of the Patriots organization and its actions in a 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 18.
"At no time was there any intent whatsoever to compromise the integrity of the game," Belichick said.
During the press conference, Belichick provided a wordy, esoteric explanation of the way in which footballs are prepared for games, measured for air pressure and how the climate can affect the weight and feel of a football.
Belichick also denied that the balls were prepared in a heated room, stating they would never be prepared in any other place than the locker room.
“I’m embarrassed to talk about the amount of time I’ve put into this, relative to the challenge in front of us,” Belichick said after laying out all of the details of the team's investigation into "Deflategate."