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Bill Belichick, predictably, had nothing to say about deflate-gate
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick met with reporters on Friday, making his first public comments since the NFL handed down harsh penalties for deflate-gate.
In true Belichick fashion, he didn’t have much to say about the ordeal.
“That was a long time ago. We’re on to next year,” Belichick said per the Boston Globe. “This is 2015. You can forget about last year. That was last year.”
While Tom Brady is appealing his four-game suspension, Patriots owner Robert Kraft opted not to appeal the $1 million fine and loss of two draft picks levied by the league as a result of the deflated football controversy. Belichick said he’s on board with that move.
“Yeah, [Kraft] made a statement on that last week,” Belichick said.
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The team is coming off a Super Bowl, yet deflate-gate has dominated headlines over the past few months. Belichick said the controversy hasn’t gotten in the way of the team’s focus headed into the upcoming season.
“We’re just working hard every day to come out here and get better. Coaches, players, everybody in the organization,” Belichick said. “Each day we’re trying to make it a little bit better than the day before. That’s where we’re at, that’s what we’re going to keep doing.”
With Brady’s suspension in place (for now, pending his appeal), Belichick was asked if he’s preparing to start the season with second-year pro Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter.
His answer was a classic Belichick non-answer.
“We’re just going day-by-day right now. Everybody’s working hard, trying to get better,” Belichick said.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
