Antonio Smith ‘Joking’ About Spying Accusations Against Patriots, Calls Himself ‘Spontaneous and Witty’

Antonio Smith may be spontaneous and witty, if that’s what he’s going to be calling himself, but there are a few other adjectives that can be used to describe him after he went out of his way to knock the Patriots following their victory over the Texans on Sunday.

Smith has now pulled back from some of his postgame comments, saying he was joking when he accused the Patriots of cheating, spying or something of the like after Sunday’s game. He said the hubbub in response to his comments was an overreaction, and that people should know he likes to kid around.

Well, Antonio Smith, a lot more people make a connection between “Patriots” and “spying” than they do “Antonio Smith” and anything, so maybe it’s a stretch to think the intent wasn’t bad blood after Houston appeared to have New England taken care of before falling in the second half.

“It tickles me how much the country loves the Patriots so much they take everything so seriously,” Smith said Monday, according to the Houston Chronicle. “I wasn’t angry or serious, and I didn’t say that’s why they beat us.”

Smith still appears to misunderstand the source of the controversy, as his comments drew attention not so much for love of the Patriots but because of the team’s controversial history with Spygate.

On Monday, Smith said he “had no idea it would have that [kind of] effect,” and he backpedaled on his comments of the “highly suspicious way” the Patriots figured out what to do to roll past the Texans in the second half.

“I said it, but you have to check the manner in which I said it,” he said. “I didn’t accuse them of beating us with cheating. Come on, don’t you have a sense of humor? Though it may be something I was curious about it, I wasn’t thinking they spied on us or they were cheating.

“Half the stuff I say is spontaneous and witty, and I don’t think anything else about it. I’m sorry I said the word ‘spying.’ I was joking and having fun with it.”

Tom Brady was among those brushing off the comments Monday, choosing the more diplomatic route.

Of course, anything is more diplomatic than the response many Patriots fans likely had: “Antonio Smith who?”

Photo via Twitter/@KHOUSportsMatt