The NFL might have some explaining to do.
One of the reasons listed for the strict punishment imposed on New England Patriots in the DeflateGate scandal was the team’s failure to be fully cooperative with the Wells Report investigation.
“The Wells report identifies two significant failures in this respect,” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent wrote to the team. “The first involves the refusal by the club’s attorneys to make Mr. (Jim) McNally available for an additional interview, despite numerous requests by Mr. Wells and a cautionary note in writing of the club’s obligation to cooperate in the investigation. The second was the failure of Tom Brady to produce any electronic evidence (emails, texts, etc.), despite being offered extraordinary safeguards by the investigators to protect unrelated personal information. Although we do not hold the club directly responsible for Mr. Brady’s refusal to cooperate, it remains significant that the quarterback of the team failed to cooperate fully with the investigation.”
McNally, the Patriots’ officials locker room attendant, agreed to be interviewed over the phone, but the NFL declined his offer, a league source told ProFootballTalk. McNally lives in New Hampshire and has a full-time job outside his part-time employment with the Patriots. He didn’t want to participate in another in-person interview at least partially because he had been “ambushed at his home by ESPN’s Kelly Naqi based on a perceived leak from her husband, a former league-office employee who now works for the Jaguars,” ProFootballTalk wrote.
Here is what is contained in the Wells Report about the Patriots’ lack of cooperation:
“The Patriots provided cooperation throughout the investigation, including by making personnel and information available to us upon request. Counsel for the Patriots, however, refused to make Jim McNally available for a follow-up interview requested by our investigative team on what we believed were important topics, despite our offer to meet at any time and location that would be convenient for McNally. Counsel for the Patriots apparently refused even to inform McNally of our request. We believe the failure by the Patriots and its counsel to produce McNally for the requested follow-up interview violated the club’s obligations to cooperate with the investigation under the Policy on Integrity of the Game & Enforcement of League Rules and was inconsistent with public statements made by the Patriots pledging full cooperation with the investigation.”
So, something doesn’t add up here.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft released a statement after the Wells Report was released, saying the Patriots already had made McNally available for four interviews with the NFL.
“In addition, given our level of cooperation throughout the process, I was offended by the comments made in the Wells Report in reference to not making an individual available for a follow-up interview,” Kraft wrote. “What the report fails to mention is that he had already been interviewed four times and we felt the fifth request for access was excessive for a part-time game day employee who has a full-time job with another employer.”
Apparently it was the NFL’s way or excessive punishment.
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
