Ted Wells and his team of lawyers on Wednesday released the 243-page Wells Report, which implicated the New England Patriots and Tom Brady in at least being “generally aware” of Patriots employees deflating footballs.
That report featured a lengthy appendix from the engineering and scientific consulting firm Exponent, which Wells and the NFL hired to conduct a study on the scientific factors affecting a football’s air pressure.
The 98-page section used a number of intricate charts and diagrams to fully corroborate Wells’ findings, essentially ruling out the possibility that the Patriots’ footballs deflated due to environmental factors.
Yet apparently the fact that Exponent delivered what Wells and Co. were looking for isn’t exactly surprising.
A 2010 Los Angeles Times article unearthed by a Reddit user reveals that Exponent has a long history of “helping big corporations weather messy disputes.”
According to the Times, Exponent has been hired by several major companies, including Boeing, General Electric, Ford and Toyota. In most cases, its role was to provide research to help those companies defending lawsuits. In one instance, Exponent produced extensive research arguing that secondhand smoke doesn’t cause cancer.
As the Times reported, these practices have given Exponent a certain reputation.
“But Exponent’s research has come under fire from critics, including engineers, attorneys and academics who say the company tends to deliver to clients the reports they need to mount a public defense,” the article reads.
Environmental consultant Cindy Sage echoed these sentiments after Toyota hired Exponent to defend an issue with its electronic throttle systems.
“The first thing you know is that when Exponent is brought in to help a company, that company is in big trouble,” Sage told the Times.
Click to read the entire Wells Report on DeflateGate >>
Thumbnail photo Andy Marlin/USA TODAY Sports Images
