The National Football League is its own world. It has its own 24-hour news network, its own cult followings, its own heroes who are bigger than life and especially its own scandals. There have been countless NFL scandals in the news this 2014 season, and even as the end of the season draws nearer and nearer, the organization continues to generate national news worthy drama.

As the New England Patriots come off of a 45-7 shellacking of the Indianapolis Colts in last Sunday’s AFC title game, they prepared to enter the hectic two weeks that lead up to the world’s biggest stage in sports: the Super Bowl. As if fan pressure, the media, and the daily press conferences were not enough to distract the organization, a recent scandal definitely will.

On Friday, NFL officials confirmed that during the first half of the Colts game, the Patriots were using balls that were deflated by 2 psi. Acknowledging that he would rather discuss the upcoming Super Bowl, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady claims he did not give the game balls a thought during his team’s victory in the AFC Championship Game. In a press conference on Thursday, Brady stated that he did not “alter the ball in any way,” saying that to him they were perfect. “I don’t want anyone touching them or rubbing them, putting air in or taking air out – that happened obviously on Sunday night.” This may all seem strange to the average fan, but to a New England fan this may all sound too familiar.

Back during the course of the 2007 season, Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick was caught up in a similar scandal, in which the league found him guilty of filming an opposing team’s defensive practices. He avoided suspension after appealing his case, but was forced to pay a $500,000 fine. The outspoken Seahawks’ corner Richard Sherman was not short on words this week on the subject.

“I think people sometimes get a skewed view of Tom Brady,” Sherman claimed Wednesday at a press conference in Seattle. “That he’s just clean-cut, does everything right, never says a bad word to anyone and we know him to be otherwise.” Cowboys’ Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman also had some words about the matter.
Aikman has been quoted saying that Tom Brady is directly responsible for the deflation of the 11 game balls. The Hall of Famer also believes that the punishments for Brady, head coach Bill Belichick, and the rest of the team need to be severe, historically so, and that it does not matter who was actually involved or who actually knew anything.

Bill Belichick claims he has “no explanation” as to why the balls would be deflated whatsoever. “I was shocked to learn of the footballs on Monday. I had no knowledge until Monday morning,” said Belichick. “I’d say I’ve learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew, or had talked about it, in the last 40 years that I’ve coached in this league.”

As the investigation continues, the Patriots’ organization has done everything they can to assist the league. With the Super Bowl fast approaching, the verdict will have to be made quickly. With the reputation of the Patriots’ organization hangs in the balance, fans will have to sit with fingers crossed for another week praying their Super Bowl chances do not get flushed away.