SPORTS THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015 7A Walker, Bergerson score titles at Gervais AP Photo/Mark Humphrey New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft reads a statement during a news conference Monday in Chandler, Ariz. The Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks in NFL football Super Bowl XLIX Sunday in Phoenix. Kraft takes the offensive, defends Patriots team, seeks NFL apology &+$1'/(5 $UL] $3 ² 7KH New England Patriots came out swinging upon their arrival at the Su- per Bowl. Not star quarterback Tom Brady or All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis. Not coach Bill Belichick, either. Robert Kraft. The team owner on Monday night de- manded an apology from the league once the Patriots are found to be not guilty of breaking any rules regarding using un- GHULQÀDWHGIRRWEDOOVLQWKH$)&FKDP- pionship game. A conclusion Kraft is certain will occur. In an unscheduled statement, Kraft strongly defended his team’s actions DQGLQWHJULW\JURZLQJPRUH¿HU\ZLWK each sentence. “I want to make it clear that I be- lieve, unconditionally, that the New En- gland Patriots have done nothing inap- propriate in this process or in violation RI1)/UXOHV´.UDIWVDLGDWWKHWHDP¶V ¿UVWPHGLDDYDLODELOLW\LQ$UL]RQD ³,I WKH 7HG :HOOV LQYHVWLJDWLRQ LV QRW DEOH WR GH¿QLWLYHO\ GHWHUPLQH WKDW our organization tampered with the air pressure in the footballs, I would expect and hope the league would apologize to our entire team, and in particular to FRDFK%LOO%HOLFKLFNDQG7RP%UDG\ for what they’ve had to endure this ZHHN´ 1)/ ([HFXWLYH 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW -HII 3DVK DQG7HG:HOOV RI WKH ODZ ¿UP RI Paul Weiss are leading the probe. Wells was the investigator in the Miami Dol- AP NFL WEBSITE http://pro32.ap.org/dailyastorian phins bullying scandal and has said the current investigation could last a while. Kraft welcomes a thorough search. “I’m disappointed in the way this en- tire matter has been handled and reported XSRQ´.UDIWVDLGSRLQWLQJGLUHFWO\WRUH- ports citing anonymous sources. “We ex- pect hard facts rather than circumstantial leaked evidence to drive the conclusion RIWKLVLQYHVWLJDWLRQ´ 7KH 1)/ KDV VDLG HYLGHQFH VKRZV WKH3DWULRWVXVHGXQGHULQÀDWHGIRRWEDOOV GXULQJWKH¿UVWKDOIRIWKH$)&WLWOHJDPH victory over Indianapolis. The league is still determining why the balls were un- GHULQÀDWHG ³,DPFRQ¿GHQWWKDWWKLVLQYHVWLJDWLRQ will uncover whatever the facts were that took place last Sunday and the science of how game balls react to changes in the HQYLURQPHQW´.UDIWDGGHG³7KLVZRXOG be in direct contrast to the public dis- course, which has been driven by media leaks as opposed to actual data and facts. Because of this, many jumped to con- clusions and made scarring accusations against our coach, quarterback and staff TXHVWLRQLQJWKHLQWHJULW\RIDOOLQYROYHG´ Belichick and Brady followed Kraft to the podium, but basically left any comments on the investigation to their boss. When asked if he was upset by the accusations and jokes of which he was WKHVXEMHFW%UDG\VDLG³,¶YHPRYHGSDVW those initial feelings and I want to move IRUZDUG´ %XWPRYLQJDZD\IURPWKHGHÀDWHG footballs theme will be particularly dif- ¿FXOWRQPHGLDGD\ZKHQMXVWDERXWDQ\ question has been fair game in the past. So Kraft came out swinging before then with a speech tinged with emotion ²DQG¿UH “Tom, Bill and I have been together IRU \HDUV 7KH\ DUH P\ JX\V´ VDLG Kraft, who has three Super Bowl titles and three other trips to the big game since 2001. “They are part of my family. Bill, Tom DQG,KDYHKDGPDQ\GLI¿FXOWGLVFXVVLRQV over the years. I’ve never known them to OLH WR PH 7KDW¶V ZK\ ,¶P FRQ¿GHQW LQ saying what I just said. “It bothers me greatly their reputa- tions and integrity — and by association that of our team — has been called into TXHVWLRQWKLVZHHN´ 7KLVKDUGO\LVWKH¿UVWWLPHWKH3DWUL- ots have been under such scrutiny. Most famously was 2007, their undefeated regular season. Revelations that New En- JODQGYLGHRWDSHG1HZ