Baltimore Ravens: Steve Bisciotti Denies Pressuring NFL on Deflategate

Steve Bisciotti has a message for Baltimore Ravens fans and everyone around the National Football League: do not believe everything the media puts out there.

Sal Palantonio of ESPN told a San Diego radio show Friday that the Ravens owner is pushing against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for potentially reducing New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension.

“[By reducing the suspension] you’re angering some of the hard-core owners out there. I know who they are and I’m gonna name ‘em right now: Jim Irsay of the Colts. Steve Bisciotti of the Ravens and others in the AFC who believe the Patriots have gotten away with murder for years and have not been publicly punished properly.”

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The report obviously sparked controversy around the league and Bisciotti released a statement refuting Palantonio’s comments.

“I have not and will not put any pressure on the Commissioner or anyone representing the NFL office to take action in what everyone is calling ‘Deflategate.’ The story circulating that I have put pressure on Roger is 100% wrong. The reports are unfair to Robert Kraft, who is an honorable person, and to his franchise. Let’s talk about football and the start of training camps. Fans and people like me want the issue resolved now.”

There is no denying that the Ravens and Indianapolis Colts want the Patriots hit hard. It is likely that Biscotti feels the way that Palantonio described internally, but it is doubtful he would say it publicly. It is just common sense that the entire league wants this punishment to stand firm. The Patriots have continued to find ways to ruffle some feathers around the league whether it been from Deflategate, Spygate or the infamous ineligible receivers that they used against the Ravens to success.

The Patriots lost multiple draft picks, including a 2016 first-rounder, and received a $1 million fine. Kraft has already said that the team will not appeal the NFL’s punishment, but the Patriots quarterback has appealed the decision and is still waiting for a ruling from Goodell.

The league did announce this weekend that there will be a change in the handling of game balls. Officials will check game balls before, during and after games beginning this season. Pregame pressure readings will now be documented and if a ball falls out of the range of pressure, the ball will be adjusted to 13 PSI. The legal range for a NFL football is 12.5 PSI to 13.5 PSI.

The ruling on Brady’s punishment has taken a lot longer than many expected and that has created fears that a reduced suspension is upcoming. While a punishment is deserved for his role in the matter, it has absolutely no impact on the Ravens this season. The only way these two teams face off in 2015 is in the playoffs again. If that scenario comes to fruition, the Ravens can get their revenge by beating them.

We have already discussed why Ravens fans need to move on from Deflategate. What’s done is done and the NFL is not taking the Patriots’ championship away. The only legitimate gripe that the Ravens can have now is that their rivals in Pittsburgh will get to face the Patriots without Brady.

There is one thing that we can all agree on and that’s the final portion of Biscotti’s statement. Training camps have opened around the NFL and it is time to put the off-the-field issues on the back burner and focus on the game of football.

Next: Dennis Pitta, Terrence Brooks Officially Placed on PUP List

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