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          New England Patriots

          Result that stands out in Deflategate poll: Other teams cheating, too

          • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterMay 14, 2015, 08:00 AM ET
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              Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
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          Of all the results in a new ESPN/ABC News poll on Deflategate, one that stands out is this: 85 percent of those who responded believe other teams do the same type of things that the New England Patriots have been penalized for by the NFL.

          Guess they aren't buying the "integrity of the game" campaign that commissioner Roger Goodell is selling.

          Still, the poll -- conducted by a random national sample of 504 adults -- found that 63 percent support the NFL's discipline of the Patriots while 54 percent think Patriots quarterback Tom Brady cheated. Those numbers spiked when tallying responses from those categorized as "avid fans." The results of the poll are listed below.

          I'm not surprised at the results based on the intense media coverage of underinflated footballs when the story first broke in late January, when leaks painted the team in a negative light. The NFL had a chance to potentially adjust that narrative by releasing the PSI levels of the footballs measured at halftime of the AFC Championship Game, which would have added more context and potentially blunted the firestorm, but elected not to. That helped the story build momentum, turn into the giant monster it ultimately became and shape public opinion as national newscasts led with it.

          So I wouldn't have expected the Patriots to receive many favorable polling results.

          That is why my eye was drawn to the bigger-picture result in the ESPN/ABC News poll, produced by Langer Research Associates, in which 85 percent of respondents said they believe other teams do the same type of things that New England was penalized for by the NFL. Almost everyone, they say, is pushing the envelope in some form.

          And with that, we wonder if the NFL might soon be adding another chapter to its "Integrity of the Game" policy.

          POLL RESULTS

          The National Football League says it believes that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was aware that his team used under-inflated footballs in the AFC championship game in January. It suspended Brady without pay for four games, fined the Patriots one million dollars and took away two of its draft picks. Do you support or oppose the NFL taking this action against Brady and the Patriots? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?

          Just your best guess, do you think Brady cheated, or not?

          Regardless of Brady's actions, do you think the Patriots cheated, or not?

          Do you think this kind of thing is limited to the Patriots, or do you think it happens with other NFL teams as well?

          The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl. Do you think that victory is tainted because of this incident, or not?

          Balancing this incident and his career overall, would you support or oppose Brady being elected to the Football Hall of Fame at some point?

          Do you think Brady is or is not a good role model for young people?