When Tom Brady was asked if he’s a cheater in the early days of Deflategate, he answered, “I don’t believe so.” Most Americans don’t believe him.
A scientific survey of American opinion on Deflategate, conducted for Yahoo Sports, found that just 16.3 percent of Americans said they believe Brady and the Patriots when they say they did not intentionally deflate footballs in the AFC Championship Game last year. A plurality, 43.4 percent, said they don’t know who to believe, while 40.3 percent said they believe the NFL’s findings that Brady cheated.
In the New England area, those answers are very different: 58 percent believe the Patriots, just 18.7 percent believe the NFL, and 23.3 percent don’t know.
The poll found that nationwide, Brady faired better among women than men.
Brady and the NFL are still waging legal battle over the league’s attempt to suspend him for four games over Deflategate. Brady went to court and had his four-game suspension overturned last year, but the NFL is still attempting to get the suspension reinstated.