HOUSTON - Roger Goodell has avoided Boston, but he heard from the Boston media early and often during his annual Super Bowl press conference.
The third question that Goodell was asked came from The Boston Globe's Ben Volin, who asked if he agreed with Robert Kraft's recent comments that the NFL had received bad information during the Deflategate saga, which led to the whole scandal being overblown.
"No," Goodell said. "We had a violation. We went through a process. We applied the diclipline in accordance with our process. It was litigated, as you know, expensively, and validated by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
"So we're moving on from that. It's part of our history, but it's something that we're comfortable with the process, with the decision, and as I said, we're focusing on the game now," (see full story).
- CSNNE.com
Falcons: Jones '100 percent rolling' into Super Bowl
HOUSTON - The Atlanta Falcons say All-Pro receiver Julio Jones is not slowed at all by a sprained toe.
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Even though Jones was listed as limited on Wednesday's Super Bowl practice report, coach Dan Quinn said "it would take an awful lot, an act of nature, for him not to be 100 percent rolling on Sunday."
Jones was wearing neon yellow cleats as he took part in a 1-hour, 24-minute practice at Rice University. He sprinted and cut without any apparent problems, never limping on an 80-degree afternoon.
Center Alex Mack (fibula) was the only other Atlanta player on the injury report. He was listed as limited but also got in significant practice time, leaving little doubt that both players will start in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots (see full story).
- The Associated Press
Patriots: Brady talks relationship with Kraft
HOUSTON - Tom Brady and Robert Kraft's relationship has come a long was since the rookie quarterback told the Patriots owner that drafting him in the sixth round was the best decision the franchise has ever made.
During a week when Brady's relationship with his parents has come into the spotlight, Brady called Kraft like "a second father" to him during his career on Tuesday.
"I am a long way from home," Brady said, citing his California roots, "and when you are all the way across the country and don't have any family . . . We have been through a lot of ups and downs together and through a lot of challenging moments that have brought us closer together.
"He has been a second father to me in a lot of ways and given me a lot of advice over the years about a lot of things that only someone like he could speak to and relate to. Whether it has been family situations or friendship situations, career advice, it has all mattered to me. He knows how I feel about him. It means a lot to him for us to get to this point and he works his butt off to get us here. I know how disappointed he is when we lose this game -- he lets me know it," (see full story).
- CSNNE.com
Patriots: Can anyone slow down Jones?
HOUSTON - Julio Jones is a bad man, an absolute terror that has caused many defensive coordinators and cornerbacks to toss and turn in their king-size beds wondering, "How in the hell do we cover this guy?"
Taylor Gabriel, a teammate of Jones, has an idea.
"You would think you have to triple, quadruple team him," he said at the Falcons media availability Wednesday (see full story).
- CSNNE.com
