The NFL's report on "Deflategate" is out, revealing that it was "more probable than not" that the New England Patriots violated the rules and deflated footballs.
Much of the report focuses on Patriots employees Jim McNally, a locker room attendant, and John Jastremski as those who deflated the footballs.
The following the report's transcript of those text messages (it has been edited by this publication for profanity). The messages show a consistant pattern of knowledge about what needed to be done with the footballs and a sincere distaste McNally had for Brady.
In the weeks and months before the AFC Championship Game, McNally periodically exchanged text messages with the Patriots equipment assistant primarily responsible for the preparation of the Patriots game balls, John Jastremski.
In a number of those text messages, McNally and Jastremski discussed the air pressure of Patriots game balls, Tom Brady's unhappiness with the inflation level of Patriots game balls, Jastremski's plan to provide McNally with a "needle" for use by McNally, and McNally's requests for "cash" and sneakers together with the "needle" to be provided by Jastremski.
A sports ball inflation needle is a device that can be used to inflate a football (if attached to an air pump) or release air from a football (if inserted alone into a ball).
For example, on October 17, 2014, following a Thursday night game between the Patriots and the New York Jets during which Tom Brady complained angrily about the inflation level of the game balls, McNally and Jastremski exchanged the following text messages:
McNally: Tom sucks...im going make that next ball a [expletive] balloon
Jastremski: Talked to him last night. He actually brought you up and said you must have a lot of stress trying to get them done ...
Jastremski: I told him it was. He was right though ...
Jastremski: I checked some of the balls this morn... The refs [expletive] us ... a few of then were at almost 16
Jastremski: They didnt recheck then after they put air in them
McNally: [Expletive] tom ...16 is nothing...wait till next sunday
On October 21, 2014, McNally and Jastremski exchanged the following text messages:
McNally: Make sure you blow up the ball to look like a rugby ball so tom can get used to it before sunday
Jastremski: Omg
On October 23, 2014, three days before a Sunday game against the Chicago Bears, Jastremski and McNally exchanged the following messages:
Jastremski: Can"t wait to give you your needle this week :)
McNally: [Expletive] tom....make sure the pump is attached to the needle.....[expletive] watermelons coming
Jastremski: So angry
McNally: The only thing deflating sun..is his passing rating
The next day, October 24, 2014, Jastremski and McNally exchanged the following messages:
Jastremski: I have a big needle for u this week McNally: Better be surrounded by cash and newkicks....or its a rugby sunday
McNally: [Expletive] tom
Jastremski: Maybe u will have some nice size 11s in ur locker
McNally: Tom must really be working your balls hard this week 6
In addition to the messages described above, before the start of the 2014-15 season, McNally referred to himself as “the deflator” and stated that he was “not going to espn……..yet.”
On May 9, 2014, McNally and Jastremski exchanged the following text messages:
McNally: You working
Jastremski: Yup
McNally: Nice dude....jimmy needs some kicks....lets make a deal.....come on help the deflator
McNally: Chill buddy im just [expletive] with you ....im not going to espn........yet
A copy of the full report is available here.
