said the topic of the sports integrity is serious.Everyones tryin

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The two men most responsible for delivering wins for the New England Patriots both said Thursday they have no explanation for how footballs used to reach the Super Bowl were underinflated by 2 pounds per square inch.Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he has not been contacted by the NFL, even as league officials investigate whether the team cheated against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game.I dont know what happened, Brady said, answering questions from reporters hours after Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he almost never thinks about football pressure and doesnt know what happened, either.I didnt alter the ball in any way, Brady said.Unlike Belichick, who answered questions briefly after a long opening remark by repeatedly saying Ive told you everything I know and I dont have an explanation, Brady answered many questions for a half hour and said he doesnt think about the conditions of the ball during games.I get the snap, I drop back, I throw the ball, Brady said. I dont sit there and try to squeeze it and determine that.He does, however, have his preferences — he likes the football to be pumped to 12.5 pounds per square inch of air pressure, he said. The NFL requires balls to be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch. Brady said he never has knowingly played with a ball with less than 12.5 pounds per square inch of pressure.To me, thats a perfect grip for the football, said Brady, who will face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona. I would never do anything outside the rules of play.With different approaches, Belichick and Brady sent a unified message: Both said they have no clue how the footballs were tampered with or switched during last Sunday nights 45-7 win over the Colts, and started learning about the issue along with fans and everyone else.I have no knowledge of anything, any wrongdoing, Brady said when asked who on the Patriots was responsible for the underinflated footballs. Im very comfortable saying nobody did it as far as I know.Asked if he should have tried harder to learn what happened, considering the possible effect on the teams reputation, Brady said, I think theres a lot of people that have more information than me.Brady said he picks the game balls he wants to use several hours before kickoff, then doesnt think about them at all. He said he didnt know the protocol for handling game balls after he chooses them.Once I approve the ball, thats the ball that I expect out there on the field, Brady said. It wasnt even a thought, inkling or concern of mine that they werent the same ball.Belichick said that before this week, he didnt give air pressure in footballs much thought at all.Ive learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or have talked about it in the last 40 years that Ive coached in this league, Belichick said during an 8 1/2-minute opening statement during an 11 1/2-minute news conference Thursday morning.While neither Belichick nor Brady took responsibility for the underinflated balls, neither absolved anyone besides themselves of potential wrongdoing.I felt like we won the game fair and square, Brady said. I feel like Ive always played within the rules. I would never do anything to break the rules.Softer balls are generally considered easier to throw and catch, and quarterbacks, specialists and equipment managers are known to have very individualized preferences in how footballs are readied for games. Belichick said he was unaware of the process for game balls until the accusations were raised.Belichick said he sometimes hears quarterbacks, kickers and other specialists talk about their preferences.I can tell you and they will tell you that there is never any sympathy from me whatsoever on that subject. Zero, Belichick said.Under league rules, each team provides balls for use on offence. Referees approve the balls more than 2 hours before game time, then keep the balls until theyre turned over to ball handlers provided by home teams just before kickoff.Belichick said the balls used by the Patriots offence are inflated to the 12 1/2-pound range and any deflation would then take us under that.Going forward, he said, the Patriots will inflate footballs to a safe level to prevent them from dropping under allowable air pressure during games.The coach who has won three Super Bowls said he generally forces players to practice under bad-ball conditions.Anytime players complain about the quality of the footballs, I make it worse and that stops the complaints, he said. We never use the condition of the footballs as an excuse. We play with whatever or kick with whatever we have to use.The issue has drawn inflated reaction from around the game and its fans as the Patriots prepare to play for the NFL title.Several Patriots said it would not distract them in preparing for the game.Wed rather be celebrating our trip to the Super Bowl, special teams captain Matthew Slater said. Its important to us that we respect the game and deal with things in a way thats considered professional.But Brady said the topic of the sports integrity is serious.Everyones trying to figure out what happened but, at the same time, youve got to prepare for the Seahawks, he said.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/ap_nfl Cheap Custom Vikings Jersey .com) - Novak Djokovic easily took care of Andy Murray to reach the final at the $2. 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Winners of 15 straight, with a healthy roster, the Spurs have overtaken the Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder for the number one ranking.LONDON - Liverpool is starting to produce the kind of fluent attacking displays that led the team to a second-place finish in the English Premier League last season.Now, the Reds just need a striker to finish off the chances.Liverpool outplayed Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday, yet needed a goal deep into stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw. While Arsenal is four points off the Champions League places, Liverpool is nine points from the top four with almost half the season gone.The rest of Europes leagues are closing for the winter break, with Marseille leading in France after winning Sunday.Here is a look at best of the action in Europe:___ENGLANDWearing a bandage to cover up a nasty head wound, Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel leapt high at a corner to score a powerful header in the seventh minute of stoppage time and rescue a point against Arsenal.Liverpool dominated the game, creating a slew of chances like in the 3-0 loss to Manchester United last weekend, but again lacked a cutting edge in the continued absence of injured striker Daniel Sturridge.Philippe Coutinhos 45th-minute opener was the only reward for its consistent build-up play until Skrtels late intervention, with Arsenal scoring in between against the run of play through France internationals Mathieu Debuchy and Olivier Giroud.The visitors couldnt hang on despite Liverpool substitute Fabio Borini being sent off at the start of second-half stoppage time for two quick bookings.A late goal was decisive in Sundays other game, with Adam Johnson volleying home a 90th-minute winner for Sunderland in a 1-0 victory at northeast rival Newcastle. It sealed an unprecedented fourth straight derby win for Sunderland.___FRANCEMarseille beat Lille 2-1 Sunday to ensure it ended the year top of Ligue 1, while Lyon thrashed 10-man Bordeaux 5-0 to leapfrog Paris Saint-Germain into second spot.An own goal from Lille forward Nolan Roux and Michy Batshuayis strike — shortly after Idrissa Gueyes equalizer — saw Marseille head into the winter break three points clear of Paris Saint-Germain, which drew 0-0 against Montpellier on Saturday.In Bordeaux, goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso either side of the break had given Lyon a comfortable lead before Nicolas Pallois was sent off in the 16th minute for a dangerous tackle on CClinton NJie.ddddddddddddabil Fekir, Jordan Ferri and Lacazette all scored in the final nine minutes for Lyon.___SPAINFrance forward Antoine Griezmann scored a second-half hat trick to help Atletico Madrid come back for a 4-1 win at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday to pull within four points of the lead in the Spanish league.Bilbao dominated the first half and took the lead when Mikel Rico headed in a free kick in the 17th minute. But Griezmann headed in the equalizer just seconds after the halftime break, and Raul Garcia made it 2-1 in the 53rd from the penalty spot. Griezmann then finished off the game with breakaway goals in the 73rd and 81st.Villarreal and Malaga also won to finish the year on winning streaks.Villarreal striker Luciano Vietto scored two goals to secure a comfortable 3-0 win over visiting Deportivo La Coruna, while Malaga had to fight back 2-1 at Elche.Elsewhere, Getafe scored late to salvage a 1-1 draw at Granada and keep the Andalusian side winless in 12 consecutive rounds.___ITALYLazio squandered a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 at Inter Milan but will spend the winter break in third spot in Serie A after Sampdoria and Genoa also failed to win on Sunday.Lazio moved above Napoli on goal difference. Sampdoria was also on 27 points after it was held to a 2-2 draw at home to Udinese in the final round of Serie A fixtures in 2014.Genoa remained a point further back after losing 2-1 at relegation-threatened Torino.Earlier, Chievo Verona beat city rival Hellas Verona 1-0 in a derby match. Also, Fiorentina was held to a 1-1 draw by Empoli, while Atalanta fought back from two goals down to draw 3-3 at home to Palermo.___GERMANYJoselus late equalizer salvaged a 2-2 draw for Hannover at Freiburg and left the home side bottom of the Bundesliga for the leagues six-week winter break.The Spanish striker struck in the third minute of injury time when an attempted clearance from Freiburg goalkeeper Roman Buerki went straight to his feet.Freiburg would have climbed out of the relegation zone with a win, but remains bottom on goal difference from Borussia Dortmund.Hertha Berlin slumped to a 5-0 loss at home to Hoffenheim, increasing the hosts relegation fears.Unbeaten Bayern Munich leads by 11 points with a Bundesliga-record 45 from the first half of the season. ' ' '