Back in January, ESPN's Chris Mortensen was tipped off by a "source" and reported that 11 of 12 New England Patriots footballs in the AFC Championship game were 2 PSI under what was required by the league — a severely erroneous report that was only clarified once the Wells Report was out.
He was scheduled to explain himself on WEEI, but quickly backed out after not agreeing with the promotion of his appearance:
"You guys made a mistake by drumming up business for the show and how I would address my reporting for the first time," Mortensen emailed D&C. "I will not allow WEEI [Robert] Kraft or anybody to make me the centerpiece of a story that has been misreported far beyond anything I did in the first 48 hours. Maybe when the lawsuit is settled, in Brady's favor, I hope, we can revisit. Don't call."
Despite the Wells Report findings being drastically different, Mortensen never deleted the tweet, nor made changes to his story.
Following Mortensen's appearance, WEEI later reported that Mike Kensil was the reporter's source.
"D&C host John Dennis reported that NFL vice president of game operations Mike Kensil (a former longtime Jets employee) was the source for Mortensen's information, noting that Kensil reportedly told a Patriots equipment employee during the game that the team was "in big [expletive] trouble." Kensil had been alerted to concerns about the pressure in Patriots footballs by Colts general manager Ryan Grigson."
If this is the case, the NFLPA's court case against the NFL might have more than just a few minor issues with the ruling on Brady's appeal.
