Ravens owner denies trying to influence Tom Brady decision

By Mike Cole

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti swears he’s not trying to strong-arm NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when it comes to Tom Brady.

Over the weekend, Bisciotti and Indianapolis Colts owner Steve Irsay were named by ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio as two owners pressuring Goodell into upholding Brady’s four-game suspension for his alleged role in Deflategate.

“(By potentially reducing the suspension) you’re angering some of the hard-core owners out there,” Paolantonio reported. “I know who they are and I’m gonna name ‘em right now: Jim Irsay of the Colts. Steve Bisciotti of the Ravens and others in the AFC who believe the Patriots have gotten away with murder for years and have not been publicly punished properly.”

Bisciotti responded to the report with a statement Sunday.

“I have not and will not put any pressure on the commissioner or anyone representing the NFL office to take action in what everyone is calling ‘Deflategate.’

“The story circulating that I have put pressure on Roger (Goodell) is 100 percent wrong. The reports are unfair to Robert Kraft, who is an honorable person, and to his franchise.

“Let’s talk about football and the start of training camps. Fans and people like me want the issue resolved now.”

ESPN.com made an update to a story about Deflategate on Sunday night, saying a “league source tells ESPN that Bisciotti has not spoken about Deflategate publicly or privately.”

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