Patriots Attendant Attempted to Put Unapproved Ball into Play

A New England Patriots locker room attendant attempted to put into play an unapproved ball during the AFC Championship game. This was the same game that is at the center of the now infamous ‘deflatgate” conspiracy, said sources close to an ongoing investigation.

One source has said that Jim McNally, who is 48, was the attendant assigned to the locker room of the officials for the game. He was interviewed by investigators who are looking into the allegations against the Patriots that the team intentionally used footballs that were underinflated on their offensive plays during the first half of the AFC Championship game versus the Indianapolis Colts.

Other sources have said McNally had worked New England games for over a decade and has worked the officials’ locker room since 2008 at Gillette Stadium.

Sources said that during the AFC Championship game’s first half, McNally attempted to give an alternate official an unapproved football. The alternate official is in charge of all footballs for the special teams. Those footballs are referred to as kicking balls as well as K balls.

Prior to each NFL game, the footballs are inspected and measured by the game’s officials inside their locker room, before the balls are approved for use in the game. K balls are used only for special teams and not by any of the offenses for the two teams.

Officials put a mark or a stamp on each of the balls approved for use during offensive possessions and on the special teams K ball, to ensure only the approved and properly inspected balls are used.

The AFC Championship game referee, Walt Anderson, personally inspected as well as marked the footballs for that game.

Greg Yette, an alternate official, became suspicious when he saw that the ball he was handed by McNally did not have the required markings, said three different sources.

One of the sources also said that Yette thought it was surprising that McNally had been on the field trying to give him a ball, as those attendants usually do not have those duties in a game.

Yette notified an representative of the NFL when McNally tried to hand him the ball, but no one is sure exactly when it took place during the first half.

McNally has not made a public comment about the incident.

He is a part time employee hired by The Kraft Group, which is owned by Robert Kraft the owner of the Patriots.

It is unknown if McNally was the same attendant who allegedly ducked into a bathroom carrying a bag full of football for a minute and a half prior to taking them to the field prior to the start of the AFC Championship game.

NFL officials at their headquarters would not comment on the story saying the investigation was ongoing and they were not allowed to make any comments.