The NFL is currently investigating claims that the New England Patriots intentionally deflated footballs to gain an advantage in Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.
A league spokesman confirmed the investigation, which was first reported Sunday by television station WTHR in Indianapolis, to ESPN on Monday morning. The Indianapolis reporter made the charge that the NFL had seized at least one game ball from the AFC championship game to examine whether pigskins were intentionally deflated to make them easier to throw and catch.
Tom Brady, in his Monday morning appearance on the New England radio station WEEI, called the report "ridiculous."
"I think I've heard it all at this point," Brady said. "That's the last of my worries. I don't even respond to stuff like this."
If the Patriots were found to have deflated balls intentionally, they could face a number of punishments - including losing a draft pick.
According to ESPN, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Monday afternoon that the organization will "cooperate fully with whatever questions they ask us and whatever they want us to do".
The investigation has been referred to as 'deflate-gate' on social media.
In the 2007 'spy-gate' affair, the team were fined $250,000 and lost a first-round draft pick, while coach Belichick was fined $500,000 after being found guilty of illegally filming another team's hand signals during a game.