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. 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. Unlike Belichick, who briefly answered questions after a long opening remark by repeatedly saying Ive told you everything I know and I dont have an explanation, Brady answered many questions and said he doesnt think about football conditions 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 pound per square inch. To me, thats a perfect grip for the football, he said. 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, 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. 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. 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 12 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 the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona, for the NFL title. Several players 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. LaMarcus Aldridge Jersey . - Andrew McCutchen went 4 for 5 and finished a home run short of a cycle, and Jordy Mercer drove in a career-high four runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. 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Derrick White Jersey . 17.A string of English Premier League teams, most in the lower end of the standings, has been linked to the 32-year-old forward but most have seemingly balked at the cost given his wages and transfer fee.In a move for the future, the Philadelphia 76ers traded their best player in order to get an injured lottery pick with great potential. Numbers Game looks at the move sending PG Jrue Holiday to New Orleans for highly-touted C Nerlens Noel. The Pelicans Get: PG Jrue Holiday and the 42nd pick in the 2013 draft (used to take PG Pierre Jackson). Jrue Holiday, 23, is coming off a career-best season in which he scored 17.7 points and had 8.0 assists with 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Hes at the low end of a rare group of players that scored 17 points with seven assists, four rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, as LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were the only other players to meet all those thresholds. For all that statistical production, Holidays defensive play wasnt as effective as it had been in previous seasons, perhaps a reflection of his increased offensive workload, as he attempted a career-high 16.5 shots per game. Nevertheless, as well as Greivis Vasquez played for New Orleans last season, Holiday is a better option going forward, both as an offensive creator and on the defensive end of the floor. Signed for four years and $44-million, Holiday is a quality addition for the Pelicans, one that could push them towards contending for a playoff spot next season, provided that PF Anthony Davis and SG Eric Gordon can stay healthy. Jackson is a decent value pick at No. 42. Hes a small (5-foot-11) and quick point guard who can get to the rim and shoot a little bit, so he could give the Pelicans nice depth at the position, if he sticks. The 76ers Get: C Nerlens Noel annd a 2014 first-round pick.dddddddddddd. Nerlens Noel was the sixth pick in the 2013 draft, slipping from what likely would have been the top selection had he remained healthy. Unfortunately, Noel suffered a torn ACL in February, putting his status for next season in doubt, but a year to rehabilitate his injury will also allow Noel time to get stronger, as hes a very lean 7-footer. The 19-year-old is still a work in progress offensively -- he didnt score 20 points in any of his 24 games at Kentucky, though he did shoot 59.0% from the field -- but hes athletic and young enough that he has time to develop that aspect of his game. The addition of Noel, at the cost of their best player last season, makes it likely that the Sixers will struggle next season, but thats part of the plan. The pick they receive from New Orleans is protected for picks 1-5, but gives the Sixers another potential lottery asset to go with their own pick that is likely going to be in the lottery too. Those two picks plus Noel will become the building blocks for the future of the franchise. Whichever team ended up taking Noel in this draft was facing the prospect of one step back to take two steps forward and the Sixers were bold enough to take that chance. For the Pelicans, they already have their Kentucky shot blocker -- last years No. 1 pick, Anthony Davis -- and have enough pieces to show a little more urgency in their bid to become a playoff contender. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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