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http://www.qverity.com/blog/2015/1/25/hwupj9x8877xqestxluvzhnoozmayx
Deceptive Behavior Marks Belichick, Brady 'Deflategate' Press Conferences
JANUARY 25, 2015
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady likely have information about the “Deflategate” controversy that they are withholding, a behavioral analysis conducted by QVerity has concluded.
Our analysis of the Belichick and Brady press conferences held on January 22 found that they both exhibited a high level of deceptive behaviors in response to questions from reporters. At issue was the NFL’s finding that 11 of 12 footballs used by the Patriots in the first half of their 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game were found to have an inflation level that was below League standards. In light of the fact that this was not found to be the case with footballs used by the Colts, questions have arisen as to whether the Patriots may have deflated the footballs to make them easier for Brady to throw in the cold, wet conditions of the game.
In Belichick’s press conference, which was held early in the day, the head coach opened the conference with a fairly lengthy account of his “shock” when he learned of reports of the deflated footballs, and his lack of knowledge about the process that takes place in preparing and inspecting the footballs before each game. It is our opinion that Belichick exhibited a high volume of deceptive behaviors in presenting this account, and in the subsequent Q&A with reporters. Examples of the behaviors that yielded this conclusion follow:
Deceptive Behavior Marks Belichick, Brady 'Deflategate' Press Conferences
JANUARY 25, 2015
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady likely have information about the “Deflategate” controversy that they are withholding, a behavioral analysis conducted by QVerity has concluded.
Our analysis of the Belichick and Brady press conferences held on January 22 found that they both exhibited a high level of deceptive behaviors in response to questions from reporters. At issue was the NFL’s finding that 11 of 12 footballs used by the Patriots in the first half of their 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game were found to have an inflation level that was below League standards. In light of the fact that this was not found to be the case with footballs used by the Colts, questions have arisen as to whether the Patriots may have deflated the footballs to make them easier for Brady to throw in the cold, wet conditions of the game.
In Belichick’s press conference, which was held early in the day, the head coach opened the conference with a fairly lengthy account of his “shock” when he learned of reports of the deflated footballs, and his lack of knowledge about the process that takes place in preparing and inspecting the footballs before each game. It is our opinion that Belichick exhibited a high volume of deceptive behaviors in presenting this account, and in the subsequent Q&A with reporters. Examples of the behaviors that yielded this conclusion follow:
- Belichick made a series of inconsistent statements. In one instance, he made the statement, “I had no knowledge of the various steps involved in the game balls, and the process...that happened between when they were prepared, and went to the officials, and went to the game.” Later in the press conference, he made the much less definitive statement, “My overall knowledge of football specifications, the overall process that happens on game day with the footballs, is very limited.” Moreover, this profession of ignorance is wholly inconsistent with Belichick’s renowned penchant for attention to detail and thorough scrutiny of every facet of the game.
- Another instance of inconsistent statements arose when Belichick made the statement, “Based on what I knew Sunday, Sunday night, thinking back on this, which I've done several times, I really can’t think of anything I would have done differently, based on what I knew then.” The problem here is that if he had been ignorant of the process of the inflation and handling of the footballs, as he professed, what is it that he would have been repeatedly thinking back on? It may be the case that this was an unintended message that he was thinking back on what had been done differently in this game that led to the officials checking the footballs.
- Belichick engaged in extensive convincing and overly-specific behavior in detailing how he makes the condition of the footballs as bad as possible during practice. This was likely intended to persuade us that Brady had no need to deflate the footballs due to the adverse weather conditions of the game, because he was used to handling footballs under adverse circumstances. It’s notable that this convincing behavior was provided in lieu of conveying substantive information in response to the questions that had been raised.
- Belichick made the statement, “Tom’s personal preferences on his footballs are something that he can talk about in much greater detail, and information, than I could possibly provide.” This suggests that Belichick at some point must have had a conversation with Brady about his preferences-–otherwise, he would have no way of knowing that there was detail to be provided, and that Brady could readily articulate it. The likelihood that such a conversation took place begs the question of why Belichick failed to proactively engage with the media on this topic as a means of shielding Brady from the distraction at such a critical point in the season. Behaviorally, this is consistent with what we often see in situations involving acts of wrongdoing, in which a deceptive person is eager to shift the spotlight from himself to someone else. Belichick’s behavior in this regard is all the more puzzling, given his style of micromanaging every aspect of the game.
- Significantly, during the brief Q&A session following his remarks, Belichick’s rote repetition of the phrases “I've told you everything I know” and “I have no explanation for what happened” suggests that he was disinclined to be cooperative with efforts to determine why the footballs were found to have been underinflated. This naturally raises the question of why, if he had nothing to hide, he seemed to be impeding the media’s efforts to get to the bottom of the situation. This was strikingly similar to an individual accused of wrongdoing in a legal setting invoking the Fifth Amendment. Just as invoking the Fifth invariably raises the question of why the individual is concerned about incriminating himself, Belichick’s responses raise the question of what it is that he’s so concerned about disclosing. If Belichick is equally uncooperative with the League officials who are investigating the matter, it’s clear that he will be more of an impediment than an assistance to the investigation.
- Like Belichick, Brady made a number of inconsistent statements that were indicative of deception. Most notable was that he repeatedly stated his preference that the football be inflated to an air pressure of 12.5 pounds per square inch, and yet in response to multiple questions, he insisted that he couldn’t tell the difference between different air pressures during the game. At one point he went so far as to say, “I didn't feel any difference between a 13-pound football or an 11-pound football the other night.”
- Brady made equally inconsistent statements with regard to who handles the footballs before and during a game. On the one hand, when asked who handles the footballs after the referee inspects them and hands them back over to the team, Brady responded, “I have no idea.” And yet when he was asked shortly thereafter if he had personally sought out anyone on the equipment staff to ask them if they had done anything with the footballs, Brady responded, “Yeah, and they haven’t, and I believe them. They also know how I like the balls, and I tell them how great they are before the game.” Given that Brady was in regular communication with the people who handle the footballs before the game, it seems highly unlikely that he would “have no idea” who handles them during the game. This is also wholly inconsistent with what one might expect from an intensely focused quarterback who has played on the same team for 14 years.
- Of particular significance was Brady’s behavior when asked the point-blank question, “Is Tom Brady a cheater?” In response, Brady laughed and said, “I don’t believe so. I mean, I feel like I've always played within the rules--I would never do anything to break the rules.” This cluster of deceptive behaviors included an inappropriate level of concern (laughing in response to an extremely serious question); a qualified response to a yes-or-no question (“I don’t believe so”); and convincing behavior (“I would never do anything to break the rules” is a convincing statement that does not carry the same meaning as “I didn't break the rules”).
- Brady appeared to be extremely uncomfortable with questions regarding whether he had or will meet with NFL officials, to the point of responding “I’m not sure” when asked if he had been told whether or not they would talk to him. When asked if the League had contacted his agent or other representatives, it appeared that Brady was trying to choose his words very carefully. This may have been an indication that the situation was very fluid, and that there were discussions going on behind the scenes to determine the circumstances under which he would be questioned.
- Interestingly, when he was asked what he hoped the end result will be going forward, Brady responded, “I’m not sure if I have a hope.” It may be the case that this was an unintended message that his actions have left him little hope that he will survive this controversy unscathed.
