At least one former NFL official was not surprised at all when he found out that New England Patriots locker room attendant Jim McNally was at the center of the Deflategate scandal.
In an interview with WTHR’s Bob Kravitz, Former NFL head linesman Mark Baltz said he specifically remembers McNally always asking to be given the game balls to bring out onto the field before the allowable time.
“He always asked for the footballs way, way before he was supposed to get them,” Baltz said last week. “If he could get them 10 or 15 minutes before he was supposed to get them, instead of the usual two minutes before the game – and there were some crews that let him do that – he would do it. I wouldn’t let him take them early, and I think he eventually figured that out because he stopped asking after a while. I probably did 10 to 15 games up there (in Foxboro, Mass.) and those first few times, he’d always ask. I always thought it was very suspicious. He certainly acted in a suspicious manner.”
Baltz, who was an NFL official from 1989-2013, said he reported McNally to the NFL league office several years ago because he “did things that 31 other locker room attendants don’t do.” Some of those things, according to Baltz, included playing catch with Tom Brady before games and standing next to Bill Belichick on the sideline like an assistant coach.
“Most locker room guys, they sit there and if you need something, they got it for you,” Baltz explained. “When you left the locker room, you’d lock the door and they’d stay right there. The other 31 teams, that’s what they would do. That was his job. But McNally, he was running all around like a chicken with his head cut off. Asking for the balls early.”
Baltz added that he believes McNally did his homework on which officiating crews would allow him access to the game balls early. While he noted he has no proof, he didn’t hold back about his suspicions.
“All I know is, when he got them (the footballs), he would run,” Baltz said. “He would take off. Whether he was going somewhere and letting air out, I’m definitely suspicious, but I don’t know for sure.”
McNally and fellow Patriots equipment manager John Jastremski were reinstated by the NFL earlier this week. Most people believe McNally was guilty of something, especially when you take the nickname he had for himself into consideration. My guess is the Patriots will have him back in some sort of new capacity.
