President Obama Comments on Deflategate in NBC Interview Before 2015 Super Bowl

At the height of the "Deflategate" controversy, some called for the New England Patriots to be removed from Super Bowl XLIX. Count President Barack Obama among those who think that's ridiculous.     

In an interview with NBC prior to the NFL's biggest spectacle, President Obama said the inflation levels had no discernible impact on the Patriots' 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game.

"Here's what I know: the Patriots were going to beat the Colts regardless of what the footballs looked like," President Obama said, per Rebecca Kaplan of CBS News.

The NFL is currently investigating the inflation levels of the footballs New England used in the AFC Championship Game. Conflicting reports from ESPN's Chris Mortensen and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport have indicated anywhere between one and 11 of the 12 balls the Patriots used were two pounds under the 12.5 pounds per square inch threshold in league bylaws. Both reports confirm 11 of the 12 balls were under the 12.5 pounds per square inch threshold, however.

Currently, the NFL has not made any proclamations about the Patriots' guilt or innocence. Attorney Ted Wells and NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash are leading the investigation, which the league said in a statement will take "weeks," via NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal. New England players and coaches—most notably Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady—have denied any wrongdoing.

"I believe now 100 percent that I have personally and we as an organization have absolutely followed every rule to the letter," Belichick told reporters at a press conference the Saturday after the AFC Championship Game.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Brady told reporters two days prior that he "didn't alter the ball in any way."

President Obama commented on the notion of cheating as it relates to Deflategate: "I think that if you break the rules then you break the rules," he said, per Nedra Pickler of The Associated Press.

However, he also offered a long-term solution for the league office to consider.

"I'm assuming one of the things the NFL is going to be doing just to avoid any of these controversies is figuring out how the officials are in charge of the footballs from start to finish," President Obama said, per the AP.

Mark Maske of The Washington Post reported the NFL's competition committee is expected to review how game balls are handled following the Super Bowl. Currently, officials review and approve game balls only hours before each game.

A potential change would have teams provide balls days before the game, per Maske.

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