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Bob McNair Wades Into Deflategate

If you've paid any attention to Texans news in the past 24 hours, you might have missed Bob McNair's comments on the Deflategate issue.

By kdentify
The new, more opinionated Bob McNair.
The new, more opinionated Bob McNair.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair was speaking to Mike Meltser on Sports Radio 610 when he was asked about Deflategate and whether he would have felt justice were served had J.J. Watt been subject to the same suspension as Tom Brady is currently facing. While someone as cynical as myself would have refrained from answering the question, because I think talk radio is designed to get listeners to tune in and create headlines and mayhem where none needs to exist, Mr. McNair clearly feels differently, and chose to rise to the bait.

What escalated the whole thing is that Brady and the Patriots were going to cooperate fully, and then when it came down to it, they didn't. ... If it was J.J. Watt, I think he would have been cooperative, and it wouldn't be a question. ... I don't think J.J. would destroy his cellphone. -- Robert McNair to Mike Meltser

While this may be true, McNair's comments predictably drew ire from a legion of Patriots fans, as well that portion of the populace that is tired of hearing and seeing Watt every time they tune in to sports coverage.

Naturally, given the state of the world today, McNair's candor became a topic of discussion in the Twitterverse. Steph Stradley posted the transcript of McNair's comments, as well as her own opinions on those comments, on her blog. What I found particularly interesting was a dialogue between Steph and Tania Ganguli, who covers the team for BSPN, about McNair's honesty in responding to media questions.

The Texans are already gaining national and international attention through "Hard Knocks." McNair's comments and the reactions to his comments will only serve to further turn the spotlight on the team. Some folks have proposed that this gives the Pats bulletin-board material; I, personally, don't think a professional athlete should rely on thinking on all the mean things said about them to muster up enough adrenalin to get through a football game. What say you? Was McNair right to wade into this debacle? Should the Pats be posting his comments up in their lockers to better help them prepare for a game months from now?

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