was sorry not to include players that helped us

The NFL is investigating whether the New England Patriots deflated footballs that were used in their AFC championship game victory over the Indianapolis Colts.We are looking into it, league spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an email to The Associated Press on Monday. We do not have anything further to add at this point.The inquiry was first reported by the website for WTHR-TV in Indiana, citing an unnamed source.Well co-operate fully with whatever the league wants us to, whatever questions they ask, Belichick said Monday during his regular conference call with reporters.He said he was unaware there was an issue until Monday morning.The Patriots have come under scrutiny with regards to NFL rules in the past, most infamously when they were punished for videotaping sideline signals used by the New York Jets during a 2007 game. Belichick was fined $500,000, and the team was docked $250,000 and stripped of its 2008 first-round draft pick.According to the NFL rule book, home teams are responsible for furnishing playable balls at all times. Each team brings 12 primary balls, while home teams are required to also bring 12 backup balls.Once the referee makes sure the footballs are properly inflated, theyre delivered to ball attendants provided by the home team.The leagues game operations manual notes: If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000.Deflating a football could change the way it would be gripped by a player or the way it travels through the air.The Patriots beat the Colts 45-7 to reach the Super Bowl. New England will play the defending champion Seattle Seahawks for the NFL title at Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 1.Colts coach Chuck Pagano said he did not notice issues with the football. He did not specify when asked whether the Colts had reported the issue to officials.We talk just like they talk to officials (before the game), we have an opportunity to talk to the officials about a lot of things, things that youve seen on tape like the formations we talked about last week, Pagano said. Every coach in the league gets an opportunity to visit with the officials about that kind of stuff before the game.In Sunday nights lopsided AFC finale, quarterback Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns and running back LeGarrette Blount gained 148 yards while scoring three touchdowns to send New England to its sixth Super Bowl in the past 14 years.Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had his worst game as a pro, completing only 12 of 33 passes for 126 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.On his regular weekly morning-after-game appearance Monday on WEEI radio, Brady said he wasnt aware of the report about the leagues investigation into whether footballs were properly inflated against Indianapolis.I think Ive heard it all at this point, Brady said with a laugh.Thats the last of my worries, he said. I dont even respond to stuff like this.___AP Sports Writers Howard Ulman in Boston and Mike Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.___Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Tim Tebow Jersey . The team made the announcement after Saturdays 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Kenny Giles will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Adams spot on the roster. Amed Rosario Jersey . - A retired Indiana school principal who was NASCAR star Jeff Gordons drivers education teacher was killed with his wife in a Tennessee crash while returning from watching Gordon race. http://www.metsrookiestore.com/Mets-Yoenis-Cespedes-Kids-Jersey/ . -- Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera has a broken bone below his right eye after being struck by a bad-hop grounder, sidelining the star slugger for at least a week with opening day on deck. Devin Mesoraco Jersey . - The Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dennis Pitta reached agreement on a five-year contract Friday. Mike Piazza Jersey .com) - The Calgary Flames were again involved in a game in which a team was held scoreless, only this time they came out on the winning side.VOULIAGMENI, Greece -- Greece striker Kostas Mitroglou kept his place in the countrys World Cup squad on Monday despite three forwards being dropped from the preliminary lineup. Greece coach Fernando Santos announced the final 23-man squad and said he believes the 26-year-old Mitroglou will be ready for Brazil despite his lack of game time since moving to England at the start of the year to join now-relegated Premier League side Fulham. "I wasnt 100 per cent about some of the call-ups until a few weeks ago. Mitroglou was one of those cases," Santos said. "We watched the last 30 minutes of his game, and we paid a lot of attention -- and we judged him to be ready ... were looking at playing ability and physical condition: People who are safe choices." Mitroglou joined teammates later Monday at the national teams opening training session at seaside facility near Athens. At the World Cup, Greece will face Colombia, Japan and Ivory Coast in Group C. Despite Greeces fast opponents, the Portuguese coach opted for more experienced players, including 2004 European Championship winners Costas Katsouranis and captain Giorgos Karagounis. Three strikers were dropped from preliminary lineup: Dimitris Papadopoulos of Atromitos, Stefanos Athanasiadis of PAOK and Nikolaos Karelis of Panathinaikos. Defenders Kyyriakos Papadopoulos and Dimitris Siovas also failed to make the squad due to persistent injury troubles.dddddddddddd "I was sorry not to include players that helped us in qualification, like (midfielder) Sotiris Ninis and Siovas," Santos said. "But the national team is above players and above the coach. We must use the safest choices." Santos said he had identified "strengths and weaknesses" in all three group opponents, but did not elaborate. Greece will play friendlies against Portugal, Nigeria and Bolivia before travelling to Brazil. ------ Squad: Goalkeepers: Orestis Karnezis (Granada), Panagiotis Glykos (PAOK), Stefanos Kapino (Panathinaikos) Defenders: Vassilis Torosidis (Roma), Loukas Vyntra (Levante), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Borussia Dortmund), Costas Manolas (Olympiakos), Vangelis Moras (Hellas Verona), Jose Holebas (Olympiakos), Giorgos Tzavellas (PAOK), Yiannis Maniatis (Olympiakos) Midfielders: Alexandros Tziolis (Kayserispor), Costas Katsouranis (PAOK), Giorgos Karagounis (Fulham), Andreas Samaris (Olympiakos), Panagiotis Tachtsidis (Torino), Panagiotis Kone (Bologna), Yiannis Fetfatzidis (Genoa), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (Bologna) Forwards: Georgios Samaras (Celtic), Kostas Mitroglou (Fulham), Fanis Gekas (Konyaspor), Dimitris Salpingidis (PAOK) ' ' '