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CNN TONIGHT
Pats QB Tom Brady Speaks Out on Deflategate; Wells Report Highlights Inconsistencies; DOJ to Launch Investigation into Baltimore's Police Dept; Bill Clinton's Criminal Justice; Sofia Vergara and Nick Loeb's Public Battle. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired May 7, 2015 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN Tonight, I'm Don Lemon and yes it is Breaking News right now. Tom Brady speaks out for the first time since that damming Deflategate report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BRADY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOT QUARTERBACK: I accept my role and responsibility as a public figure and I think a lot of it you take the good with the bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Brady had a lot to say, but what the Patriots superstar didn't say, might have been more important. What prize would Tom Brady pay if any? What is a fair punishment here? Also tonight, Sofia Vergara and her ex Nick Loeb, battle over their frozen embryos. She says he is trying to take advantage of her, he says he'll be torn apart if the embryos are destroyed. Well tonight, they both will speak out. Right here on CNN. Plus, think you know the real deal about race and the police? What if everything you thought you know about it is wrong, especially in the way the protesters over the death, deaths of Freddie Gray and Michael Brown and beyond. I'm going to talk to the man who says, a whole a lot of people, especially liberals, are missing the point. We're going to begin tonight with the Brady Bunch rallying around their superstar QB. Tonight, he spoke out about the NFL's damning Deflategate report. Even though he says he hasn't even time to take it all in, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM GRAY, HOST, WESTWOOD ONE SPORTS: There is an elephant in the room.
BRADY: Where?
(LAUGHTER)
GRAY: You may be the only one who doesn't see it.
(LAUGHTER) GRAY: So Tom, you are in the news here and the Ted Wells report was
just release.
CROWD: Boo.
GRAY: Jim's known for hard hitting questions. We have a show on Monday night and this is how it usually goes for me, so I'm used to it.
(LAUGHTER)
GRAY: We're going to deal with it and then we're going to move on with the evening. What is your reaction, Tom? --
(APPLAUSE)
GRAY: To the Ted Wells report?
(LAUGHTER)
BRADY: See, I can't usually say those things.
(LAUGHTER)
BRADY: But I -- I don't have really any reaction, Jim. Our owner commented on it yesterday and it's only been 30 hours, so I haven't, I had much time to digest it fully, but when I do, I'll be sure to let you know how I feel about it.
(APPLAUSE)
BRADY: And everybody else.
(APPLAUSE)
GRAY: Are you that slow a reader?
(LAUGHTER)
BRADY: Well, my athletic career has been better than my academic career. So I -- usually I'm, used to reading X's and O's. This was a little bit longer.
(LAUGHTER)
GRAY: When do you plan to address this publicly?
BRADY: Hopefully soon. Hopefully soon, there still a process that's going forward right now and I'm -- you know I'm involved in that process so, whenever it happens, it happens and I'll certainly want to be there comfortable in how I feel about in the statements that I make.
GRAY: So, since those statements right now, will speak for you and you don't want to get into the details, how are you handling this controversy? Is it bothering you? BRADY: You know what? I've dealt with a lot of things in the past. I
dealt with these three months ago before the Super Bowl and I dealt with a lot of diversity of course, in my career and in my life. And I'm, I'm very fortunate -- so many people that love me and support me and --
(APPLAUSE)
BRADY: Thank you.
GRAY: Has this however, detracted from your joy of winning the Super Bowl?
BRADY: Absolutely not.
(APPLAUSE)
GRAY: Why not?
BRADY: Because we earned and achieved everything that we, we got this year as a team and I'm very proud of that and our fans should be too.
(APPLAUSE)
GRAY: Is the Super Bowl tainted? For the (inaudible)
CROWD: Boo.
BRADY: What do you guys think? Neither do I.
GRAY: Your answer was?
BRADY: Either do I.
GRAY: No. It's not. Is that what are you saying?
BRADY: I said I asked what they thought.
GRAY: I asked what you thought.
BRADY: I said no, absolutely not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So joining me now by telephone is Don Yee, Tom Brady's agent. Good evening, sir. Thank you for joining us.
DON YEE, TOM BRADY'S AGENT: Oh, thank you for having me, Don.
LEMON: Are you pleased with how Tom did in that interview?
YEE: Tom's got a lot of experience and it was very entertaining.
LEMON: So, are you pleased with it?
YEE: Yes. LEMON: You are? You had previously spoken about this -- about this
report and you don't believe it and you blame the league for what happened. The other saying -- the other team tipped them off. Why are you, why are you blaming the other team and -- the league?
[22:05:08] YEE: Well, on that particular issue, Don, what I think has happened over a period of time within the NFL league office is that -- and even though they brought in a lot of talented personnel, most of that personnel now is investment -- you know former investment bankers and politicos from Capitol Hill and there -- it really is a dearth of experienced, football people, helping -- the commissioner make decisions and judgments.
And -- you know one of the problems is with the current makeup in my view, even though they are very hard working, dedicated people is that we're still in a sporting context, we're not on Capitol Hill and we're not on Wall Street. And in the sporting context, you know judgments are made in a little different way and in this particular instance, when the Colts -- it was clear, you know we're relying on what was said in the report, the Colts usually contacted the league office well before the AFC championship game and league officials then huddled all amongst themselves about what do about the issue that the Colts raised. I believe that if they had had an experienced person in the office, even football coach I think that person probably would have recommended that -- well, before the game starts, you probably should alert the Patriots as to what the issue is, so that, whatever competition we put forth, will be fair and will be level (inaudible).
LEMON: But Don, you make a specific allegation basically -- and I'm paraphrasing it, this was a sting operation between the league and the Indianapolis Colts before that AFC game and --
YEE: I said that -- can I -- if I could correct --
LEMON: Go ahead.
YEE: Briefly done. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I believe my statement said that the way things happened prior to the game, I said that it suggests that it was more probable than not. It could have been a sting operation and frankly --
LEMON: What's your evidence for that?
YEE: The analogy I think that's -- I think the -- well, the evidence is in the report. You just need to read the report. Ted Wells blaze out exactly, all of the communication that happened between the Colts, all the communication that happened among league of the officials. None of those communications appeared to have been communicated to the Patriots prior to the commencement of the game.
LEMON: Who advice -- did you advice Tom Brady at all tonight, about speaking out? Was that -- who -- and if you did, why did you advice him in that way and if you didn't, who did?
YEE: Well, I would like to answer your question on that particular issue, Don. But you know, being an attorney, my communications with my client or subject to attorney-client privilege and as member of the bar, I'm not allowed to comment on that.
LEMON: So you are not allowed to comment on -- but someone did advice him? -- As to how to deal with a line of questioning?
YEE: He needs the appearance in his, his comments and answers to Jim Gray's questions you know can stand on their own.
LEMON: OK. He said that he had not had time to digest the report yet. I mean -- or even really fully read it. I mean in just -- it doesn't take that long to read it, I'm sure Tom Brady is an intelligent man, doesn't take that long to digest the report.
YEE: Well, you know Don, with all due respect here, questions making some assumptions. Number one, I don't think report came out until maybe 1:30 Eastern yesterday. The report is over 240 pages long -- chalked full of footnotes as well and -- if he said he didn't have time to digest it, I would hope that people would take him on his word on that.
LEMON: OK. Let me ask you this, because you are not Tom Brady. Have you had time to read the report and digest it?
YEE: I have had time, but it is a dense report, Don, particularly the science aspect to it. And it is, it is a very dense report and so it really, truly grasp, but you got to go through it a couple of times.
LEMON: OK. Have you discussed it with him or has a coach or the team owner or anyone?
YEE: I don't -- I can't speak for the coach or the team owner. You know, I've certainly had some conversations with him, but I can't speak for them.
LEMON: Have you spoken in to Roger Goodell or the front office about the next steps in this matter, any of this?
YEE: No. I haven't. You know, we haven't had any communication on that.
LEMON: Yeah. I want to bring in someone who is much more versed in this and I am and that is CNN International Sports Anchor Rachel Nichols, she has a few questions for you, Don.
RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Don, we've talked a little bit earlier --
YEE: Yes.
NICHOLS: I just want to sort of advance our conversation a little bit --
YEE: Sure.
NICHOLS: Earlier in the evening.
YEE: Sure. [22:09:55] NICHOLS: When you do look through that report, one of the
things Ted Wells highlights are some inconsistencies between what Tom Brady told him in those moments and what they found in text messages, things like that. And one of them was -- that he didn't know -- one of the members of the equipment staff of the officiating examination crew that indicates that he did know that person. Where -- what is with that inconsistency. Why is he telling Ted Wells he doesn't know one of the two men involves, when the text messages seem to say that he does very well and who are one of those guys is.
YEE: Well, you know, that's how Ted chose to characterize. It seems they had on that particular issue --
NICHOLS: They change that Ted and Tom Brady is.
YEE: Yeah.
NICHOLS: OK.
YEE: There are in the testimony. That's how Ted -- you know chose to characterize and I guess, Ted just chose not to believe him. And frankly, Rachel, the entire report, virtually the entire report, maybe with the exception of the section of the K balls, the kicking balls --
NICHOLS: Right.
YEE: And virtually, the entire report, Ted and the investigative team shows the consistently disbelieve -- or disbelieve testimony from Patriots employees, Tom, et cetera. And so that was just their choice and you know we really had no saying in the matter.
NICHOLS: What was most frustrating to you guys that you felt that Tom was telling them that they weren't believing?
YEE: I will say, you know, the impression I had was because -- from a schedule standpoint, Tom's interview -- I believe may have been the final interview in the entire investigative process. And my own personal impression was that opinions may have already been solidified at that point. And so, that was a particular frustration to me.
LEMON: Are you worried about your client's legacy? Is he worried about it?
YEE: No. You know, Don, you know we're -- as Rachel as we are all in the sports business, there are lovers and haters everywhere and that is actually one of those fascinating things that makes sports interesting.
LEMON: You worried about his career?
YEE: And so --
LEMON: At this point?
YEE: No, I think his career speaks for itself.
LEMON: Don Yee, thank you very much. I appreciate it.
YEE: Thank you very much for having me on and nice to speak to you again, Rachel.
LEMON: Thank you.
NICHOLS: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: Thank you very much.
YEE: Thank you.
LEMON: Rachel, make sure you stay with me, because we're going to talk a little bit, a lot more about this coming up. About what Tom Brady said and didn't say about Deflategate tonight.
