Heller wants Deflategate ‘cheaters’ punished by NFL

WASHINGTON — Sen. Dean Heller on Thursday entered the fray in the pre-Super Bowl fracas over deflated footballs.

As the only state where money can legally be wagered on sports, Heller said Nevada can ill-afford a scandal affecting the NFL.

He called on the NFL to act “swiftly and decisively” after findings that 11 of the 12 footballs used in the first half by the New England Patriots were under-inflated and might have helped the team win the AFC championship Sunday.

Heller urged the league to “punish cheaters” before the Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

“As the senator from the only state where sports betting is legal, it is imperative the integrity of the game never be questioned,” said Heller, R-Nev. “When individuals break professional rules to gain unfair competitive advantages, everyone associated with the game is impacted. This type of behavior should never be tolerated.”

The scandal that is variously being called “DeflateGate” or “Ball-ghazi” is trending on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers — like fans across the country — opining on the topic.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Thursday questioned how the NFL handles game balls, which are provided by individuals teams and inspected by referees two hours before each game and then given back to the teams to use.

“I can’t believe the National Football League, with the billions of dollars they have, couldn’t at least determine how much air should be in the football and why it should be left up to the teams,” Reid said.

New England coach Bill Belichick said he was “shocked” by the allegations and had no knowledge how the balls might have been deflated. Patriot quarterback Tom Brady said he didn’t alter them and had no knowledge of any wrongdoing by anyone on the team.