The New England Patriots’ celebration of their 45-7 win against the Indianapolis Colts was short-lived, as reports came out early last week that 11 of the 12 footballs that the Patriots provided for the game had been deflated.

What followed was a veritable media frenzy that has yet to see its conclusion. The speculation has dominated sports media all week long, from former players like Mark Brunell getting emotionally charged on television while speaking about the issue to the resurfacing of a report from the Tampa Bay Times in 2012 that Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson paid equipment managers $7,500 before the start of Super Bowl XXXVII to “work the balls in”. Even former Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney-whose team lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII-used the recent events to question the integrity of the Patriots’ organization, saying, “This is about a culture. Is there a culture of cheating at probably what most people look at as the best franchise in the National Football League?”

The histrionics came to a climax on Thursday when the team held a press conference to address the reports. For a split second, it seemed as if the usually unflappable head coach Bill Belichick had finally slipped up, pleading ignorance in the entire process and deferring to quarterback Tom Brady, saying, “Tom’s personal preference on his footballs is something he can talk about in much better detail and information than I can possibly provide.”

Brady likewise denied any knowledge of foul play in the process, admitting that he does go through a process of choosing the balls before the game but not that he had altered their air pressure in any way.

The backlash from the media, as well as the public, does not-for the most part-seem to be coming from the insinuation that the pressure differences in the balls were responsible for the Patriots’ win. Most of the public ire comes as a result of the team’s repeated willingness to push the boundaries of what is deemed unacceptable according to league rules.

In 2007, Belichick was fined $500,000 (the largest fine allowed by the league) and the team was docked $250,000 as well as its first-round draft pick for the next year after it was discovered that the team had been videotaping defensive signals that were made on the New York Jets’ sideline. The league’s collection and subsequent destruction of all evidence associated with the case (colloquially referred to as “Spygate”) bred even more speculation about the extent of the Patriots’ transgressions.

As is usually the case in sports, success carries with it a certain burden of public animosity. And yet for as much success as the Patriots have had, they have had just as much disregard for the way in which they are perceived outside of the New England area. Belichick, who rarely shows emotion or deviates from terse phrases in his press conferences, leads a locker room that is insular and tight-lipped.

While it is unlikely that the air pressure differences in the Conference Championship game balls will be brought up years from now as the reasons for the team’s success, it will no doubt be added to the legacy that has haunted the Patriots since 2007. And if history is any indicator, the Patriots will continue to do things the same way they always have, regardless of how many impromptu press conferences they have to hold.

 As for Roger Goodell-almost a week after initial reports, he has yet to issue an official statement on behalf of the NFL regarding the allegations.

While the lack of an official response directs attention away from the actual game that will be played next Sunday, when you consider the off-the-field issues that the NFL has had to deal with this season, you might think that the league is almost relieved that all it has to deal with right now is deflated balls.