Yikes. A Pittsburgh television station chose an interesting adjective to describe NFL quarterback Tom Brady ahead of Super Bowl LIII.
Pittsburgh’s local CBS news station, KDKA, aired footage of the New England Patriots speaking to various fans and reporters in Atlanta during Super Bowl media night on Tuesday, January 29. When cameras cut to Brady, 41, as he spoke to the crowd, an onscreen graphic used two words to describe him: “Known Cheater.”
The Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers are long-standing rivals on the field. A station spokesperson later told Sports Illustrated that the individual responsible for the banner has since been fired.
“While fans are entitled to have personal opinions, we have a journalistic responsibility to provide unbiased reporting,” KDKA said in a statement. “The graphic that appeared Monday violated our news standards. The individual who created the graphic no longer works for KDKA-TV.”
Brady was suspended for four games during the 2015 NFL season after being accused of ordering equipment managers to deflate footballs during the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in January 2015. The incident is now commonly referred to as “Deflategate.” (Brady has repeatedly denied any involvement, and a court reinstated his four-game suspension for the 2016 season.) The Patriots won the game and eventually went on to win Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks in a shocking come-from-behind victory.
The Patriots were previously disciplined by the NFL during the 2007 season after the team allegedly recorded the New York Jets to learn their defensive signals ahead of their matchup. Coach Bill Belichick, who denied the allegations, was fined $500,000 and the team was hit with a $250,000 penalty. The Patriots also lost their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
If Brady, who is married to supermodel Gisele Bündchen, and the Patriots win Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, February 3, it will be his sixth NFL championship. (The athlete has been named the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player at four of those games: XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, and LI.)
Us Weekly has reached out to Brady’s rep for comment.
