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no one's talking about Brad Johnson's bribing someone to work in SB game balls
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Well, let's see what Brad says:
"I feel like my name has been slandered by using the word bribery," Johnson told Pro Football Now Wednesday afternoon, saying that he tipped equipment managers as he normally would, not specifically to scuff game balls."This has been blown way out of proportion," Johnson texted. "Rich Gannon and I had met the week of the Super Bowl and agreed to work the balls in the week of the Super Bowl, just like we would do for any other game. The balls were used by both teams and fair for everyone. I really don’t understand what the big deal is. Rich Gannon and I talked today, too, and we both laughed at the nonsense of this story.
"I never touched the balls before the game. And no one ever complained, be it the refs, players or quarterbacks. We [he and Gannon] were both fine with all the balls that we played with."
So in summary:
1. No bribery;
2. No deflation of balls, just scuff/rubbing as now allowed but not then;
3. Done with full knowledge and consent of opponent; and most importantly
4. No advantage--balls used by both teams "and fair for everyone".
Maybe that's why nobody's talking about it.