Broncos wideout Emmanuel Sanders doesn't think the Patriots should be recognized as Super Bowl champions, and he let a group of young football camp-goers know it.
Per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, Sanders was a speaker at the Ed McCaffrey football camp and was asked by a camper if he was upset about the deflated football scandal that rocked New England's title run.
Sanders responded: "Am I mad about Deflategate? I feel like I'm on ESPN with that question. ...Yeah, yeah, I'm kind of mad. I don't think that they should be the Super Bowl champion this year.
"You aren't supposed to cheat. Cheating is not good, especially when you've got guys who are working their butts off for 365 days out of the year and one person cheats -- whether it helps them win the Super Bowl or not, they still cheated and shouldn't be a champion."
Because this is a slow NFL Friday in June, Sanders' comments will inevitably be a big story.
But let me offer an unpopular opinion: Let's not kill the guy for trying to send a positive message to a group of young kids. Regardless of how people feel about the deflated football situation, it's being labeled by some as "cheating." The way I read this, Sanders sounds like someone who got caught off guard and stumbled a bit while trying to be a positive influence.
Maybe I'm wrong and there will be some follow-up heat for the Broncos star.
For now, though, let's not jump all over someone for saying that cheating is bad, even if the example he's using isn't a great one.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast welcomes back Colleen Wolfe to discuss non-Super Bowl contenders, and an all-new 'Orr You Kidding Me.' Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
