PHOENIX -- Andrew Luck entered the media scrum after being selected No. 1 overall in Wednesday night's Pro Bowl Draft looking like a weary warrior who just got done battling Wildlings beyond the Wall in Westeros.
After losing in Sunday's AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots the Indianapolis Colts' quarterback was shipped to Arizona for the all-star game. Luck was asked about the quick turnaround and the thick-bearded signal-caller responded with a word has been on the tip of everyone's tongue this week.
"The energy is sort of sucked out of you, you do feel deflated," he said.
Amid the giggling of the media present, Luck quickly realized the word he used.
"Aww, shoot. Ummm, well. (Audible sigh.)"
His word choice provided the prefect segue into the controversy that has enveloped the NFL.
Luck was brief on the subject of the Patriots possibly deflating footballs, stating that once the game was over he was preparing for next season.
"I don't know. Things in the media tend to be blown out of proportion a little bit," he said. "It's the nature in where we are today in society. You can't take anything away from them being a heck of a team and they are a good football team."
Luck didn't say whether he had a preference of how a football is inflated.
"Everyone has their preference and our equipment manager sort of handle our footballs in a sense," he said. "I get them as they are, I guess."
Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri was also measured in his response regarding the controversy, noting that kicking balls are kept separate from the offense.
"At this point, I think everybody just wants to have an even playing field," the 42-year-old said. "They want it to be fair for everybody. I don't know what was done and what wasn't done ...
"If it seems like something that needs to be addressed and punished accordingly then it needs to be done," he said, adding that those decisions are above his pay grade.
The former Patriot said he never saw any subterfuge during his 10 seasons in New England. The kicker reiterated that he isn't a quarterback or receiver so he isn't aware of any benefits of a deflated football.
In Vinatieri's view any issue is simply about fairness.
"Everybody should be able to kick the same ball, throw the same ball, (there) shouldn't be differences where that is concerned," he said.
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