So we have a new Miss America. Her name is Betty Cantrell, she is from Georgia and she just made somewhere around 14.6 million enemies.
On Sunday evening, during the question-and-answer portion of the pageant, the 21-year-old was asked whether she thought New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's supposed role in the "Deflategate" scandal qualified as cheating, "legalities aside."
This, of course, is a ridiculously difficult question -- something that people who have been fervently investigating the issue for most of this year still can't concretely answer. Brady was suspended for four games by the NFL, but the suspension was overturned this month by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, predominately as a result of what Berman saw as "legal deficiencies" on the part of the league.
That all goes to show, it's complicated, and Cantrell's face (viewable below) was a perfectly fair reaction to the question, which she had only 20 seconds to answer.
"Did he cheat? Um, that’s a really good question," Cantrell said, as she presumably wondered whether it was worth it or not to go to war with all six states that comprise the New England area. "I'm not sure. I think I’d have to be there to see the ball and, uh, feel it and make sure it was deflated or not deflated."
But then, something noticeably changed in Cantrell. Suddenly, she was filled with conviction. The fear left her. The 14.6 million or so people who collectively form the Pats army did not scare her. Not anymore, anyway.
“But if there was question there, then yes, I think he cheated," she defiantly said. "If there was any question to be had, I think that he definitely cheated and that he should have been suspended for that. That’s not fair.”
Is that a non-answer? In a way, but Cantrell also said if there was question there, then he did cheat, and there is still some question there, so she does think he definitely did.
Did her answer make entire sense? No. Would you make entire sense if you were on stage in front of the entire nation ready to be asked any question about any topic? No. Are we concerned for Cantrell's safety? Only if she ends up at a Pats game.
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