With his Deflategate suspension behind him, Tom Brady is making fun of the scandal in a Foot Locker commercial.

The ad begins with two Foot Locker customers questioning how the shoe retailer’s annual Thanksgiving sale could continue to be great year after year. A frustrated Brady overhears the conversation and tells the men, “Just because something is great year after year doesn’t mean anything is going on.”

He continues, saying such questions “turn into assumptions, and then assumptions turn into vacations.”

The Patriots’ quarterback served a four-game suspension earlier this season. It was imposed after an NFL investigation concluded the team intentionally underinflated footballs used in the 2015 AFC championship game.

Brady closes the commercial by asking why Foot Locker should be punished “for something that never even happened.”

HALL OF FAME: First-year eligibles LaDainian Tomlinson, Hines Ward, Jason Taylor and Brian Dawkins are among 26 semifinalists for the class of 2017.

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Joining them as first-time semifinalists is tackle-guard Chris Hinton, who retired in 1989 but made this cut for the first time.

The other 21 candidates – there was a tie for 25th in voting by Hall of Fame selectors as the list was trimmed from an original 94 – all have made it this far in the past.

Two coaches, Don Coryell and Jimmy Johnson, made the semifinals.

So did place-kicker Morten Andersen, the NFL’s career scoring leader.

Previously nominated by the veterans committee was safety Kenny Easley, and by the contributors’ committee were Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and former commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

BUCCANEERS: Receiver Mike Evans said he will not continue to protest the election of Donald Trump by declining to stand for the national anthem before games.

CARDINALS: Defensive back Tyrann Mathieu returned to practice after a shoulder injury and said he was optimistic he would be able to play at Minnesota.

BEARS: Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee had choice words for Eli Manning and the New York Giants. He said the Bears are “gonna tear” them up and sack Manning when they visit the Giants this week.

TEXANS: Players were advised by the team not to leave the hotel and not to order room service during their trip to Mexico City for Monday night’s game against Oakland.


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