Saying his team ''followed the rules to the letter,'' New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick described in detail how his team prepares its footballs on game day and defended his players from chatter that they made it to the Super Bowl by cheating. In an unscheduled availability on Saturday afternoon, eight days before the Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks for the NFL championship, Belichick revealed the results of an internal study into how the footballs are prepared to quarterback Tom Brady's liking. ''There have been questions raised, and I believe now, 100 percent, that I have personally and we have as an organization have absolutely followed every rule to the letter,'' Belichick said. ''At no time was there any intent to compromise the integrity of the game.'' The Patriots reached the Super Bowl for the sixth time in Belichick's tenure when they beat the Colts 45-7 in the AFC championship on Sunday. More...