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Tom Brady: No confrontation with Moss

NFL, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Tuesday morning denied a CBS Sports report that he had a confrontation with receiver Randy Moss in the week leading up to the receiver's trade to Minnesota.

"No, certainly not," Brady said during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. "I don't know why these things come about, but they do. I think it's just a competitive media culture out there now. I love [Moss] as a person and a player. I don't think I ever had an altercation with a teammate. You demand a certain level of respect in the locker room, that's the culture of our team. I don't think I've seen any players in our locker room fight, that's just not the way it is."

CBS Sports' Charley Casserly reported Sunday that Moss and Brady had an argument and had to be separated. According to Casserly, Brady had become upset with the way Moss was behaving, and at one point told the receiver to shave his beard.

"Moss countered, you need to get your hair cut. You look like a girl," said Casserly, a former NFL GM. Brady has grown out his hair this year, saying his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, likes it long.

While Moss did not directly answer a question about the report following his first game back with the Vikings on Monday night, he certainly didn't sound as if he has issues with Brady.

"Tom sent me a text today, man," Moss told reporters. "Tom, I know you're watching, buddy. I appreciate the text. Sorry we didn't bring it home, buddy, but I appreciate the text."

On Monday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick also cast doubt on the report, saying the alleged incident was "news to me."

Sports Illustrated's Peter King said Sunday on NBC's "Football Night in America" that two highly placed sources in the Patriots' organization called the report untrue. Comcast SportsNet New England also reported a source saying the story was not true.

Regardless of the alleged incident between the former teammates, Brady has publicly maintained that their relationship remains strong.

"Randy really knows how I feel about him," Brady told the Patriots' website. "I love him, as a guy, as a person, as a player. He did a lot of great things for this team. At the same time I think coach Belichick feels that's what he thinks he needs to do for the team."

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