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Sanders on Patriots, Deflategate: 'Yeah I'm mad'

Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had a lot of good - and surprisingly candid - things to say Thursday afternoon when he stopped by Eddie Mac's football camp and talked to a group of inquiring kids.

DenverBroncos.com

Good morning, Broncos Country...and welcome to camp!

Well, OK, not Training Camp camp, but football/kids/super-fun-wish-I-were-10 camp.

Also, camp where a kid asked the best question yet regarding New England Patriots and #Deflategate.

Am I mad about Deflategate? Yeah, yeah, I'm kind of mad. I don't think they should be the Super Bowl champion this year.   -Emmanuel Sanders on New England Patriots

Asking Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders - who dropped in for a surprise visit at Ed McCaffrey's 14th annual football camp Thursday afternoon - if DeflateGate made him mad, Sanders said he felt "like I'm on ESPN with that question."

And with such a direct and poignant question, Sanders might as well have been.

The breakout receiver's answer was just as direct and poignant.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm kind of mad. I don't think that they should be the Super Bowl champion this year," Sanders said via 9News, before delivering an impromptu message that unfortunately has gotten lost in this entire Deflategate debacle.

"You aren't supposed to cheat," Sanders added. "Cheating is not good, especially when you've got guys who are working they're butts off for 365 days out of the year and one person cheats - whether it helps them win the Super Bowl or not, they still cheated and shouldn't be a champion."

Yep, what he said.

And the Broncos' second-most productive wide receiver in 2014 also pointed out to the kids that being great in football - or in anything - doesn't just take hard work, it takes complete dedication.

"I firmly believe that if you wake up every single day and you work hard, that doesn't mean that you'll be successful," Sanders said. "The dedication part is the most important thing about that formula ... dedicating yourself to your craft."

When we get those pads on, and the running game gets going, it's going to be a lot of opportunities for playmaking abilities. I'm looking forward to it.  -Emmanuel Sanders

Having seen the benefits of such dedication to a craft last season, Sanders told BroncosTV that he is looking forward to what the upcoming season's new offense is going to bring - and he's excited about the potential with the play action.

"I like the offense. The more and more of the offense we put in, throughout OTAs, I got more comfortable," Sanders said. "Obviously [without pads on] it's tough to really see what the offense is about because it's predicated off the play-action pass, and Aqib Talib andT.J. Ward weren't biting."

Sanders said he mentioned that "problem" to head coach Gary Kubiak who reminded his receiver to be patient.

"He said to just wait," Sanders said with his prototypical smile. "When we get those pads on and the running game gets going, it's going to be a lot of opportunities for playmaking abilities. I'm looking forward to it."

So am I, E, so am I.

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All four categories for the Class of 2015 are now open until July 6, so stop by and nominate and/or rec the very good nominations so far!

Horse Tracks

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