Former Bears ballboy is misleading TV about his experiences

PHOENIX — As “Deflategate” blew up in the last week, taking over not only the NFL world but national news, a former Bears ballboy inflated his own credentials.

Eric Kester recently has gained considerable notoriety, appearing on CNN, ABC and NBC to discuss the NFL’s ball-deflating controversy. The Patriots are being investigated for allegedly deflating footballs below league limits to gain an advantage in the AFC Championship Game.

Kester wrote an op-ed for the New York Times in October 2014 in which he details his experiences working for the Bears as a ballboy in 2003. He also is said to be writing a book on the subject.

The problem is that Kester appears to be guilty of lying about his own experiences with the Bears.

Team sources confirmed details from a recent Deadspin report, which paints Kester’s story as a fabrication at a time when he’s trying to get his book published.

According to a team source, Kester’s actual experiences with the Bears only amount to working at one training camp in Bourbonnais, which totaled approximately three weeks.

As they do every year, Bears training camps involve dozens of young volunteers who assist team personnel in various menial capacities.

A team source also said Kester didn’t interact with players on the intimate level he claims he did in his op-ed.

Email: ajahns@suntimes.com

Twitter: @adamjahns