A ball from the infamous New England Patriots Deflategate scandal has sold for $43,740.
The lot was among the highlights of an online memorabilia sale at Lelands on July 18.
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The scandal swept the sport in January. The team were accused of deflating the balls used during their AFC Championship Game to improve grip.
The Patriots beat the Indianapolis Colts 45-7.
However, a recent investigation by the American Enterprise Institute concluded that it was "unlikely that the Patriots deflated the footballs."
The auction house describes it as "the ball that will live in infamy.
"The historical importance of this piece cannot be understated. It is the most 'topical' piece of sports memorabilia that we can recall ever being sold so close to the event itself."
The ball was given to the consignor by Brandon LaFell of the Patriots following teammate LeGarrette Blount's touchdown in the third quarter.
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