Once upon a time, we lived in a world where we hated the New England Patriots just because of their pretty boy QB & grumpy coach.  Now, we have to start thinking that the hate was justified.

How much integrity do the Patriots have? About this much. Credit Getty Images
How much integrity do the Patriots have? About this much. Credit Getty Images
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When the Patriots lost draft picks and Bill Belichick was fined a half-million dollars for Spygate, we thought we'd seen the bottom of the barrel into which the Patriots organization would dive for another Super Bowl ring.

That all changed Sunday night with a report from an Indianapolis TV station that accused the Patriots of using underinflated footballs during the game.  My first thought was, "Sour grapes".  A TV station from the city of the team that just got beat to oblivion in the AFC Championship game complains about foul play?  C'mon, you're better than that.  Peyton would have never sunk that low.

Except, they were right.  11 of the 12 footballs were underinflated by at least 2 psi each.  Then I thought back to one of the 5 or 6 plays I saw from that football game.  I remember being upset that the game was being delayed at the start of a Patriots drive because they wanted the football changed out to one that was on the Patriots sideline.  Hmmmmm, suspicious.

It's beginning to look like another black eye for an organization led by an owner that's (by most accounts) a fantastic human being, but as my wife pointed out, "It's not like they're going to replay the game or send Indy to the Super Bowl, so why does this even matter?".  Why does it matter?  We may actually be able to indict the Patriots on a football equivalent of the RICO laws.

Credit Getty Images
Credit Getty Images
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From all the "Sons of Anarchy" I've watched, I know how RICO works.  You need to show proof of criminal ventures in the past, present and plans for the future to get a conviction.  I think we've got it.  2007's Spygate is our past.  2015's Inflategate is present.  Bill Belichick's black, empty void of a soul should be sufficient enough to justify future plans for cheating.

How am I going to tell my boys that "cheaters never win" when there are three Super Bowl trophies in Foxboro and one more possibly coming?  If you really want to dig into what this could "possibly" mean on a larger scale, you begin to doubt any of Belichick's three titles.  He hasn't won a single Super Bowl since Spygate despite being an unstoppable force leading up to the Pats' two other losses in the big game with Brady as QB.

Does that mean that he cheats during the season and postseason but can't worm his way past the rules for America's biggest sporting event?  It's amazing, but every time we think Belichick is sunk, he bounces back.  Who knows?  Maybe he'll even get an endorsement deal out of this.

 

 

 

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