Bill Belicheat, Tom Shady & the Deflatriots

It isn't cheating when the Patriots deploy legal but unorthodox formations. I did it with some regularity when I coached, because few high school kids understand that only backs and uncovered ends are eligible receivers. I had no idea that cheap tricks like that could work in the NFL, and it's amusing when when the Baltimore Ravens complained that it was unfair when Bill Belichick exploited their ignorance of rules that have held true since they played Pop Warner.

But Spygate and Deflategate were real instances of cheating.

The only thing sadder than the cheating is the staunch defense of cheating by many coaches, athletes and sports fans. Recall the way the NFL community condemned Eric Mangini for calling out the Patriots on Spygate. Consider how many quarterbacks are supporting the fiction that they'd have no idea if a ball were underinflated by two or more pounds per square inch. (It's obvious even to a layperson, and infinitely moreso by an NFL quarterback; master craftsmen can detect even minute irregularities when working with the tools of their trade.)

Strong evidence suggests that the Patriots may have been doing this for several seasons, and that they have derived a powerful competitive advantage from doing so: http://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/blog/2015/the-new-england-patriots-mysteriously-became-fumble-proof-in-2007

It is impossible to believe that Tom Brady would be oblivious to the underinflation of footballs.

The sad thing is that New England is a talented and well-coached team. They would be reasonably successful even if they didn't cheat. But they might not be playing in their third Super Bowl of the decade.

Yesterday, Patriots owner Rob Kraft had the gall to demand an apology if the Patriots are exonerated.

I expect New England to stonewall and deny accountability. I expect the league to go gutless and decline to discipline the Patriots for this obvious breach.

But I suspect the NFL will develop procedures to prevent similar kinds of cheating going forward.

I get that the Seahawks don't want to give the Patriots any bulletin board material, but the fact of that matter is that every fan who believes in playing by the rules needs to be pulling for Seattle in this Super Bowl.