The country has polarized about the issue of underinflated footballs.
For many of us, this transgression is symptomatic of an unforgivable pattern of deception by the Patriots. And for the rest, it is much ado about nothing.
These arguments are equal parts powerful and comical when stretched to their philosophical limits, from the puritanical, “cheating in any form demeans the integrity of the sport,” to the Machiavellian “it doesn’t matter what pressure the balls were in the first half of a football game that the Patriots won convincingly (and in which Tom Brady recorded superior statistics during the half in which he threw legal footballs).”
We do have consensus that 11 of the 12 balls employed but the Patriots on offense during the first half of the AFC Championship Game were underinflated by as many as 2 psi, the Patriots would have prevailed regardless of this circumstance, and that it is still unknown whether this was accidental or intentional.
To me the last point is most salient for two reasons. The first is that many pundits and fans have exhausted a lot of hot air, and frankly made some incredibly declarative statements, without any evidence to support their assertions. I do not say that to be the only remaining fence-sitter in the debate or to hedge my own opinion (which I promise to share herein). I say it because it leads to my second point: there is a violation of a published league rule and a yet unidentified perpetrator, and the league is reserving judgment until after the Super Bowl.
In fact, the league has not even talked to Tom Brady about the incident, and will not until after the last piece of confetti falls on their marquee event.
This is the travesty with which I am most concerned. Because oddly, it is the conclusion of the investigation that will determine whose protestation is valid, and whose is not.
Let’s be fair, if the league determines that there was no foul play (which most will refuse to accept anyway) then we wasted our time with an insignificant diversion that diminished two weeks of focused, intelligent analysis of the final two teams standing in the most popular tournament in our country.
But if the league determines that the Patriots cheated, then their appearance in said tournament is problematic.
However insignificant deflated balls are, the violation of the rule, compounded by the dishonest refutation of the cheating and the history of wrongdoing, hurts the very luster of the Lombardi trophy.
Many indicate that the modest penalty for this particular infraction means this is not a high priority for the league.
I couldn’t disagree more.
As Roger Goodell let us know repeatedly this year, the league’s punishment guidelines are imminently fallible. Beyond the egregious examples of insufficient domestic violence suspensions, Marshawn Lynch is being fined more for not talking to the media than for sharing lewd gestures with millions of fans watching him play.
The league also had to create a rule to police their merchandise after fining James Harrison for his devastating and sometimes questionable hits, but were profiting from a photo of one of his illegal tackles being sold on its website.
The bottom line is, if the league is most concerned with our confidence in it, then it needs to have this investigation done last week. Yes it needs to be thorough and deliberate, etc. but most importantly, it needs to be concluded.
Allowing the Patriots to play in the Super Bowl (and to minimize inquiry from the league until after its conclusion) may serve the short-term profitability of XLIX. But can future Super Bowls survive the stigma of an undeserving team being given the right to play rather than being held accountable?
Ok, the answer is actually yes (which is more of an indictment of our willingness to consume the NFL no matter what, and a topic for a whole series of other articles). But the integrity of the game could hang in the balance, and that the league seems unconcerned about that prospect is plainly unacceptable.
By allowing the Patriots to play, the NFL is brewing the next conspiracy theory…we can all draft the script: a week or so after the Super Bowl, when the NFL narrative is drifting from the front page but before the media groundswell for the combine and draft begin in earnest, the league will quietly report hundreds of pages of evidence that invariably lead to the conclusion that a misguided, low-level equipment employee (who miraculously could interpret Tom Brady’s football inflation preferences without asking him or receiving any undue guidance) decided to act unilaterally.
He will be terminated by the Patriots with prejudice.
He will not be made available to the media, but the New England press will obtain and publish his distraught and heartfelt apology to the fans, the team, Tom Brady, Coach Belichick, the esteemed Mr. Kraft, the Speaker of the House, the President, and the scary looking emperor dude from Star Wars.
He will be banned from Gillette Stadium for life, his Patriots fan club card will be forfeited, but no additional measures will be levied because he only made $25,000 a year after taxes and, after all, what self-respecting Bostonian can support a drinking habit if that income takes a hit.
Seriously NFL. Stop disrespecting us. Figure this out.
And for what it’s worth, I watched that smarmy, crybaby Brady’s interview and didn’t believe a word.
The Cheatriots are loathsome.
Submitted by Mark Weingram
