New England Cheaters

See the funny thing is, I've always defended the Pats. It all goes back to the '02 Super Bowl against the despised Rams. As a Niners fan, I hoped against hope that an underdog Pats team would take out this overrated Rams team, and, well, they did. Amazing game, sweet victory.

And even before '02, I didn't mind the Pats, with Hugh Millen and Irving Fryar. Respected Belichick too - heckuva coach, very smart man, always saying the right things to the media. And lately against the Colts, Broncos and Chargers, I definitely wanted the Pats to win. For some reason, I just felt the NFL was better when the Pats won.

Now in the wake of this cheating scandal, for me at least, the success of the Belichick Patriots is partially tarnished. Not completely tarnished, because cheating doesn't necessarily guarantee victory (see Raiders, or Rams). You still need to play tremendously well to win 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. That being said, the fact that the Pats cheated takes away their luster. They're not the same as the 70s Steelers, 80s Niners or 90s Cowboys. I think Belichick deserved the harsh punishment from Goodell, although I agree with Mad Dog in that a suspension wouldn't be out of line either.

Still, the biggest thing to keep in mind is that the Patriots, and the rest of the NFL, are moving forward. Let's see what happens to the Pats now. Do they completely forget how to win? Do they continue this amazing run and destroy teams with Moss? If so, it'd definitely restore their credibility, unless of course they continue to cheat in some other fashion. Either way, while we can't look back on the past with the same awestruck feeling, we have to move on and look at everything anew. It's a brand new season with some really cool players and teams. We trust the Commish is cleaning up the garbage; yes the Pats cheated, but try to tell me you won't be watching this Bolts-Pats game on Sunday night on the edge of your seat.