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So the comments I'm about to make regarding my feelings on the New England Patriots and their football issues come from a multifaceted view. As a kid I played baseball pretty much from the time I was in elementary school until the time I had to trade baseball for working to gather college money - I probably played little league for 10 years. When I wasn't playing little league, I was an umpire hired by my township of Piscataway, New Jersey. We had some training before they threw us behind homeplate, and I remember quite vividly that two things where not to be tolerated at any time. What were they?
First and foremost was 'un-sportsman-like conduct', followed very closely by "cheating will not be tolerated'. Those two rules were simple enough and I followed them diligently by throwing out my share of managers who were acting like babies, and players who cheated by deliberately hitting someone with a pitch or hurting some else on the field. There were even a few instances when I forced a team to forfeit their game because they violated the two golden rules.
When I had children of my own, I had the opportunity to coach their softball teams (I had girls) and always obeyed the two simple rules that I forced the coaches and managers to follow when I was running the field. There was Never a time that I cheated, or allowed my team to cheat, or displayed any un-sportsman-like conduct.
So what's the big deal? Is there even a big deal at all about the New England Patriots playing with footballs that violated the league's rules? You bet there are ... I can Guarantee You that every single one of those players and coaches have been told time and time again that Cheating in sports is unacceptable - all kids are taught that as they are learning football. The parents know that and the coaches know that.
Punishing cheaters in sports always resulted in forfeiture by the offending team - there is absolutely NO WAY that any of the decision makers in the NFL offices would have allowed their kids to lose to a cheating team - they would have INSISTED that the the cheating team be disqualified.
Cheaters are disqualified in the Olympics - for crying out loud. So why on earth is it even an issue for second about what the league needs to do to the New England Patriots - they must forfeit the game they cheated in -- it's incomprehensable to think that anything else BUT that can be the result of their cheating.
Does it matter that Coach Belichick didn't know about it? Absolutely not - it's his job to make sure that the players, coaches, and equipment folks do their jobs and don't cheat - and if they do cheat then it's immaterial - cheating is cheating and the team that's doing it should be disqualified.
Who cares if it was a blowout??! It's not about the final score - they were caught cheating and should NOT BE REWARDED by being allowed to advance to the Superbowl !! What kind of league chairman rewards cheating teams???
What the heck is the matter with the NFL???? Have some balls fellas (no pun intended) - it isn't about "well the Patriots would have won anyway," it's about not rewarding cheating teams by sending them to the superbowl.
Two wrongs don't make a right. The New England Patriots tarnished themselves - but by rewarding them by letting them advance to the Superbowl?? That's allowing them to tarnish the entire game of football itself.
Shame on the Patriots - Shame on the NFL - and Shame on the rest of us if we watch the game.
Joe Lizura
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