New England Patriots: When Is Enough, Enough?

What troubles me the most is that the NFL continues to slap the Patriots on the wrist. We can say it’s because of Bob Kraft and his relationship with Goodell but how can we let the integrity of the game go so unpunished? It’s not about crowd noise being pumped into the stadium or a GM texting an assistant coach, both first time infractions by their respective clubs, this is about deliberately giving your team an advantage over the other during the course of a game. Repeatedly.

More from Phin Phanatic

• 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
• Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
• 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
• Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
• The Miami Dolphins should not take a running back in the draft

In fact, this is about giving yourself an advantage all the time with unscrupulous decisions. It has to stop. A message needs to be sent to New England to get on board with how the game is supposed to be played. It has to send a message to every other NFL team that no team stands above another. The NFL saw fit to slap the Falcons on the wrist for pumping in crowd noise but they can’t do that to the Patriots. Not this time.

Tom Brady needs to face a suspension and frankly his coach should too. It is after all his responsibility to know what is going on, on the field at all times. It’s a reason I questioned Joe Philbin’s declaration of no responsibility for his own locker room. The point is that New England should find themselves short draft picks and suspensions for both coach and quarterback.

In New Orleans a few years ago we must remember that head coach Sean Payton was suspended an entire season for his role in “bounty-gate”. A role that was never fully defined and in fact was for the most part admitted by the NFL to have little if any knowledge of what was going on. Yet as the HC he was held accountable for it. Shouldn’t the same standard be held to Belichick? To any coach for that matter in the NFL?

It’s harsh, yes I realize that but this is not the first time we have seen this from the Patriots and one time should be enough let alone two. The truth is the Patriots will likely get a fine as an organization, just like with Spy-Gate, Tom Brady will likely get a one or two game suspension or perhaps just a fine, Bob Kraft will write a check to the two men who worked in the locker room that actually deflated the balls right before he fires them and makes them the scapegoats. Bill Belichick will stand at a podium and quietly announce with all the annoyance he can muster, that he had no knowledge of it. Hell he might even stand up for Brady himself.

The Miami Dolphins may not be winning much these days but at least I can stand proudly and say I am a fan of a team that still plays the game within the confines of the rules.

It’s a sad day when we have to look at one of the winningest franchise in the NFL over the last two decades and repeatedly question their integrity, their respect for the game. I would love to stand up and applaud them for their accomplishments. I called Brady the best quarterback every after his 4th Super Bowl MVP but that no longer is the case. It shouldn’t be the case. He cheated. How many times has he and this team cheated and not been caught?

Every Patriot fan will say it’s all a bunch of bull-crap and will point to the fact that they have four Super Bowl titles under Belichick and Brady. The NFL can’t take away those titles and because of that, it won’t stop the head coach or the star quarterback or the lackey’s in the locker room from coming up with yet another design to circumvent the rules and push the limits of fair play across the line into cheating. It’s only a matter of time because the NFL won’t do enough to keep it from happening again. And it will happen again.