The Least Important Story That I Find Absolutely Infuriating

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am an unrepentant Patriots fan.  My bias is well documented.  Even taking this bias into consideration, if you believe that a four game suspension for playing with and "likely knew" about and was "generally aware" about slightly deflated below regulation PSI footballs, is somehow warranted, I want to thank you, because now I can disregard your opinion completely on all matters of consequence.

This story is not important.  Brady will still have millions of dollars and a supermodel wife and there are a billion greater injustices in the world, but this is complete bullshit.  The NFL is run by hypocritical billionaires and Roger Goodell changes his mind as the winds of public perception change.

It's not that I don't think Tom Brady cheated, I think by the ultra-high standard of "probably", "likely knew", and "generally aware" he probably did.  So what?  All teams break the rules.  Players on every team in the league use PEDs, teams routinely tamper with each others free agent signings, the entire league has engaged in collusion, every offensive line in the league holds every game, and up until a couple weeks ago the league didn't even pay taxes.

So I say fine.  You know what? If the rules are that important suspend Brady but hold the rest of the league to the same standard.  Jerry Rice admitted to applying stick-um illegally to his gloves throughout his career in order to catch passes better.  As of right now, Rice should have to surrender his records and the 49ers should have to surrender their Super Bowl victories.  Ben Rothlesberger "likely knew" that he sexually assaulted at least two women and was "generally aware" that it was wrong.  Kick Rapistberger out of the league and remove two titles from the Steelers.  In fact, remove all Terry Bradshaw's titles too, he admitted to steroid use and implicated his teammates in it as well.  Ray Lewis covered up a murder, please Baltimore, return your trophies.  The Colts and Falcons pumped noise into their stadiums they should lose their stadiums for a season.  The list goes on.

Given the history of Goodell dishing out punishment I wouldn't be surprised if much of it is overturned on appeal.  I say give Brady a $25k fine and be done with it, but instead the NFL continues to conduct itself as if it strives for the level of integrity of professional wrestling.  If the Patriots alleged cheating was so terrible, then maybe the NFL should return all the revenue from those games.  That's dirty money and the league should have no part in it.

That Was Awesome!

Malcolm Butler intercepts the Russell Wilson pass to win the game. Source:  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/malcolm-butler-lauded-as-super-769069?amp

 What a game! I'm obviously biased, but that was the most exciting Super Bowl I can remember.  These were clearly the best two teams in the league and they delivered for 60 minutes. I have the following thoughts:

Ballghazi: I've Had Enough

Source:Wikimedia

 As a fan of the sport of American Football, I find the weeks prior to the Super Bowl rather annoying.  It's the time of year where people who've never watched, played, or even touched a football in their lives, manage to watch about 10 minutes of football in between chicken wings and form an opinion.  Some years I'm lucky enough to have my team in the Super Bowl and then I can enjoy the buildup to the big game.  As a fan of the New England Patriots, I've been more fortunate than most as this will be the eighth time in my life that the Patriots will have appeared in a Super Bowl (Eight! Suck it other teams).  But alas, after a thorough ass-beating of the Colts, a scandal of a most heinous nature broke involving footballs below regulation PSI, sullying my beloved Patriots' good name.

DeflateGate: Stop Breakin' My Balls

Source:  Gronk's Twitter

The New England Patriots are headed to another Super Bowl which means one thing, more allegations of New England cheating.  The allegations this time focus on the inflation or rather, the deflation of the Patriot's balls.