Cheatin’ ain’t easy

It’s only cheating if you get caught. But getting caught cheating can ruin a reputation.\nThe New England Patriots – the source of all that is evil – gave me one more reason to despise them this week when they were caught spying on the New York Jets’ defensive play calling using a video camera in their game Sunday, a big no-no in the NFL.\nConsider their reputation ruined.\nUnlike my undeniable hatred for the Detroit Pistons, my hatred for the Patriots in the past came with respect. I hated them because they were good, not because they were dirty. I hated them because they got Randy Moss in a trade for a stick of gum. I hated them because Bill Belichick seemed to be the mastermind who could piece together defensive strategies to hinder Peyton Manning’s attack. I hated them because they were the Colts’ biggest rival.\nNow the tables have turned, my hatred carries a lack of respect. It’s time to call into question the integrity of this so-called “dynasty.”\nHave they really been that good or are they just illegally beating the system? And how long have they been \ndoing this?\nThis happened in Green Bay last year, when the same cameraman was caught doing the same – illegal – thing.\nWait. They needed to cheat to beat the Packers? Maybe the Eagles should have taken note. \nBut the future for the Patriots is bleak. The integrity of the team will be called into question with every win, just like the integrity of the NBA officials will be called into question with every blown whistle.\nBut are the Patriots really a “rogue individual” or are they just a product of their era?\nIn a time when dental students crack passwords to get test materials prior to taking an exam and when online sites sell term papers for underachieving students, is it really hard to believe that the Patriots gave in? Technological advancements have made cheating more and more tempting, and the Patriots caved.\nThe problem is that it’s an unacceptable act, and the punishments don’t fit the crime.\nIf found guilty, the Patriots could lose multiple future draft picks. That’s it. \nThey cheat to get a win and they lose one, maybe two players. The reward is way greater than the risk, and they rolled the dice and lost. \nI hope the Patriots’ organization has answers, because the fans don’t. When I heard about the videotaping accusations, I immediately went to make fun of my friend from Chicago who is a diehard Patriots fan (and also a fan of the Red Sox, Cubs, Celtics, Michigan Wolverines and any team within 1,000 miles of his house), and he was speechless. He had no response, and the look on his face was priceless. It was like when he found out Santa Claus wasn’t real. All his hopes, dreams and beliefs that his team is the dynasty it claims to be came crashing down in one single moment.\nBeing the good friend that I am, I gave him the best advice I had on how to respond to the accusations: Blame Mike Vick.