Football justice

If you’re at all interested in sports, you probably know all about “Spygate.” Bill Belichick, or ‘Belicheat,’ as I and many others refer to him, taped practices and signals, which violates NFL rules, to gain an edge on his opponents. \nThere are now further allegations that Bill Belichick had a cameraman secretly tape the St. Louis Ram’s non-padded walkthrough just prior to Super Bowl XXXVI. Thus, he was taping the exact plays the Rams were planning to use in the Super Bowl. Considering the Patriots were huge underdogs back then and they won by such a small margin – three points – this taping likely affected the outcome of the game. If this is the case, what should be done?\nMost people were asking for an asterisk to be placed next to the Patriots’ record after this season, but after the New York Giants crushed their dreams of going undefeated, there doesn’t seem to be much need. Now, many are suggesting that an asterisk be placed next to Super bowl XXXVI, or even that the NFL give the trophy to the Rams.\nWhile both of these suggestions seem to be a step in the right direction, I don’t think they go far enough. It’s time that we throw all those who participated in this scandal or knew about it in prison. Sound a little harsh? On the surface, the punishment might appear harsh, but let’s look at - the repercussions of their actions and then compare them to a similar tragedy.\nFirst, what effect did the Patriots’ victory have on the St. Louis Rams’ franchise? Well, it obviously cost the Rams a trophy and fame, but even more so, it cost them millions of dollars in money they could have made on Super Bowl memorabilia. These franchises must make millions of dollars on T-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps, clocks, footballs, little gold coins, Super Bowl DVDs and more. Therefore, the revenue the Rams lost out on is immeasurable. \nSecond, what effect did it have on the rest of us? Thousands of people probably bet on the Rams for that Super Bowl in casinos, online or just among friends. Thus, thousands of these people lost money because of the cheating Patriots.\nThis all sounds a little bit familiar doesn’t it? I don’t think anybody can forget the Enron scandal that cost thousands of people their jobs and many stockholders millions of dollars. Those stockholders are just like all the people who bet on the Rams. Both groups had money stripped from them. Therefore, just as several Enron executives ended up in jail, it’s time Belichick and his cronies spent some time in prison.\nI implore all of you who lost bets on Super Bowl XXXVI to write a letter to the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell. Ask him for compensation, but more importantly, ask him for justice. Let’s not just mark the New England Patriots with an asterisk.