The NFL has had a horrible year in many ways. From Ray Rice to the finally reported long term health effects of playing the game to what is now being called "Ballghazi", ESPN's report that New England deflated 11 of 12 footballs before the AFC Conference championship against The Colts. I won't get into the details of why or how this would effect a football game, particularly one being played in the cold rain...if you don't know you can google it.
I can separate someone's personal life from their job. A terrible father can still be a great Professor. While actions off the field do color the game, and at times should effects a persons employment, for whatever reason I am more likely to give someone a pass for drug addiction, infidelity, poor parenting, etc when it comes to athletes. I pay to see pros score points, not be a faithful husband. You might disagree with me on this, and I respect your opinion. It's valid. I just happen to be more inclined to bifurcate mistakes outside the arena from success in the arena. That's just me.
However, what Tom Brady did when he deflated those footballs was cheating. Every player and every coach who knew the balls were deflated...cheated. They knew. Trust me. The Patriots, a lot of them knew the balls were under inflated. They knew their team, and more specifically Tom Brady, was cheating. Anyone who has ever caught or thrown a football knows when it's deflated. They knew...and they cheated. As a former football player take my word for it, it's obvious when a ball is under inflated. They knew.
The NFL has had a great year on field and a horrible year off the field. If they don't punish the Pats for cheating they will lose the last bit of credibility they have. A fair on field experience.
Will Roger G reward the cheating Pats with no punishment for cheating to get to the SuperBowl?
We shall see but I hope not. Fans and players who love football deserve better.