Okay, this is getting waaayyy out of hand.
I'm on record as blasting the Patriots for Spygate and Deflategate. But this national paranoia -- "If the Patriots win, it's because they cheated" -- has grown to ridiculous proportions.
As I wrote earlier this week, the Patriots' execution of Spygate was sleazy . . . but that was seven years ago. Since then the Patriots have won a Super Bowl and come close to winning two more.
No doubt Bill Belichick pushes the envelope with everything he does, but he's also the best coach in the game. He blew Mike Tomlin off the field last night.
What a poor excuse of a team the Pittsburgh Steelers are. They have a quarterback who could have ended up in jail for sexual assault, but the victim chose not to testify. They have a coach who tripped a player on the field and, oh, by the way, is a member of the competition committee. But no one focuses on that.
Big Ben. What a slob. He's an NFL quarterback who didn’t know the Patriots executed their defensive shift legally. One of his linemen even said it was legal. And Cris Collinsworth pointed out the Pats did the same thing earlier in the game and it resulted in a Steeler touchdown. Brainchild Ben didn’t have a problem with it then. And then Ben the Brain actually said they saw the Pats employ that move on film! What?? You saw it on film? The coaches said to be ready for it, and you still cry that you were wronged by the refs?
This is what separates Tom Brady from a clown like Ben Roethlisberger. Tom would have seen the film and knew it was coming.
New England Patriots
Now let’s get to this crap with the headset. Bob Socci, the Patriots' radio voice, pointed out on Twitter that the Jets lost their headset communication in Pittsburgh in the 2010 AFC Championship Game. Was Tomlin stepping on wires at Heinz Field? What about that? Has anyone looked into that?
Please. As Belichick pointed out, this happens around the league all the time. Belichick went on to say that his team is built on competition and not excuses. (A well-played shot at Pittsburgh.) He further added the Patriots practice playing without the headset communication and remain prepared to return to hand signals.
Take note, Mike Tomlin.
Yes, I feel Brady ordered the balls deflated. But I also feel -- and have said -- it had no impact on his performance. The second half of last year’s AFC title game, the Super Bowl, and last night's game are exhibits A, B and C. Could Spygate have resulted in a win or two, which could have led to home-field advantage in the playoffs in one of those years back then? Who knows? But, again, that was a long time ago.
So, the rest of the league and America just need to suck it up and accept that, until they're dethroned, the best damn coach, quarterback, tight end and team resides in Foxboro, Massachusetts.