If you haven’t heard about deflategate or “Ballgazhi” let me quickly break it down.  There appears to be an investigation going on after Sunday night’s AFC Championship game.  There is a possibility that the football the Patriots used in the game may have purposely deflated, making it the ball easier to throw and catch, especially in the rain.

Tom Brady has called the claims of the deflated balls ridiculous, but I don’t think so.  After spygate in 2007,the season in which the Patriots were caught videotaping the Jets’ defensive signals (aka cheating), I don’t think the Patriots have any right to get defensive about anyone questioning their honor.  Once you’ve cheated on a large scale, your punishment is that people will continue to think you’re a cheater.  I believe after spygate Bill Belichick, who was fined the maximum amount allowed, should not have been allowed to keep his job.  He should’ve been fired or at least the team should’ve been forced to change their name to the New England Pumpkin Eaters.

Let’s say the balls were deflated, but the Patriots didn’t intentionally do it.  Maybe there was a mix up, they had a weighing issue, or maybe Lane Kiffen did it to frame Bill.  In a way you’re still cheating.  If Tom Brady, or any other player, noticed at any point during the game that the ball felt weird in a way you’re cheating.  If in a board game, someone deals me an extra $20 it becomes my responsibility to mention it, not the person who dealt the cards.

In 2014 there was a championship for the board game Ticket to Ride.  The winner, Erwin Pauelsen, was stripped from his titled when he was caught cheating by online spectators of the game taking extra turns.  At first Pauelsen seemed to be confused by the situation saying he was tired and accidentally made a mistake in the game.  And so on one hand are we supposed to jump down the throat of someone who made a mistake in a game? Even I have made a mistake in a game.  But the fact of the matter is this was a tournament, and he turn several extra turns, at a certain point people will stop believing you.  Maybe the Patriots didn’t cheat, but once you’ve been caught and excused several other times it becomes hard to ignore.  Some people will continue to deny that the Patriots ever cheated in the first place.  Some people just love their heroes too much to hear about how they are not as squeaky clean as they once thought. #Bill Cosby