As I sat and watched Bill Belichick’s impromptu Saturday afternoon press conference, I realized how hard he makes it to root for the New England Patriots. The meeting, called to address the alleged deflation of 11 of the 12 footballs the Patriots used in the AFC Championship game, seemed to make a joke of the whole situation. I’m not sure how much the deflated footballs affected the game or how often other teams partake in the practice, but Belichick did not help his team’s situation by throwing science at the media and talking about how much he has studied footballs in the past week.
He had a chance to put this whole thing to rest, but he didn’t. He made it seem less believable that he or anybody else on the coaching staff or any of the players had no idea about the deflated footballs. I find it hard to believe that a locker room attendant would deflate the balls if it were not what Tom Brady asked for. In his first press conference after the incident, Belichick basically begged the NFL to suspend Tom Brady, which everyone knew wasn’t going to happen.
It also doesn’t help his case that this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened to the Patriots. After the infamous “Spygate,” when Belichick had a video assistant tape the New York Jets defensive signals, it makes the coach’s innocence even harder to believe. Belichick makes himself out to be bigger then the NFL, which is somewhat true.
Even if the league found the Patriots and Belichick guilty of wrongdoing, there is no chance they would have suspended him or anybody else for the Super Bowl. I am sure that if there is a punishment it will be handed out after the season is over and will likely be a slap on the wrist.
How much did the deflated balls help out the Patriots? Not a lot, considering the final score of the AFC Championship game was 45-7, but it is still cheating. It probably won’t tarnish the legacy of Belichick and the Patriots but it makes them hard to root for. It is hard to cheer for someone who thinks he is bigger than the NFL and who thinks he is above the rules.
