Wednesday, May 13, 2015

This Whole NFL Deflategate Debacle

Let me start out by saying I am not a fan of professional sports (unless they are equestrian related). I hate baseball and basketball. I can tolerate football, but only NFL, and only because of the video game Madden 64 for teaching me how the game works. I live in NH, so the "home team" is the New England Patriots. 

As you all know at this point unless you have been living under a rock as it is all over the news, the Patriots were involved in a "scandal" about using deflated footballs in the playoffs. Supposedly, less air makes the ball easier to grip, I'm not sure, I know there were scientific studies done, because there aren;t more important things like cancer research that could be done...</sarcasm>. 

I was hoping it wasn't true, that a team as big and popular as the Patriots would not be cheaters. As it turns out, they were and the quarterback was aware of it. The quarterback that women seem to worship for some reason, I just don't see it, but whatever. To each their own. I know he is a very talented quarterback, and the fact that he cheated is despicable, when he has proven to have the skills to get the job done the right way. 

From my understanding of recent events, he was suspended without pay (boo hoo, not like he doesn't already have millions) for 4 games. Ok. That actually seems like a fitting punishment. He cheated, he was aware of the cheating, he deserves to be punished. I honestly would make him sit out the season, but that's just me. 

There is the graphic I posted to the left that shows other football players and their criminal charges. I realize in the grand scheme of things that cheating compared to physically hurting someone is a lot less severe in the grand scheme of things, but it is still wrong! Cheaters never win, well except in this case when they get some bragging rights, a pretty ring and a trophy...but as far as I know, the actual Super Bowl was played by the rules and was a good game. Had they not cheated in the playoffs, who knows? But they are a very talented team with skilled players, so they likely would have made it there anyways. 

My issue comes with where people are crying about how it's not fair that Brady was punished for cheating. HE CHEATED!

As for these other criminal players who have physically hurt another person or animal, they should not be allowed back into the NFL.

 I was driving the bus one day and the elementary kids were talking about football, there were only a couple left at the end of the route. One boy said that he thought Michael Vick was an awesome player. First, I had to ask if Michael Vick was currently playing, because I couldn't believe he would be allowed back after hurting those poor dogs. Then,  I had to put my two cents in and asked the boy if he knew what Michael Vick had done. I explained in a very simple sense that he had hurt dogs (this is elementary school mind you, so I didn't want to say too much). The boy said that was in the past and he thought that Michael Vick had a lot of skill on the football field, so I agreed to that, he may be a very talented player, but he is not a good person. Anyways, I was completely disgusted that Michael Vick was playing football again, making millions of dollars again after causing so much pain and suffering to those precious dogs. He should be in jail and never allowed in the NFL again. Sorry, that is just how I feel. He hurt helpless animals. 

The NFL needs to get their act together. So many young people look up to these "superhero" sports professionals as role models. They need to make sure that the punishment fits the crime. If a NFL player is convicted of any crime against a human or animal, they should never set foot on the field as a member of a team again. If they cheat, like Tom Brady did, then they should get a significant suspension, one that will hit them where it hurts, in their bank accounts. They should also have to talk to students about why what they did was a mistake. 

Let's hope some good comes from all this. 

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