Today In Patriots History O/T: 40th Anniversary of the Snow Plow game

[Actual Pats Fan]

This is part of what makes me crazy about these "cheating" labels. If it wasn't against the rules, it isn't cheating. It shouldn't be on the Patriots' "cheating" resume.

The cheating label is a myth, and a product of Anti-Patriots bias which initiated with the merger consummated in 1970. Fairbanks entered the NFL with dislike and distrust (due to alleged & punished NCAA violations at Oklahoma) strikingly similar to Belichick:

"Patriots hire controversial coach Chuck Fairbanks..."

Everyone immediately freaked when the Pats started 5-0 and 6-1 in 1974, with all kinds of excuses and qualifying.

They took the 1975 and 1981 seasons (the only losing ones we had over 15 years) and pretended it was an annual rite.

The Patriots have never cheated.

Having some team staff doing nothing wrong in the first half of the first game of a season in a location in Giants Stadium which the league deems to be unauthorized is not cheating.

Neither is having a video production crew with nothing to do with the coaches or players letting a camera run for a few minutes during an entertainment piece.

CryGate, DefameGate etc. are the culmination of baseless accusations and sore loserdom which elevated with Pats' trips to New Orleans Super Bowls in 1986, 1997 and 2002. It's total bull sh*t.

Dreith and Madden can rot in Hell for their bull sh*t Super Bowl XI which belonged to us.

 

[1960Pats]

This is part of what makes me crazy about these "cheating" labels. If it wasn't against the rules, it isn't cheating. It shouldn't be on the Patriots' "cheating" resume.

The best part of Shula's* cheating whines are that he* and Miami* actually did violate the rules and were fined a record amount and lost their first round pick in 1970. That tampering violation led directly to their undefeated season. That's why when Shula* started calling for asterisks if the Pats got their perfect season in 2007 his former players told him to pipe down. They knew.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

The best part of Shula's* cheating whines are that he* and Miami* actually did violate the rules and were fined a record amount and lost their first round pick in 1970. That tampering violation led directly to their undefeated season. That's why when Shula* started calling for asterisks if the Pats got their perfect season in 2007 his former players told him to pipe down. They knew.

'Controversial' Coach Chuck Fairbanks?

Controversial Coach Don Shula

 

[Viper652]

In all seriousness what penalty could you e give a team for doing that even If the Commish thought it was unfair?

Also, would Shula have done the same thing If it was on the other foot is the question

 

[captain stone]

In all seriousness what penalty could you e give a team for doing that even If the Commish thought it was unfair?

Also, would Shula have done the same thing If it was on the other foot is the question

Rozelle could've declared the game a tie, I suppose... But even if he did, the PO seedings that year would Not have changed at all:

https://www.footballdb.com/seasons/nfl/1982