I brought this up in my email to ESPN's TMQ, but it is pretty buried and thought it deserved its own thread.
The appropriate analogy for this scandal when the haters start talking about how much the Patriots have brought into question the integrity of the game of football is breaking the speed limit. Almost everyone speeds to one degree or another. The police catch the most egregious offenders and enforce a penalty against them, but the integrity of our justice system is not called into question because all offenders are not caught. The Patriots were an egregious offender in this case and have been rightfully been punished for it. However, there was likely little gained by their practice. Just as everyone drives a few miles over the speed limit, every coach in the NFL tries to learn about their opponents' tendencies and gain an advantage with that knowledge.
The appropriate analogy for this scandal when the haters start talking about how much the Patriots have brought into question the integrity of the game of football is breaking the speed limit. Almost everyone speeds to one degree or another. The police catch the most egregious offenders and enforce a penalty against them, but the integrity of our justice system is not called into question because all offenders are not caught. The Patriots were an egregious offender in this case and have been rightfully been punished for it. However, there was likely little gained by their practice. Just as everyone drives a few miles over the speed limit, every coach in the NFL tries to learn about their opponents' tendencies and gain an advantage with that knowledge.
