Is there proof, or rumors of proof, of NE cheating to beat the other teams on the way to the Superbowl? Your argument about the Olympics doesn't translate to team sports at all, especially if a team is found to be cheating specifically to beat another, such as filming practices that other team's practices. I would think that would be even worse than taking performance enhancing drugs and being stripped of a medal in the Olympics.

Illegal substances to alter performance goes beyond viewing practice game film. In my opinion, it's not much worse than every single team in _base_ball trying to steal signs. And they do that 162 games a year.

Filming the final walkthrough before the Superbowl is a tad more than stealing signals in _base_ball. That final walkthrough basically was a dress rehearsal for what the Rams were going to do in the Superbowl. Being able to study that would have given the Patriots a huge unfair advantage. In _base_ball, everyone on both teams know that they are each probably going to try to steal signs if given the opportunity, and they are able to try to mask what they do. Knowing that someone is going to cheat against you on a minor thing like signs in _base_ball, and being able to do the same yourself, doesn't even come close to comparing to filming the final walkthrough of a team before the Supebowl.

You say in your first post Evan, that you hate Belichick...and one can assume the Pats, as well. So, I think anything less than a forfeit....is going to be disappointing to you.

I don't care for New England either. But I don't think the NFL should take that _title_ away from them.

And, as to your point that some Rams p_layer_s want to sue...does that surprise you in this litigious world? Hell some Jets fans sued the Pats this year.

That championship is in the past...way in the past. Want to punish the Patriots....screw up their future. Take away more draft picks....

That has nothing to do with it. It just seems to me that if a team is found to have cheated to win a game, they shouldn't get credit for winning the game, the same as when Olympics athletes don't get credit for winning medals that they won while cheating. Having the _title_ stripped and being punished by having draft picks taken away or being fined are not mutually exclusive. Sure, those would be a good punishment, but to still give the Patriots credit for winning a Superbowl that they cheated to win is just wrong. Disagree with me all you want, but no one has made any arguments to make me think otherwise.

And I doubt it had much bearing on the game. Walkthrus may be what was initially planned....but I honestly doubt many coaches follow their first battleplan past the opening minutes. Games are organic...you change on the fly. Sure you have principles you set in practice, but if something isn't working - a good coach changes it.

It's not like if someone is swimming a race and they are just stronger because they pumped some substance into their blood stream to boost oxygen levels.