by Wayne G of Patriots Endzone
For 15 months, from February of 1692 to May of 1693, the state of Massachusetts was home to the biggest farce perpetuated on the justice system in the history of the United States. What started as a couple of teenagers lying to get out of trouble, ended with 19 people executed, after being convicted of witchcraft. What we know now, is that nobody, accused or tried, was actually a witch. At least, not in the context of which they were accused. Out of this mess, for lack of a better term, came the saying “witch hunt”. When used, it implies that a person or entity is being investigated for something that doesn't even exist.
In the 21st century, there has been no one accused of being a witch more than Bill Belichick, and no coven has undergone deep investigation, after accusation, as much as the New England Patriots. The dead bodies that remain in the aftermath is just clouded perception, fueled by lies, and a general misunderstanding of the events. The false allegations and accusations against the Patriots have become the identity of the team. There aren’t any witches in Foxborough, but people would sure like there to be, so they push the narrative. It’s time to stop that narrative in its tracks.
The Truth:
No matter where you travel, outside the northeast anyways, you will hear football fans talk about how the Patriots are cheaters. About how they videotaped the other teams defensive signals, got caught, and were punished for it. Even Wikipedia (the most accurate source of all, lol) lists ”Spygate” as the patriots, unauthorized, videotaped opposing teams signals.
This isn’t an outright lie, but a misunderstanding, perpetuated by the media, fed by 31 owners in the NFL. The full truth, in full context, is that the Patriots were authorized to videotape the other team. They had received a memo from the league office, stating that videotaping of your opponents is fair and legal, and 100% permitted. In fact, all 32 teams received the same memo.
If it was legal, and they got permission, why did they get in trouble? Because there were designated areas that you were allowed to videotape from, and the Patriots chose to record film outside of the designated areas. When asked how big of an advantage they gained from doing so, Bill Belichick said, maybe 1%. This led to Robert Kraft calling him a schmuck, having cost the team a million dollars and a first round draft pick.
The Truth:
Hot on the heels of Spygate, a story was run alleging the Patriots videotaped the Rams walkthrough before the Super Bowl, which is why they were able to shut down the Greatest Show on Turf. Shortly after, the newspaper that ran the story admitted they fabricated the story, using shoddy sources, and begged for an apology. Nevertheless, there are still believe its as true as the sky is blue. Marshall Faulk will go to his grave believing thats the only way his Rams could have been stopped by the Patriots. Their actual game plan? To hit Faulk on every single play, even if he was nowhere near the play. They felt this would take him completely out of the game. And they were right.
The Truth:
It’s unclear who got the idea that Tom Brady and the Patriots were deflating footballs. It could have come after Brady mentioning he likes the ball a little softer (Aaron Rodgers said he prefers to overinflate the balls, but no-one remembers that). At any rate, after intercepting a ball, the Colts called for the balls to be checked in the locker room at halftime. Chris Mortenson would tweet after the game that 11 of 12 balls were underinflated by 2psi, which he later admitted to making it up, and even deleted his tweet. Both the Colts and Patriots footballs were underinflated at halftime, on a cold rain and sleet filled day. Ever play basketball in the snow? How long does the ball stay fully inflated?
This is called the ideal gas law (not theory), and was scientifically explained in the Wells report as the reason behind the difference in psi from kickoff to halftime. However, Ted Wells concluded his report by saying, “There is no concrete evidence that the Patriots or Brady did a single thing wrong, or illegal. That doesn’t mean it’s not possible.” The actual legal jargon is “More probable than not”.
Folks will point to Tom Brady refusing to give the commissioner his phone (would you trust Roger Goodell), but ignore the fact that he turned over all the transcripts of texts and calls to the league office, none of which showed or even suggested wrong doing. Despite all the evidence against cheating, some fans want to brand an asterisk on Tom and the Patriots, for a game they won 45-7. Behind 3 rushing touchdowns from LeGarrette Blount.
The Truth:
This accusation is the current cherry on top. However, since I’ve already proven there is no ice cream, whipped cream, or nuts, let’s dispel this cherry as well. The Patriots scheduled a 15 minute, special teams meeting during voluntary minicamp. This a perfectly legal thing to do, and no penalty can be imposed for doing it. Since Joe Judge is a moron, he put the team meeting on the team schedule so players could see it. THIS is the violation. Because this minicamp is voluntary, every single meeting or practice activity is voluntary as well. By putting the meeting on the schedule, it implied that the meeting was mandatory according to the league.
So there you have it. All the facts, and not just the ones opposing teams media want you to see. The Patriots aren’t cheaters, not have they ever been. A little dumb at times maybe, but not cheaters.
Wayne G is the host of Patriots Endzone on YouTube. The channel is HERE. You can also follow him and the show on Twitter @PatriotsEZ.
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