Any other team would get a pass, but not the Patriots. The team has a history of cheating, and the NFL should drop the hammer.
It's an integrity of the game issue, even though the underinflated footballs apparently didn't have an impact on the outcome of the AFC championship game. However, statistics show the Patriots fumbled less with the doctored footballs.
Fines mean nothing to multi millionaires. Tom Brady needs to sit for a few games. Full disclosure: I'm a Steelers fan. The Steelers first game this year is with New England, and I'd like to see Pittsburgh play a weakened New England team.
It shows who really runs the league, or what runs the league: TV and money. The New England/Pittsburgh game is the season opener on NBC. There's some speculation Brady gets a pass, pardon the pun, because NBC pays a ton of money for its marquee match-ups.
Still, integrity is more important.
Brady repeatedly said he did nothing wrong. The evidence indicates he lied. He smugly sidestepped the issue last week. Tom Brady did not sound like an innocent man.
The Patriots need to be punished. The NFL needs to tighten its procedures.
