Patriots coach Richard M. ("Bill") Belichick can probably look forward to getting off the hook again once NFL commisioner Roger Goodell finishes his job of whitewashing the New England cheating scandal known as 'spygate.' Indeed, according to an ESPN report, new tapes provided by former New England video assistant Matt Walsh have already been dismissed as having little importance. 

Goodell, whose league enjoys an anti-trust exemption from the US government, has been trying for some time to make this scandal go away. On September 20, the NFL announced that it had destroyed all of the tapes it had obtained during its investigation of the matter, and in his Super Bowl news conference on February 1, Goodell argued that New England's stealing of their opponents' signals had "probably" not benefited them anyway.

Oh really? All three of New England's super bowl victories were by just three points. They beat the Steelers by just seven in the AFC Championship in 2002—one of the games for which it is now clear they used stolen (videotaped) signals. It is preposterous to argue that knowing what play the opposing team is going to run was not a significant advantage, or that having such an advantage could not affect the outcome of a game. Of course it can, and it's precisely in order to avoid opening this can of worms that the NFL quickly rid itself of the incriminating tapes after receiving them from the Patriots last fall.

"I am not a crook"

Obviously, it is impossible to go back in time and see what would have happened if the Patriots did not have this advantage. Would they have won three super bowls without the stolen signals? We'll never know. And this is what the Patriots and Bill Belichick have stolen from NFL fans everywhere. They have cheated us all.

As a penalty for violations for which Belichick has already admitted to, he was fined $500,000 and the Patriots were fined $250,000 and they lost a first-round draft pick. By comparison, Chris Andersen of the NBA had to sit out two years for using recreational (non-performance enhancing) drugs. Barry Bonds will likely go to jail for lying during his steroid hearings. And Belichick? He was named coach of the year.

But who has done more damage to the game they represent? Bonds and other players suspected of steroid use were under professional pressure to improve their production. Chris Andersen's offense had nothing to do with what he was doing on the court. Belichick, meanwhile, knowingly and repeatedly cheated. Unlike Bonds, who could at least claim that he was only doing what 90% of his colleagues were also involved with, Belichick and the Patriots appear to be the only ones who have been involved in this type of behavior (at least they are the only ones who have been caught). He wasn't doing it simply to keep up with the others, he was doing it to get ahead—and he did.

Some people will no doubt see it as ironic that Belichick and the Patriots would cheat, given the fact that they are perennially one of the best teams in the league. But there's nothing ironic about it. Belichick is a successful coach because he'll do anything to win. This also led him to compulsively use any advantage possible, even if it meant cheating. All of this, despite the fact that he probably would have won anyway. Sound like anyone you know?

Separated at 'gate?

Maybe we can't impeach Belichick and Goodell, and probably we can't do anything about this at all. Goodell will sweep it all under the carpet and the professional sportswriting punditry will likewise downplay or dismiss it (with Bill Simmons playing the role of apologist #1).

There are, of course, many more important acts of corruption and negligence that we should be devoting our attention to—things that have far greater significance than this. But as someone who has followed professional sports in this country since the mid-seventies, I resent Belichick's theft of something that rightfully belongs to all NFL fans—the chance to really know which team was best. In my book, Tricky Bill Belichick and Goodell the Lame are more of an embarrassment to sports than Andersen and Bonds will ever be.