Let’s be real. None of us can stand Tom Brady. Unless maybe you are a Patriots fan or a middle aged woman with a crush that you want to talk about to your friends at the salon. The Patriots themselves are divisive. They win and mister Hoodie doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy. Tom Brady is married to a supermodel and parties in Brazil. He is the type of guy that you assume would make you feel bad for not using organic free-range chicken. Basically a mix of Portlandia with Los Angeles superiority complex. I can speak of this because I’m from Portland. I know. Don’t judge me and my recycling habits.

All that being said, did the NFL get it right with a 4 game suspension? Yes. Tom knew and is culpable for his actions for trying to break rules. It is completely appropriate that the league fines and suspends him.  He will likely appeal and get the suspension dropped to a lesser penalty. The league HAD to come out strong because of the Ray Rice debacle. No Seahawks fans, this has nothing to do with the league being mean to Lynch. Yes, the league picked on him. No, no one outside the NW cares. The league has a long track record, especially Mister Roger and his neighborhood of inconsistency, of messing up punishments. Roger almost had his head served on a platter with Rice and needed to send a message.

However, I think some people are blowing the cheating element out of proportion. Yes, they cheated by breaking the rules. No, it really doesn’t make them win more. Having played for nearly 10 years I can tell you that deflating a ball doesn’t make you an instant superstar. Nor really does it give you more of an advantage really. You still have to throw, you still have to catch and still have to block. The game in question was a blow out and I sincerely doubt an inflated ball would equal a turnabout of 40 points.

Also, if you think your team doesn’t do the same skirting of the rules, you are delusional. It’s the same in college football, which may be the most corrupt sport in America. Everyone is quick to point the finger at any program with “lack of institutional control”, recruiting violations, rogue boosters, and pay-for-play schemes. But no one thinks their college is guilty. We don’t do that sort of thing here! Yes, you do. When billions upon billions of dollars are on the line people try to find any advantage they can.

So feel free to hate on Tom and the Hoodie all you want. They make it easy. Just beware at thinking your program isn’t doing something too. Or surprised at the next SomethingGate.