Thought experiment: What if another team had been involved? Like, say, the Falcons?

[KamaAina]

Would there be anywhere near as much poutrage? Or is this just a bunch of pent-up Pats hatred out there, sort of like the way racism reared its ugly head when Obama was elected?

By the way, this is not a hypothetical: the Falcons were jacked up last year for pumping in crowd noise. The response: (crickets).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/120453236

[trotsky]

1. How about this: what if it was the Browns?

No one would give a shit because it would be obvious the cheating didn't help.

Keep dreaming that it's just "haters." (Who are now somehow just like racists??)

[KamaAina]

2. No, not "just like racists".

Just that a similar pattern seems to be unfolding.

And the Falcons aren't any better than the Brownies at this point.

[trotsky]

4. You made the comparison for a reason, obviously. There must have been better options.

But the point is, people care because the team was successful. So how much of their success was due to cheating?

[joeybee12]

3. Look at this...

No one else replied...well, no one I can see!

[madinmaryland]

5. How did the Falcons do last year?

Fat lot of good it did for them.

[KamaAina]

8. So it's okay to cheat as long as you lose anyway?

[Yavin4]

6. People imitate success.

If the Patriots are cheating and winning Superbowls, then other teams will do the same.

[KamaAina]

7. How do you know they're not already?

As a matter of fact...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/120454395

[mythology]

9. Well one team has admitted fault, had a draft pick taken

Their team president suspended and fined 350,000.

The other team has lied and obstructed the investigation. Oh and has recently been busted for cheating on a different issue.

And yes some of us do care that the Falcons cheated and are glad that while the organization did violate the rules were at least good enough to admit it. When will the Patriots do the same?

[KamaAina]

10. Republican Stepdad must be loving this

As a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker, he hates all things New England, including the Pats (behind only the Sox!).