NFL: New England Patriots Spying Architects Deserve a Lifetime Ban

I have no personal feelings towards Bill Belichick. In fact, while Belichick coached the Cleveland Browns, I made quite a bit of money on him in that game versus the Dallas Cowboys, oh so many years ago, when he had Leroy Hoard carrying the ball and Vinny Testaverde throwing the pigskin.

I loved Belichick's coaching philosophy, hard running and defense first, and respected his football mind. Having come from the Bill Parcell's mold, how could you not respect the guy? He even looked like an Austin Power's mini-me version of the Big Tuna with his oversized sweat-shirts, and I don't care to get the hair coiffed for primetime attitude.

The guy is a football coach through and through and there is no questioning that he knows how to coach in the NFL.

But, this is just crazy. Cheating in any sport is bad enough but cheating in the NFL - - I'm just not sure what to say about it. The reason it is so difficult to swallow, but appears to be so true, is that the NFL is the league of Vince Lombardi and Paul Brown. This is the league that single-handedly created modern television, as both an advertising medium, and as a national rallying point for Americans everywhere.

Sundays around the tube, switching back and forth between games, falling asleep during the second game after your sixth beer, is an American tradition. More of a tradition, at this point, than the World Series or the Presidential Election.

We are a football nation and the NFL is our golden boy. There is absolutely nothing in this country that describes us better than the NFL. The NFL is capitalism and socialism combined, freedom and indentured servitude, the goals of the individual having to coincide with the goals of the many to breed success. We see our national identity in the NFL - - that's how much football means to us.

That, of course, is why the revelation that the New England Patriots, and Bill Belichick in particular, cheated in their NFL games hits us so hard. And, if it doesn't, then we need to rethink our values.