Editorial: Cheaters never win?

Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007 | 7:47 a.m.

Did the New England Patriots cheat their way to three Super Bowl titles over the past six years?

That is the question in the NFL after the Patriots were caught blatantly violating league rules last Sunday. A Patriots employee stood on the sidelines, wearing a vest identifying himself as a media photographer over his team polo shirt, and videotaped the New York Jets defensive coaches. It was an attempt to steal the defensive signals, which violates NFL rules prohibiting teams from videotaping on the sidelines or using videotape in the locker room at halftime.

NFL sources are surprised by the arrogance of the act - it happened on the Jets' home turf - but no one is surprised by the act itself. Sign-stealing is as old as signs themselves. The high-tech approach, however, pushes gamesmanship into cheating. Unfortunately, the Patriots have acquired a reputation for cheating.

This is the not the first time an opponent has caught the Patriots doing this, and now teams are wondering how legitimate all of the Patriots' success has been. (Two teams told Sports Illustrated that the headsets for the visiting team's coaches will mysteriously stop working during games at the Patriots' stadium.)

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Patriots coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots $250,000 and took away a draft pick. He called the Patriots' actions "a calculated and deliberate attempt" to break the rules.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he took "full responsibility" for the violation but, as the Patriots have done all along, tried to minimize the crime as merely an "incorrect" interpretation of the rules.

No, this was cheating, and although the punishment seems hefty, Goodell should have sent a stronger message, suspending the coach and forfeiting the Patriots' win last Sunday.

Not only does the cheating scandal tarnish the Patriots' accomplishments and raise doubts about their legitimacy, but it also serves as a sad reminder of how professional leagues continue to ruin the games that Americans love.