In my opinion there are too many people still slamming their heads against the wall here. I used to be one of them. This is not to doubt the sincerity or the truthfullness of what many write on this board. In fact I agree with the general consensus. But it just doesn't matter.
Look, the story has already been written. The Patriots, in the sports worlds' eyes, are cheaters. Perioid. That is the narative. There is nothing that can change that. Peyton may have cheated. But the sports world and the sports media will not write that story. It doesn't fit the narative. The Patriots are the bad guys. You can't have two bad guys. That is too confusing. Too grey. Too "real life." It doesn't fit the narative. Peyton is a goofy, slightly awkward nice "every" guy. Brady is a good looking, model-marrying slick packaged pretty boy. That the narative is not true (1st round vs 6th round; spoon in mouth son of NFL QB vs. College part timer, etc.) doesn't matter. The truth doesn't matter. The narative has been written. The world and sports fans in general don't want nuance. They want one bad guy, and everyone else isn't bad. And the Patriots are the bad guys.
It is hard for me to accept this because I was raised on Clive Rush and Chuck Fairbanks to Colorado and cocaine parties after losing 46-10 in the Super Bowl and 1-15. I don't see the Patriots as a monolthic Ivan Drago winning (read: cheating) machine. But the rest of the world does. That is the narative. It is what it is. And there is nothing, nothing, that can be done to change that. Yes, we can point out that other teams cheat way more than the Patriots have been accused of. Yes, we can say that they win because they are a better, more prepared organization. Yes, we can say that the media is unfair.Yes, we can say that Peyton will be treated differently than Brady. All true. And none of it matters. The narative has been written, and it is not changing, ever, no matter what we say or do.
So what to do? Embrace it. Fuck 'em. Keep winning, and laugh at the whining excuse makers.
I know the Patriots are incredibly (the best, actually) prepared, and the best organization in sports, due to hard work, ability and skill. That others try to slough off their success to cheating is in actuality a benefit. It keeps others from out working and out performing and out preparing. "Oh, we don't have to work harder, because the Patriots cheat, and they got caught, so now we can beat them becaise they can't cheat anymore." Fine, wonderful, in fact. Let the world think the Patriots cheat. And then the Patriots will just continue to out work them some more, and continue to win.
Just my .02.