So, the New England Patriots have done what no other team in NFL history has done before... a 16-0 season. Nevermind that they were caught cheating early in the season, right? That's history! Greatest team ever!
Pshaw.
They were caught cheating. I don't care how good they are (and yes, I know that they're a great team), they cheated. I don't want to hear "Oh, they could have gone 16-0 even without the cheating." That's a shit argument, because you can't prove that. And really, if they're so good, why would they even need to cheat in the first place?
Look at it this way. Say I'm taking a test in school. I've studied hard, and I'm ready. And I answer 92% of the questions, no problem... but I don't know the rest of the answers, so I copy off of my neighbor, and end up getting a score of 100%... did I cheat?
Of fucking course I did. Because even a little cheating is still cheating.
And what was the punishment? They lose a draft pick for next year? Maybe a few bucks? Pssh. That's not even a slap on the wrist. And the best part? After "punishing" the Patriots, the NFL destroyed all evidence pertaining to the case. Destroyed. We (the public, or, say, any other possible investigators) will never know the extent of the cheating. Was it only this year? Did it go back two years? Three? Did they cheat in any/all of the years they won the Super Bowl? Oh, darnit, the evidence is gone, so I guess we'll never know. *shrug*
But don't worry. When evidence like that is destroyed, it doesn't necessarily mean that there's something shady going on. And it definitely doesn't mean that they wanted to make sure that nobody else could investigate further. No, I'm sure there's another reason. Gremlins, maybe.
Side note. I saw an article referring to Rudy Giuliani as "Rudy 9iu11ani." Hm. I guess the humor of that joke is entirely dependent on the font used.
So anyway, those are my thoughts on the Pats. Sure, they'll probably win the Super Bowl, and be anointed the greatest dynasty in the history of dynasties (and boy, those Ming folks will be mad), but to me, they'll always be a good team that cheated, so we'll never know how good they really were.
So, does anyone still give a shit about college football? 'Cause I've still got more...
The BCS is shit.
"College football doesn't need a playoff because every game is like a playoff game." I've heard that all year. So, someone explain how both LSU and Ohio State backed into the national title game...
Yes, it was a wild and crazy year in NCAA football (hello, the #2 team losing for what, 8 weeks straight?). In a year like this, I would think that conventional wisdom would be thrown out the window. You know, the conventional wisdom that says that Michigan should beat App. State at home. The conventional wisdom that says that USC easily beats Stanford at home. The conventional wisdom that says that the Big 12 title is decided by the Red River Shootout (both Texas and Oklahoma lost even before that game).
Obviously, conventional wisdom wasn't working this year. It was time to think unconventionally. And really, despite the fact that they were beat by Georgia in Sugar Bowl, I really think Hawaii deserved a shot at the national title. They went 12-0. They won all of their "playoff" games. Give the little guy a shot!
But, no. In a year where up was down and down was up, the powers that be decided that a 12-0 team was less deserving than a two loss team. A 12-0 team was less deserving of a shot at the title than an 11-1 team that totally backed into the title game. What a crock of shit.
And what about Kansas? They only lost one game, and they didn't even get to go to a BCS bowl. Oh, and they totally won their bowl game, Ohio State lost, and yet, Ohio State is still ranked ahead of the Jayhawks in the final poll. Can you believe that? (Let's not even mention that the Big 10 this year was weak as shit... I mean, come on, do you really believe that Illinois deserved a BCS game?)
So, all of you teams in mid-major conferences, you may as well give up. You'll never make the national championship game, no matter how good you are, even when the "power" conferences don't seem so good. The only way you'll ever even be considered is if you just join one of the power conferences.
It's a crock. I mean, come on, NCAA. Don't you want a football version of Gonzaga (a "small" school that's perenially challenging the big guys - I mean, look at how much respect that basketball team has garnered in the last few years... that's what brings excitement to the game)? Can you imagine if teams like Boise State had that kind of respect?
Eh, fuck that. Let's just have more of the same ol', same ol'. Congratulations in advance to USC, LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Notre Dame... one of them will be national champs, 2009! Because really, nobody else has a chance. It's already been decided.
But hey, I'll still root for my Sun Devils. Go Devils!
« close it up
Look at it this way. Say I'm taking a test in school. I've studied hard, and I'm ready. And I answer 92% of the questions, no problem... but I don't know the rest of the answers, so I copy off of my neighbor, and end up getting a score of 100%... did I cheat?
Of fucking course I did. Because even a little cheating is still cheating.
And what was the punishment? They lose a draft pick for next year? Maybe a few bucks? Pssh. That's not even a slap on the wrist. And the best part? After "punishing" the Patriots, the NFL destroyed all evidence pertaining to the case. Destroyed. We (the public, or, say, any other possible investigators) will never know the extent of the cheating. Was it only this year? Did it go back two years? Three? Did they cheat in any/all of the years they won the Super Bowl? Oh, darnit, the evidence is gone, so I guess we'll never know. *shrug*
But don't worry. When evidence like that is destroyed, it doesn't necessarily mean that there's something shady going on. And it definitely doesn't mean that they wanted to make sure that nobody else could investigate further. No, I'm sure there's another reason. Gremlins, maybe.
Side note. I saw an article referring to Rudy Giuliani as "Rudy 9iu11ani." Hm. I guess the humor of that joke is entirely dependent on the font used.
So anyway, those are my thoughts on the Pats. Sure, they'll probably win the Super Bowl, and be anointed the greatest dynasty in the history of dynasties (and boy, those Ming folks will be mad), but to me, they'll always be a good team that cheated, so we'll never know how good they really were.
So, does anyone still give a shit about college football? 'Cause I've still got more...
The BCS is shit.
"College football doesn't need a playoff because every game is like a playoff game." I've heard that all year. So, someone explain how both LSU and Ohio State backed into the national title game...
Yes, it was a wild and crazy year in NCAA football (hello, the #2 team losing for what, 8 weeks straight?). In a year like this, I would think that conventional wisdom would be thrown out the window. You know, the conventional wisdom that says that Michigan should beat App. State at home. The conventional wisdom that says that USC easily beats Stanford at home. The conventional wisdom that says that the Big 12 title is decided by the Red River Shootout (both Texas and Oklahoma lost even before that game).
Obviously, conventional wisdom wasn't working this year. It was time to think unconventionally. And really, despite the fact that they were beat by Georgia in Sugar Bowl, I really think Hawaii deserved a shot at the national title. They went 12-0. They won all of their "playoff" games. Give the little guy a shot!
But, no. In a year where up was down and down was up, the powers that be decided that a 12-0 team was less deserving than a two loss team. A 12-0 team was less deserving of a shot at the title than an 11-1 team that totally backed into the title game. What a crock of shit.
And what about Kansas? They only lost one game, and they didn't even get to go to a BCS bowl. Oh, and they totally won their bowl game, Ohio State lost, and yet, Ohio State is still ranked ahead of the Jayhawks in the final poll. Can you believe that? (Let's not even mention that the Big 10 this year was weak as shit... I mean, come on, do you really believe that Illinois deserved a BCS game?)
So, all of you teams in mid-major conferences, you may as well give up. You'll never make the national championship game, no matter how good you are, even when the "power" conferences don't seem so good. The only way you'll ever even be considered is if you just join one of the power conferences.
It's a crock. I mean, come on, NCAA. Don't you want a football version of Gonzaga (a "small" school that's perenially challenging the big guys - I mean, look at how much respect that basketball team has garnered in the last few years... that's what brings excitement to the game)? Can you imagine if teams like Boise State had that kind of respect?
Eh, fuck that. Let's just have more of the same ol', same ol'. Congratulations in advance to USC, LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Notre Dame... one of them will be national champs, 2009! Because really, nobody else has a chance. It's already been decided.
But hey, I'll still root for my Sun Devils. Go Devils!
« close it up
Posted by mikey at 07:33 AM. Filed under: My take... •
