Should the Pats get the * Treatment?

Thanks to Don Shula, the whole world is now asking the question, "If the Patriots go undefeated, should they get an asterisk?"

We all know Shula was the head coach of the '72 Dolphins who were the last team to go unbeaten. He said, "The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished...You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They've got it...I guess it will be noted that the Patriots were fined and a No. 1 draft choice was taken away during that year of accomplishment. The sad thing is Tom Brady looks so good, it doesn't look like he needs any help."

Now, I'm really torn on this subject. A part of me says they were caught cheating, point blank, period. If they do it, it deserves an asterisk.

Another part of me says they were caught in the first half, of the first game of the year, against a team who's record is now 1-8, and their only win came against the win less Dolphins. The Patriots won that game 38-14. If you take away the Patriots first half scoring, and kept the Jets first half scoring, the Patriots still win the game 24-14.

Obviously the league is looking for the Pats to repeat, and they're not stupid enough to do so. Do you really think the Patriots would have lost to the Jets without video taping them?

That's like if they catch A-Rod with a corked bat after hitting 2 HRs the first week of the season, they suspend him for 15 games, he comes back and breaks the single season home run record by 5. Like yeah he was caught, but take away the homers he hit with with the corked bat, and he still breaks the record.


I could honestly understand if there is an asterisk attached to the record, if the Pats go undefeated, but that just sucks for them. They are guilty, and there's no denying it. But again, if you take away the one half of one game they were in violation, they are still undefeated to date.


I can understand more if someone wants to say the past championships are tainted because you just don't know if they were cheating then or not. You have to assume they were because they were caught cheating. And you cheat until you get caught.

Are the 07' Pats the best team of this decade, and maybe ever? Sure looks that way now. But let's wait it out and see if they even go undefeated first before we get in to all this asterisk talk. I mean, they still have to play the Steelers who aren't looking bad. They have to play the Giants the last week of the season, when New England could have the back ups in, with home field secured and New York playing for the division title with Dallas.



Also, let me add this. Sure the Dolphins went undefeated in '72. They were a great team. But they only played 14 games. And their schedule consisted of 2 games against teams who finished the year over .500.

The Pats play the Bills twice, who could very well finish over .500, the Chargers who are currently 4-4 and have LT on their team, the Browns who are currently over .500, The Cowboys, the Colts, Steelers, and Giants all who will finish over .500