How Bill Belichick Gave ESPN A Boner

THIS IS A FOOTBALL

Thanks to the fine folks at ABC my morning coffee was ruined today.  And no it wasn’t the horrible dress Lara Spencer chose to wear (though I must say that didn’t help.)  Good Morning America’s lead story this morning was the whole deflated football nonsense.  Really?  This is your lead story?  The day after the leader of the free world give his annual State of the Union? 

 

Sure the President gave a speech so full of Snark it’s been suggested we wrote it and as the SOTU has largely become a misguided pep rally that serves more as an example of how politics divide us than our leaders sharing their plans with it's citizens.  A reasonable argument can be made that it’s not the biggest story of a given day.  But less of a story than one about whether or not a football was deflated below the accepted PSI settings?  It’s got to better than that to knock of the SOTU.  Doesn’t it?  Don't you have some crappy cell phone footage of a Semi sliding across an icy highway?  Is a mild weather pattern going to slightly inconvenience people living in Philly, New York and Boston? 

 

Has there ever been an allegation of cheating that was widely accepted as an egregious offense AND acknowledged as having no effect to the outcome of the game in which it tool place?  There are people suggesting the coach should be fired.  The Patriots shouldn’t be allowed to play in the game.  Tom Brady should be forced to father a baby with my wife.  Some sort of punishment that sends a message.  Don't mess with the integrity of the game.  Talking heads are suggesting stripping the team of a draft pick and fining them any amount of money will not be enough.  Really?  For an act of cheating you think had no effect on the game. 

 

 

WHAT?

The referee’s touch the ball before every play.  This is no different than a baseball pitcher scuffing the ball in the hopes of getting more movement and the umpire not noticing.  Did anyone suggest that Joe Niekro’s career should be taken from him as he casually tried dump an Emory board out his pants?  His pockets hanging out and his hands up in the air while his face clearly was telling the ref “What?”  Did anyone suggest Tom Kelly should be immediately removed as team manager of the Minnesota Twins for allowing this cheater on the field?  Did anyone write an op-ed about how they now had to explain to their children why cheating was still bad.  Quite the opposite actually.  It has become a moment of nostalgic endearment.  Football seems a bit backwards on this.  We don’t care if you take steroids.  Just don’t mess with the ball. 

 

SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS WANNA TALK ABOUT?

The bottom line is this only matters to people who don’t matter.  The only people less important than the talking heads who cover sports are the people who can’t get enough of hearing them talk about sports.  Between this and the Super Bowl ESPN has enough programming for the next three weeks.

 

Oh there is more that can be said.  As far as I'm concerned it already has by the fine writers at Deadspin.  Check it out here.  And remember.  It's ok to once in a while wonder why the news is putting us through this garbage as it isn't necessary.