The Tribune

By Inigo ‘Naughty’ Zenicazelaya

As the Super Bowl approaches, and as an avid NFL supporter and die hard Dallas Cowboys fan, I must clear the air on a few things regarding one of the most overhyped and downright “crooked” franchises in sports - The New England Patriots!!!  

As ‘Spygate’ (the 2007 New England Patriots videotaping controversy) has now become ‘Deflategate’ (the 2014 New England Patriots underinflated footballs controversy), I must raise the red flag on the Patriots and their placement among the all time great teams in NFL history, especially given their berth in the upcoming Super Bowl and an opportunity to add to their already tarnished legacy.  

When the Patriots won three Super Bowls in four years (2001, 2003, 2004) the elite sporting media,  particularly our friends in Bristol,  went crazy, immediately anointing them  a “Dynasty” for accomplishing the feat. 

A feat that, to any Cowboy fan and learned NFL follower, is not that extraordinary when you consider that my Dallas Cowboys pulled it off a decade earlier in 1992, 1993 and 1995. Frankly, if not for a blatant Deion Sanders pass interference call on Michael Irvin during the 1994 playoff season the Cowboys likely would have won four Super Bowls in a row.

The Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years (1974,1975,1978,1979) - a feat never since matched. I can’t forget the San Francisco 49ers either. Bill Walsh built winning teams that not only won for him but continued to do so even after he left. The ‘Niners were the first team to repeat since the aforementioned Steelers. They won titles in 1998 and 1999. Of course the common denominator with all of these great franchises and there cache of Super Bowl trophies???? None of them ever CHEATED!! No Spygate or Deflategate scandals to take the air out of what they had accomplished.  

Bill Belichick has seemingly relished his role as the “Darth Sidious” of the NFL. He along with his minions from the “Dark Side of the Force,” Tom Brady and Josh McDaniel, have done quite a number on the NFL rule book this past decade or so. ‘Spygate’ was bad enough butnow to compound that with ‘Deflategate’ only proves Belichick himself  has a pair of really overinflated footballs!! The audacity to do it twice!! 

The Cowboys and Lions (allegedly) get robbed in broad daylight, but the Patriots get away with midnight murder???

At least I’m glad to see the success Russell Wilson is having, it signals a refreshing new direction in which the NFL is going .... away from the overhyped (they choked twice against the Giants in the Super Bowl), low down, dirty, rotten, scoundrels known as the New England Patriots and their poster boy for shadiness and sore losing, Tom Brady.

Even if they do manage to win on Sunday, it will be a tarnished victory with the memories of ‘Deflategate’ still fresh in most fans’ minds. Not to mention the fact that every one of their titles has been connected to an elaborate, years-long cheating scandal (Spygate) which takes away from the victories over all.

There must be an asterisk placed next to all and any future championships the Patriots win. There is enough controversy with this team to label them a win at all costs organisation lacking morals and, more importantly, lacking a sense of fair play-arguably the most important tenet in amateur and professional sports.

Winners never cheat and cheaters never win. Yes, the Patriots may have won three Super Bowls thus far but they didn’t win the respect and placement amongst the all time greats, because they were caught cheating.  

Bill Belichick will never be a top five all time head coach because of the questions and disputation that follows him. Same fate for Tom Brady as far as all time great quarterbacks go, all his Super Bowl victories came with rules violations and stories attached.

Yes they have their three rings (the battle) but they will never have the respect and be held in the same elite regard as the other multiple Super Bowl championship teams which includes the Steelers, Cowboys, 49ers and Giants (the war).   

Now if they lose Sunday and I have them losing 31-23 against Seattle, that will be a whole different column next week. I might even get flagged for unnecessary roughness for what I will do to Brady.  

• Here are some of the Top Five All Time list the Patriots, Belichick and Brady will never make:  

MOST SUPER

BOWL TITLES 

1. Steelers (6) 

2. Cowboys (5) 

3. 49ers (5) 

4. Giants (4) 

5. Raiders (3)   

TOP 5 HEAD

COACHES OF

ALL TIME

1. Vince Lombardi 

2. Chuck Knoll 

3. Tom Landry 

4. Don Shula 

5. Bill Walsh  

TOP 5 SUPER

BOWL WINNING

QUARTERBACKS

OF ALL TIME

1. Joe Montana 

2. Terry Bradshaw 

3. John Elway 

4. Johnny Unitas 

5. Brett Favre 

(Aikman and Staubauch could have made this list easily).  

Until next week, when hopefully you will enjoy reading about me throwing Brady under the bus.