“Deflate-gate,” come on, really?

While I am not saying that the Patriots are guilty, I am saying that the sports media needs to get a grip (pun intended).

Bill Belichick did it; no, Tom Brady; no, the ball boys. Did people notice the shadowy figure on the grassy knoll?

The reality is that there are rules violations on almost every play in the NFL. An offensive lineman gets away with a hold, a defensive back is interfering and a penalty not called, a tight end sets a pick and it’s missed. It is not the job of a player to enforce the rules, that’s the responsibility of the officials.

Why isn’t all this venom directed at the team of officials for the game who were remiss or incompetent in their duties?

“Tainted Victory!” the headline screams. It is reported that the Patriots used under-inflated balls in the first half, score: Patriots 17-7. Second half, with properly inflated balls, the score was Patriots 28-0. Uhh? The Patriots would have won if they had played with a rock.

The haters’ calls for punishment have reached the ludicrous. Anything short of burning down Gillette Stadium, salting the ground a la the Romans, stripping the team of all wins and honors and exiling team members to Dr. Zhivago’s Siberia will not be sufficient.

The world falls apart because of a pound of air pressure in a pigskin, really?

Like I said: “Get a grip!” Oh, and Go Pats!

Greg Theriault, Skowhegan

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