Does this episode warrant comparison with Bonds, A-Rod and McGwire, or is it more akin to the exploits of Perry, Ford and Sutton? Is Brady to be damned or praised? Was this cheating or ingenuity?
Whereas
we have consigned our steroid induced heroes of baseball to the role of
undeniable villain, unworthy of recognition in the Hall of Fame, no
such shame
has followed those accused of being masters of "doctoring" their
pitches. Gaylord Perry, Don Sutton and our own beloved Whitey Ford were
aficionados in applying vaseline, pine tar, sandpaper, spit and even
thumbtacks to the surface of a baseball. Perry wrote a memoir entitled
"Me and the Spitter." There
appears to be honor attached to this tactic, more like an
artist at work rather than an act of a master thief.
Bill Belichick, the legendary coach of Mr. Brady, is certainly one who has a flexible interpretation of the rules of the game, being involved in episodes such as "Spygate". Thus, maybe like those minions under Governor Christie, a win at all costs mentality pervaded the Patriot team and lodged firmly in the head of Brady. But, I find it hard to believe that in every locker room in the NFL there are not those who are searching frantically for the football equivalent of the spit ball.
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