Allthat you say is true, Leo.
Those of us who were tuned in saw the same things.
After the stolen super bowl for years we also saw so many Brady "remarkable comebacks" in the third quarter, when it was known that his LT Tom Light could hold with impunity, giving Brady the unmolested time to drop back, strike a statuesque pose (no resetting his feet, even,) for 7 or 8 seconds waiting for a receiver to get open.
True, he'd throw an accurate tight spiral to his intended target. Without that "protection" when the pressure got to him, he'd wilt. The great ones could get up and keep throwing. Not Brady.
And the layered illegal and dishonest advantages that were afforded the Patriots during that era boosted league, team, and quite possibly individual revenues in unscrupulous ways. That's as PC as I can put it.
Were Super Bowls and scheduled seasonal games fixed?
Are some teams in some games able to overcome the elements of the fix and win anyway?
But do the percentages, over the course of a now-17 game sesson and serially extended playoffs since Super Bowl XXXVI, generally lean toward revenues herded into certain extra-football enteties?
For glaring, blatent evidence of the specific type of cheating involved in Super Bowl XXXVI, look no further than the box score. Accusation at the time and evidence laid embarrasingly bare to validate the accusations are consistent with the game stats:
RAMS PATRIOTS
Rush-Yds-TDs 22-90-1 25-133-0
Cmp-Att-Yd-TD-INT 28-44-365-1-2 16-27-145-1-0
Despite receivers being mugged all game, Warner threw for nearly 100 yards more than the Belichick offense, aided by calls one way and non-calls the other, could generate.
Obscene.
And it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I still admire outstanding athletic performance. I admire the courage of players who can persevere against pressure, against pain, and give their all - even in a losing cause. I admire coaches whose leadership serves as a model for how to inspire the best in their players as dedicated, courageous, decent, compettive, determined, moral, charitable and just human beings, knowing that players with those character traits will be the ones best able to reach deep, step up, and overcome on the gridiron.
I admire Dick Vermeil and refer to his quotes on leadership often. They're worth looking up if you're not familiar.
Belichick?
Kurt Warner has benefitted countless deserving and needy people through his ongoing charitable work both during and since leaving football as a player.
Brady?
We know.
