Without the cheating, the Rams would have won that Super Bowl byat least two TD's.
For one thing, what if McGinest hadn't been allowed to hold Falk on virtually every play? For another, what if the Pats corners hadn't been allowed to grab, trip, or mug Bruce and Holt? And that's before we get to the Pats red zone "defense."
The fix was in - and it was blatently, painfully, there to be seen by anybody who had their eyes open and had half a notion of whatthey were looking at.
That Super Bowl loss set the league on its ear and sent several Rams careers on downward trajectories - including Warner's. He remarked about it at the time (players whose careers were sent into a tailspin by that loss) but those remarks have been sent down the 1984 Orwelian tubes of Goodell's tainted despotism as league commissioner. It's not forgotten history, it's obliterated history. We don't even talk about it.
Goodell inherited a corrupt mess from Tagliabue and tried to keep a lid on it, which turned out to be worse than taking the risk of burning down the barn to get rid of the rats in the hayloft and rebuilding - which should have been done. In turn Goodell was corrupted by the barn full of rat droppings.
I did some digging, and kept close track of things at that time. I learned a lot. The corruption is there, it's insidious, and part of the league's culture. After I'd had enough I left in disgust. The Rams weren't fielding a product I could believe in.
Now I'm back and I'm glad things are different.
