Blacksox 2007

Before I heard about the sideline spying, I was ready to start engraving the 2008 Lombardi Trophy for the New England Patriots. The addition of Randy Moss possibly turned a great team into one of the NFL's all-time best. I didn't understand the Patriots' need to cheat.

Then I learned they did the same thing in Green Bay last year. This must be incredibly effective or they wouldn't continue to do it with the risks involved. What else are these cheaters doing that has not been discovered? Steroids that elude NFL testing are one obvious possibility.

The Patriots' cheating goes back decades to the infamous snowblower incident. I have to conclude that cheating has been a part of the team's culture through changes of owners, coaches, players, stadiums and even cities. There is too much parity in the NFL for their level of dominance for over a decade.

The following will help to prevent recurrence.

• Ban Belicheat, Brady and all the other cheaters from the NFL for life.
• Cut off the owners from revenue sharing for one year.
• Take away the Patriots #1, 2 & 3 draft picks in 2008.
• Reduce the team's 2008 salary cap by $25 million.
• No 2007 post season play for these cheaters.

This death penalty will mean a loss of NFL revenue in the New England states. But that loss to the NFL is small in comparison to losing the rest of the country once we start to realize that the games are not played on a level playing field.

I have put my personal asterisks on every one the Patriots' Super Bowl wins.