Sorry, I don't play the game of "somebody else wasn't perfect so the Pats are innocent".  Sure, maybe the refs "cheated" Tom Brady by overinflating balls, but It doesn't change the fact that the Pats' personnel did tamper with game balls after the refs okayed them, were caught doing it and caught lying about it.  Brady is very strongly implicated, and while there may not be the "smoking gun" Kraft insists the NFL needs, the fact that Brady did not cooperate and Kraft refused to let McNally be interviewed again, makes it a case of clear and willful obstruction, which under league guidelines is a serious violation carrying a potentially heavy penalty.  Robert Kraft made the decision about McNally, so he is culpable.  Brady is facing his own sanctions, in part for not cooperating. 

 

This "might" have been a slap on the wrist if the Pats had cooperated fully.   I say "might" because full cooperation could have led to more questions about exactly how long the scheme was in place, who knew, whose idea it was, etc.  That could mean lifetime bans for Brady and Belichick and serious "death penalty" sanctions against Kraft and the Pats.  There is really no other reason for them to fight this so hard, and certainly no reason to go into cover-up mode over an issue of 0.5 psi in 1 or 2 balls during 1 game.  The Pats immediately reacted as guilty and have continued to act guilty.  They have a lot more to hide than tampering in 1 game.

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