All this hoopla about whether or not Tom Brady cheated in order to get to the Super Bowl has America taking sides - again. How sad. I decided to add my two cents because my reasons are very different from all that I've heard. All pro football players except one say he absolutely did cheat. All the talking heads say believe him. Or, change the rules to exonerate him, but that, to me, is kind of squeamish and saying, "Yeah, OK, he cheated, so change the rules and grandfather him in."
I have a few questions. For example, if the weather affected 11 of Mr. Brady's footballs and NONE of the Raven's, WHY? He couldn't tell the difference for the whole game, but when a Raven got hold of the football, he knew. WHY? If he didn't do it that, time, WHY was he reported in having done it in other games? Several have commented that the Patriot's like the get as close to the line to cheating as possible. WHY? Belichick, who's got an unsavory reputation of his own, by all accounts, threw Brady under the bus. WHY?
That being said, my point goes in another direction. In the movie, Moneyball, it was said that one player wouldn't be hired because his wife was ugly-a sign of no self-confidence. Discussion with others taught me the statement was not fiction.
I feel sorry for the rich and famous. They have to bow to the likes and dislikes of their audience, even when it comes to who they marry. And what in the world does that have to do with football or my point?
Mr. Brady has enormous talent. He's experienced. He's played football his entire life. So, if he did cheat, WHY? It has to be a lack of self-confidence. He couldn't trust himself to win with all the abilities and experience God has given to him.
That reminds me of David in the Bible when he committed adultery and then had his lover's husband murdered. God said, "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. AND IF ALL THIS HAD BEEN TOO LITTLE, I WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU EVEN MORE."
My point then, is that with all God has given Tom Brady, why did he not trust that and play honestly? He didn't trust himself. No self-confidence, let alone confidence in God. Growing up, we had the saying, "Cheaters never win and winners never cheat." Well, that's gone with the wind. Too bad.
The problem is, cheating is kind of like drinking salt water. The more you do it, the more compelled you are to do it and you finally end up destroying yourself. Has Brady destroyed himself? Or has he been given a pass before and will cheat until he does self-destruct? If he's telling the truth, WHY is Dan Merino the ONLY former pro football player defending him?
Regardless, the victory is tainted. There will always be those who do not believe him. After watching him squirm for 31 minutes while reporters questioned him, I was convinced. A cheesy smile as he looked directly into the camera and said, "This is not ISIS," was damning. If it's not that important, WHY then, has he been accused of cheating? And WHY is the evidence so compelling?
Football is no longer important to me, hasn't been since Terry Bradshaw was quarterback for the Steelers in the 1980's. Character, integrity, honesty, and dignity, however, are important.. That's why I've weighed in. If the Brady's and the Belichick's are representatives of the backbone of the nation, we're in big trouble.
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