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I am a diehard New England Patriots Fan. Ever since the old American Football League started in 1960 with the Boston Patriots I have followed the team closely. It was my team over all those years through good times and bad. I once had season tickets but relinquished them many years ago. I have missed very few televised games over all that time. Of recent history, the Super Bowl wins have made all those years of suffering through bad teams with a storied quirky history more palatable. Being a diehard Patriot fan was no longer a source of ridicule. The Patriots have finally arrived at the upper echelon of the National Football League. With the recent ownership, I felt that those dark days were banished forever.

However, I am a true believer in gamesmanship. I believe in playing football or any game by the rules. To me there is no satisfaction in an ill gotten victory. Games have rules whose sole purpose is to ensure that each player or team has an equal advantage while the game is being played. When the rules are broken there are penalties to be paid. This includes players as well as coaches and team management. The New England Patriots were caught red handed violating league rules. I am saddened that it was my team in the news this last week with this spying incident. I am sure in today's highly competitive environment of winning at all cost has caused coaching staffs to seek how rules can be manipulated and construed to gain an advantage, a competitive edge over an opponent. However, the Patriots took it too far and violated league rules. Rules were broken so penalties needed to be meted out.

The commissioner of the National Football League, Roger Goodell not only had the right but is mandated to enforce league rules. The New England Patriots obviously had no defense to justify the method that they were using to capture New York Jets defensive coaches signals. So the team was undeniably breaking league rules and is subject to the penalties determined by the league to fit the violation. I know that many will feel that the penalty was harsh but I think a strong message needed to be sent out that the league will not take these violations of league rules lightly. To keep the integrity of professional football and the NFL believable the league was not only right but is mandated to not only find the New England Patriots guilty of breaking league rules but also levying appropriate punishment. I think the league had justly exercised its right this week in this spying matter.

Learn more about this author, Richard Bramante.
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