Stop 'em at 16-0

Today, I'm facing one of the toughest decisions I've had to make in quite some time: do I root for the Patriots or the Giants? Usually, I'd cheer for anyone playing the Patriots. But, if the Patriots finish their season 19-0, then maybe we won't have to hear from Mercury Morris and his cohorts every year. Then, we'll have two undefeated teams ... neither should be as annoying as the original.

But, does anyone really care which team I'll be cheering for (I'm still not sure who that will be)? I doubt it, although I'm not sure anyone will care about where I'm going with this post.

If there is evidence of more widespread cheating than has already be uncovered, I think there is only one suitable penalty. I don't want to see fines. Does $250K really hurt the Patriots? I don't want to see draft picks taken away. The Pats lost their 1st rounder, but not the much more valuable 1st rounder they received from the SF 49ers. The NFL needs to make an example of the Patriots because the Patriots have continually defied the league - I can't imagine the NFL is excited about the sideline attire of the Pats head coach.

If you aren't going to use fines and removal of draft picks, then what? My response would be to stop them at 16-0 for the next five seasons ... if they get there, that is. Otherwise, stop them at 12-4, 9-7, 6-10 or 3-13. Yep, a postseason ban for 5 years. If they've been cheating since at least the Super Bowl against the Rams six years ago, they deserve to be punished for a similar length of time. Unless you can find out exactly what happened, I would stay away from trying to change the history. But, you need to offer up a deterrent to similar rogue organizations in the future.

Who will this hurt? First and foremost, it hits the organization and owners of the team. That is where it should start. Even if the owner doesn't know about the actions of the coaches and personnel, the buck stops at the top. This kind of ruling will hurt the team because it won't be able to go to the postseason. Additionally, the team will no longer be a desirable place to play.

Second, there should be a hiring/firing freeze on coaches and personnel. If people want to come work for the Patriots, that is fine. But, no one on the staff should be allowed to leave and accept another job. It makes me sick that college coaches (Indiana's Sampson) rack up violations at one school (Oklahoma) and then just leave the penalties at the school when they take a different job. Violations should follow coaches, especially if they initiate the split (like Sampson did). It's a joke. If coaches want to leave the Patriots, they should be banned from another NFL job until the end of the penalty.

Finally, the players will be affected. But, haven't you heard that you win some and you lose some? Many people joined the Patriots to make Super Bowl runs. Well, if they benefit from cheating, why shouldn't they be punished for it. The Patriots should be required to honor all current contracts. No cuts! Why? The Patriots shouldn't be allowed to gain good will with players by saving Tom Brady and his teammates from having to play under the ban. If they allowed their stars to go elsewhere, don't you think they might be willing to come back in flocks when the ban was lifted? Additionally, the Pats should be required to put a quality product on the field (to the extent that they are able), so replacing a playoff caliber team with members of the dance and cheerleading squads, as well as some beer and hot dog vendors is not okay.