The Patriots have to live with the label “cheaters”. It’s so easy to judge them, isn’t it? If I recall, those who were judgmental and overly righteous were especially offensive to Jesus. Your remarks seem to be formed by our American culture that revels in “blaming” and castigating. Time to reclaim the culture of forgiveness.

Big deal. They got caught, they were in the wrong and they paid their punishment. If it was a bigger deal, the punishment would have been more severe. Are you going to tell me that Don Shula and the ’72 Dolphins never did anything against the rules to gain some competitive advantage over their opponents? This sounds more like sour grapes for Don Shula and looks to be more of a case of an old man wanting one last grab of attention in the spotlight and to be “relevant” again rather than be know for hawking some weight loss system.

Here are the two big criticisms of the Pats this year:
(1) They filmed the sidelines, in violation of league rules.
(2) After they were caught and punished, they were poor sports by running up the score on non-Indianapolis opponents.
See if you can spot the logical contradiction between the two.
Shula is still super upset about the snowplow game against the Patriots in like 1980. And his Dolphin teams were the dirtiest and least penalized in the league in the 1980s. He is free to find a short pier for a long walk.

I’m disappointed in Shula, but this is typical of the poor sportsmanship many of the 1972 Dolphins have shown over the years when it comes to their “perfect” season, and the possibility of another team equaling that feat.
I’ll be rooting for my Steelers when they visit New England on December 9th, and again if they face the Patriots in the playoffs. Otherwise, I hope the Patriots get their perfect season. Records are meant to be broken, and when it happens, true sportsmen conduct themselves with dignity. Don Shula (and many of his former players) could learn something from Hank Aaron.
Peace.

The reascendency of the patriots makes me think maybe Donny’s right about everything.
That said, your Steelers looked pretty darn good last week.

David,
I love your stuff… usually but it really shows your strong dislike for the Patriots which you have expressed before because of your beloved Steelers always loosing to them.. now I do find ironic that Don Shula and the Dlophins were penalized a loss of a #1 draft pick for tampering charges to hire Don Shula. I find it ironic that about a month ago Don Shula said that he had no issues w/ the Pats that it was widely practiced etc.. but when his “almighty” record stands to be broken this is response

This team is from Boston.
To silence opposition they’ll be shouting cheataphobia soon to anyone that questions the “behavior” of the Pat’s. Expect a new hate crimes law popping up shortly too.

Shula talks out of both side of his mouth. He should just shut it along with the rest of the coked up 72 dollies team

Interesting this, coming from a “Christian” website. Well then, maybe you should have a look at this:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-jimlitke-110707&prov=ap&type=lgns
“The Spygate thing has diminished what they’ve accomplished,” the retired Hall of Fame coach told the New York Daily News. “You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They’ve got it.”
If Shula believes that, then he ought to negotiate a two-fer and paste the other asterisk next to his own undefeated team.
He was still the coach of the Baltimore Colts at the end of the 1969 season, when then-Miami owner Joe Robbie approached him and signed Shula to a contract. The NFL charged the Dolphins with tampering and awarded their first-round pick to the Colts. Undaunted, Miami reached the Super Bowl in 1971, then rebounded from a loss to the Dallas Cowboys by winning the next two, including the perfect 17-0 campaign.
Seeing as how this is a Christian website, perhaps you should point Coach Shula towards Matthew 7:1,2
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Well said.

aquaman:
You’re right in that Hank Aaron communicated more disapproval in his silence about Barry Bonds (even while taking the high road) than Shula did in his open criticism.
That said, I was screaming at the TV too on Sunday when the Patriots came back. (Although it is amazing to see Brady rise to Montana-like heights, in the regular season as well as the playoffs, now that he has a Pro Bowl-caliber receiving corps for the first time in his life.)
I was speaking with a dear friend just yesterday — who had an odd experience meeting a college basketball coach, having felt slighted by him somehow despite his politeness — about how solipsistic coaches in general, from Pop Warner and middle school to the pros, tend to be.
Belichick in particular appears to have a moral blind spot the size of Gillette Stadium. (Not just for the spying, but in his disdainful, I-can’t-be-bothered treatment of pretty much anyone he comes in contact with.)
He could learn a lesson from the ultraclassy guy (and fellow Super Bowl winner) whose team he beat on Sunday, Tony Dungy. But he probably won’t.

The only pro football team you should keep above suspicion, David, is the one from New Orleans

I used to feel that way about Dungy, too, Larry Parker, ’til he decided to get involved in politics solely in order to fight against the dread gay menace.
But the guy sure can design a defense.

Elvis:
I didn’t like Dungy speaking at that anti-gay event either. But I’m willing to forgive him a mistake, because none of us are perfect, and the rest of his career has been so remarkably dignified (oh, and successful, too).