OK, in all seriousness, here's how I look at it.

I grew up in N.E., and I was a fair weather Pats fan most of my life. I do think Brady is a great QB, though under pressure, he becomes a good QB. Take away the constant whining to the refs and the flags granted when someone so much as sneezes in his direction (as compared to the crap Ben deals with with no help from the refs), and take away Brady's affiliation with Bellicheat, and I would be a big fan.

Aside from the fact that I have no doubt the ball deflation was real and ongoing, and that Brady knew it and initiated it, I think it's a BS issue, and really has no bearing on anything. I DO think it's funny that THAT is what he's getting dumped on over. It's the NFL's fault for not providing 12 balls that BOTH teams use in a game and NFL ballboys to handle them, and getting rid of this each team providing their own balls crap (that BTW Brady & Manning are the ones that begged the NFL to allow).

In contrast to deflategate, and contrary to what you say, SPYGATE was a REAL issue that provided a REAL advantage to the Pats. It went on for years (seven I believe) and I saw the actual affects in the 2001 AFC championship game in person in Pittsburgh. Wouldn't doubt it was in play in the 2004 AFC championship game as well, though a rookie Big Ben's goal line pick six was mostly at fault for that one.

As for Bellydick, Brady MADE him. Before Brady, he was a losing coach. I'm not saying he's not a really good coach, I'm just saying that he's not "the genius" that he's portrayed ad nauseum as being. Why? If you consider that the Pats won each of their first 3 SB's by ONLY 3 points. That's ONE 3rd or 4th down conversion that kept ONE drive alive that allowed ONE field goal to tie or win. Without the videotaped signals, does the Pats offense make the conversion? Who knows. But what I DO know is that Belicheat gained enough of an advantage from Spygate to continue to do CONSISTENTLY DO it, game in game out, season in season out, even after being warned about it, that it was worth it to him. So say they don't convert that key down in the SB's. Or in the Playoff games that lead to SB's. That ONE PLAY. If Bill Belichick is 0-3 in his first 3 SB's is he considered a genius?! Or is he Marv Levy? What we do know is NO OTHER TEAM HAS EVER BEEN CAUGHT DOING IT OR DISCIPLINED FOR IT before or since.

I played football my whole life all the way through college. I KNOW how important the smallest of advantages can be in the game, and how it is literally a game of inches. I saw in person that first AFC Championship game where they qualified for their first SB. It's one of the tapes of spygate evidence that the NFL destroyed. There were things going on in that game that I sensed at the time that didn't make football sense to me. Years later I learned why.

IMO, Belicose deserves EVERY BIT of criticism he gets, and every bit of character questioning he is subject too. He brcought it on to himself through is knowingly breaking of the rules and arrogance that it didn't matter because it was him, and in many ways continues to do so. Unfortunately for him, Brady is the beneficiary of some of Belichick's cheating, and the reason for much of Belicheat's success, so he's tarnished by that association. How much did he know about Spygate at the time? I don't know, but I think that the Belichick Patriot's culture is one of arrogance and the rules are for the other guys mentality, so IMO, it was S.O.P. for them, and not anything Brady knew to feel differenltly about, and perhaps part of why he the DeflateGate issue in his mind is a "nothing wrong" issue. I can tell you that was NOT the Raymond Barry Patriot's mentality. Nor even the Tuna's. Not Ron Meyer's.

Is Brady as successful withOUT Belichick? Hard to say for sure, but I think he'd still be pretty successful as he is quick to read defenses, and a great passer, and 1 or 2 SB wins, or even more on the right team wouldn't surprise me.

Is Belichick as successful without Marcia?! Not a chance! In contrast to illustrate, Bill Cowher was the winningest coach in the NFL during his time there coaching, and he did it with the likes of Neil O'Donnell, Mike Tomzack, Kordell Stewart, & Tommy Maddox. Finally won one with Big Ben, but he was ALWAYS in the mix. Bill B.?! Not so much. Is Belichick/Brady as successful without the SpyGate advantages? IMO, a resounding NO! Clearly, they'd be successful, but not 4 Lombardies sucessful, and I doubt even 6 SBs played in successful.

All kidding aside, THAT's my honest feelings on these guys. I may joke about it, and heap my own smack talk abuse on them, but as a former fan of them (spoiled only by the arrogance and disdain exhibited by Belichick), it bothers me that they've stained a team I used to root for and that they are that kind of team, in my opinion.

I know Pats fans see this differently, and I acknowledge that I certainly see things Steelers related through Black N Gold glasses most times, but I also realize when my team is in the wrong, and will usually grudgingly admit it. In the end, it's a game, and there are way worse things happening in the world that we SHOULD be concerned with, so it's mostly amounts to very little, EXCEPT, it's a game I love, and that young kids learn from and emulate those who are successful, so I want them to be successful for the RIGHT reasons. So I'll pipe up on occassion about it, especially when we can all have fun talking about Marcia Brady's soft balls.