Because the coverup is worse than the actual crime. Is the NFL protecting its glamor team from the shame that goes with their cheating? That seems to be what Arlen Specter wants to know. He’s asking why the NFL surreptitiously destroyed all the evidence associated with the Patriots’ illicit taping of opponents’ signals, and why they’ve refused to discuss what they found on the tapes.
The Brookings Institution’s Gregg Easterbrook has written on the strong circumstantial evidence that the NFL acted to hide evidence of a more serious offense by the Patriots — perhaps including cheating in one or more of their prior Super Bowl victories. Easterbrook chronicles the NFL’s sudden decision to destroy the tapes without giving a logical explanation. He also notes that the NFL’s spokesperson refused to deny that the tapes — prior to being destroyed — contained evidence of cheating in the Super Bowl. Easterbrook says:
The Patriots’ previous Super Bowl wins all came in close games. In fact, all 3 came by just a field goal. Insiders have said that Belichick used some version of this taping system as far back as his tenure with the Cleveland Browns. Would it really be a surprise if it played some role in the team’s other Super Bowl squeakers? By all accounts, the Patriots have stopped cheating. If they claim their 4th Super Bowl win in 7 years on Sunday, it will be an achievement for the ages. At the same time, it would be a shame if their achievement is tainted by lingering questions about how much they accomplished on their own, and how much by breaking the rules.
