Patriots lack class in undefeated season

For the past 14 weekends, there have been two constants — the New England Patriots winning and the Miami Dolphins losing. The Miami Dolphins are as bad of a football team as there is anywhere, with uniforms to only complicate things, and need no further discussion. The Patriots, however, do require some conversation.

Though struggling the past two weeks against sub-par teams in Philadelphia and Baltimore, the Patriots have been above-and-beyond the competition this season. Every facet of their game is in nearly every way better than their opposition, and it seems inevitable they will go undefeated this season, only the second time in NFL history, the only other team to do so was, coincidentally, the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Throughout the 13 game winning streak, the Patriots have been dominant, outscoring their opponents by 21.6 points and averaging 425 yards of offense per game with quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss both on the verge of breaking single-season touchdown records. This high-power offense is also coupled with a defense that is in the top tier in all defensive statistics, and has had the pleasure of protecting double-digit leads through most of the season.

While broadcasters, journalists and fans across the nation are salivating over these facts, I am going to analyze not the results of the Patriots' season, but the process they have used to get to this point.

Now, maybe everyone in America has forgotten, but the first week of the Patriots' season was marred with controversy. During their game against the New York Jets, (in which they defeated the Jets 38-14) the league discovered a Patriots' employee taping the defensive signals from the coach to the field and then what these signals correspond to on the field. The Patriots lost a first-round draft pick and coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for this offense, and the league went about its way. However, there was no indication that Belichick was planning on stopping, or that he was remorseful at all. This mars any accomplishment the Patriots have gained this season on offense, because who knows how long they had been doing it, and could they still be doing it? These suspicions cannot be ignored, because they deal with the integrity of the game, something that should be preserved at all costs. For the 1972 Miami Dolphins to share the game's most precious team record with a team that has been accused with cheating is a disservice to their accomplishment.

Throughout the Patriots' season, they have been a dominant offensive force. They have had teams blown out in the first half of games, sometimes up by 28 points. However, their starters would remain in the game for its entirety, and completely tore up opponents, leaving them with losses about as bad as you can get.

Some may say that the players need to get used to playing all four quarters, however, what is the point of playing the whole game against a team that you are clearly better than, and have shown throughout it? Even after dominating for three quarters, why not take your starters out, just to protect your players from injury? I know that professional football is a business and is only about winning and losing, but humiliating an inferior opponent is tasteless. It's like kicking an onside kick when you're up by 40 points (sound familiar anyone?), it's just something that lacks any sportsmanship and respect for your opponent.

If you look beyond the cheating in week one and the possible cheating through weeks 2-14, there is another general problem with the Patriots — attitude. Throughout the season, the Patriots have been arrogant, with no respect for opposing players or coaches. For example, during their Monday night game against Baltimore, safety Rodney Harrison verbally confronted Ravens' head coach Brian Billick after a pivotal play made by the defense. After a key interception in the fourth quarter, Harrison made a point to walk over near the Baltimore sideline and yell several things at the head coach before jogging back across the field to his own sideline.

This action lacked any motivation, and made not only himself, but the whole team, look like loudmouth punks. Only someone with a total lack of respect for his opponent would actually scream something at a coach during a game. It was ridiculous and tasteless.

Another instance of being a loudmouth came in the Patriots' most recent win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Second-year (and second-string) safety Anthony Smith of the Steelers guaranteed a win during the week leading up to the game. However, during the game the Patriots attacked his responsibilities in the secondary and won both times, resulting in two long passing plays for touchdowns. After one of these scores, quarterback Tom Brady (the leading candidate for the leagues Most Valuable Player award) ran into the end zone to celebrate with his teammates. However, on his way back to the sidelines, he sought out Smith, and proceeded to jaw at him, getting right in his face, nearly starting a fight between himself and the other Pittsburgh defenders.

I am not defending the fact that a second-string player (who only played because of an injury to the starter, Troy Polamalu) ran his mouth, and then got burned two separate occasions. That was clearly a mistake. However, Tom Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, should have the class to just walk off the field and not say a thing. However, he goes and talks trash and rubs it in, and didn't do any favors for his self-image. Whatever happened to "Just play the game?" If you are better than your opponent, show it on the field, and the scoreboard will speak for itself.

All these antics, such as end zone dances and trash talking, are absurd, and are becoming hard to watch, for me anyway. However, these actions are praised by the media, and the better dance you have, the more time you get on SportsCenter. Sadly, this is how the game is today, if you win, don't be gracious to your defeated foe. Instead, do a dance on his logo in the end zone, or trash-talk and insult him through the whole game.

The Patriots are winning, and winning big, but in the process are becoming hated throughout the league, because of the way they are treating opponents.

Maybe it will all make sense if the 0-13 Miami Dolphins defeat the 13-0 New England Patriots in their next meeting. I sure hope so.