Opinions on the New England Patriots' Deflategate controversy have ranged from a "who cares, everybody does it" attitude to those demanding harsh punishment. Prominent NFL announcer and Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman has revealed himself to be decidedly in the second camp.
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Speaking on a Texas radio station Thursday morning, Aikman took the stance that the Patriots' actions are so bad, they surpass even the Saints' Bountygate scandal of 2012. That incident led NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend New Orleans coach Sean Payton for the entire season.
"Sean Payton did not cheat," Aikman explained, via The Dallas Morning News. "There was nothing that Sean Payton and the Saints did that was illegal. And they did not give themselves a competitive edge.
"There's no proof on the field of what took place that guys were targeting players. You can always pull out a play here and there. They were one of the least penalized teams for unsportsmanlike conduct. So there was no evidence that anything translated to the field that they were trying to hurt players. And they did not give themselves a competitive advantage. Now twice, under Bill Belichick and possibly a third time, they've cheated and given themselves an advantage. To me, the punishment for the Patriots and/or Bill Belichick has to be more severe than what the punishment was for the New Orleans Saints."
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Aikman also referenced Goodell's famous quote that "Ignorance is no excuse," which he used to justify Payton's year-long punishment despite the fact that Payton claimed he had no knowledge of the Bounty system occuring in his locker room.
"[That quote] is going to come back to haunt him again," Aikman said. "That haunted him during the whole Ray Rice situation with he, himself, and now it's going to haunt Roger Goodell in terms of what the punishment is for the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick. If ignorance is no excuse, and it wasn't for Sean Payton."
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