ON FEB. 1, UNDER THE GAZE OF MILLIONS OF fans nationwide, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were named the Super Bowl Champions, with Brady winning the Super Bowl MVP.

However, it’s a result which many at this school dislike. A friend of mine, junior Kelly Harris, said prior to the Super Bowl, “I don’t want to see the Patriots win, especially after what happened on Jan. 18.”

On Jan. 18, the Indianapolis Colts played the New England Patriots in the American Football Conference (AFC) championship. After Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson nabbed an interception, which would lead to the Colts’ only points of the game, he took the ball to the Colts sideline, intending to “keep it as a souvenir.” When the Colts equipment staff got a hold of the ball, the equipment staff thought the ball felt . . . “weird.” So the equipment staff contacted Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano, who called the guys upstairs who called the NFL, who called the referees and told them to weigh the balls at halftime.

They found that 11 of the 12 balls the Patriots were using as “primary balls” were “deflated significantly.” And because of that, the Patriots suddenly became national news, and not in a good way.

On Jan. 20, Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick denied any knowledge of “Deflategate,” as the incident came to be called, and blamed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, essentially throwing him under the bus.

After it was officially confirmed that 11 of the 12 balls were deflated, according to CBSSports.com, everyone started thinking about the repercussions of Deflategate. A lot of people here at CHS have voiced their opinions. Some said the Patriots should be fined. Others said the Patriots should be instantly disqualified. Still others said if the Patriots won the Super Bowl (which they did) they should have an asterisk next to their team name. There are still more punishments others said the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell should incur against the Patriots.

Regardless of what the punishment is, there should be one — and it should be significant. After all, there have been multiple instances of cheating by the Patriots, such as “Spygate,” in which they used technology illegally. The Patriots have been known for their pre-game shenanigans. The punishment should be severe because the message the NFL sends resonates beyond the NFL.

Here in Carmel, we have a lot of youth playing football, from Carmel Dad’s Club to the middle schools to the CHS football team. And I guarantee you that most, if not all, of those young athletes watched the AFC championship and the Super Bowl. However, after Deflategate, the NFL has preferred to take its time, despite mountains of evidence that the team cheated. Every second the NFL fails to punish the Patriots strongly is another second the NFL is saying to its young fans, “It’s okay to cheat.”

Even if they decide to punish the Patriots, one must consider the long-term effects that the punishment would have. Think about it: Fining the Patriots will not do anything. Since players in the NFL make so much money, a fine will be just pennies out of the pocketbook. A loss of draft picks is not severe enough, because that is too light (loss of draft picks vs. a trip to the big game? Really?). Besides, these punishments don’t do anything to deter young athletes from understanding that it’s not okay to cheat.

Right now, by not punishing the Patriots, the NFL is sending a message to its young fans that you can cheat to your heart’s content and not be punished. If that happens, imagine how many teams would cheat on Friday nights in the next season. The NFL needs to reshape that message into, “It’s not okay to cheat.” Not just to the Patriots, but to all youth, whether here in Carmel or anywhere in the nation.

And by the way, Mr. Goodell, can the Colts player get his souvenir football back?

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Aaron Seals at [email protected].