SI writer takes cheating accusations to another planet

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Deflated balls were one thing, but Michael Rosenberg from Sports Illustrated just destroyed whatever credibility SI has by publishing that the Patriots use the giant TV screen outside CBS Scene in Patriot Place to steal signals.

No, really. Per CBS Sports:

“On one end of Gillette Stadium is a lighthouse, the stadium’s signature architectural feature. But if you sit behind the opposite end zone and look at the lighthouse, you will notice something else: An enormous television beyond the lighthouse, in the parking lot.

Officially, this allows people in the parking lot to watch TV. Is it a coincidence that you can see that TV from the Patriots’ sideline, but not from the opposing sideline, making it easier for the Patriots to watch replays and decide whether to throw the challenge flag?”

Oh, God. After going on about how he believes the Patriots did in fact deflate footballs against Indianapolis and talking about how towel boys bring back information to home locker rooms, he gets to the point - the Patriots may have stopped with stealing signals during games after Eric Mangini ratted them out, but they supposedly used the giant TV outside CBS Scene to do it instead. Spare me. If this is what counts for journalism at SI, then I'd be better than most of them. Where do I sign up? No, really. If anyone from SI happens to read this, send me a direct message on Twitter (@C_Frederick1016).


I'm not going to even go any farther because his allegations are on another planet of ridiculous (read the full article here). And to think, I once respected SI as a reliable news source. Maybe they should stick to getting attractive swimsuit models to pose for them, then putting it into one issue. This is just taking the "Patriots are cheaters" line to another planet of stupid. I'll leave you with this quote from CBS Sports:

This is stupid. This is lazy. This is irresponsible “journalism” from Sports Illustrated. This should not be published, period.

And it would be minuscule if you could RT @jpelland0: .@GreshandZo Can't see the screen at all from the Pats sideline pic.twitter.com/tOKusvfM58

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyedNESN) January 20, 2015

The only thing that would redeem this article is if SI or Michael Rosenberg said this was satire.