The Devil in Every Fan

We cheer when our teams cheat. That's because all we care about is winning. And if that makes us immoral, so what?

Nick Laham / Getty

Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots watches their game against the San Diego Chargers at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Last week we New England Patriots fans learned that Bill Belichick, our team's wildly successful head coach, cheats. Turns out that in the first game of the season, one of Belichick's assistants improperly videotaped the defensive coaches of the opposing New York Jets, trying to steal their signs. As punishment, the Pats were stripped of future draft picks and fined, as was Belichick. Across the nation, sports writers wagged their fingers. Editorials called Belichick a disgrace. And us fans? Well, when Belichick's mug appeared on the video screen just before the Pats' second game, the hometown crowd cheered so loudly and...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!