After one of the biggest upsets in the history of the National Football League, the headlines following Super Bowl XLII were plastered with information about new allegations of yet more cheating taking place in sports.

Early in the season the NFL fined the New England Patriots $250,000 and their coach, Bill Belichick, $500,000 for videotaping the New York Jets’ play-call signals and other teams in the league. They also lost their first round draft pick. This controversy was plastered all over the news and earned the moniker “Spygate.”

Then news came out that a former videographer for the New England Patriots claimed to have taped the St. Louis Rams’ final walk-through practice the day before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, which the Patriots went on to win.

How is cheating in sports dealt with? Not as harsh as I believe it should be. Coach Belichick was awarded the Associated Press Coach of the Year award and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady received the Most Valuable Player award. Second to the Patriots’ award winners were Green Bay Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy for Coach of the Year, and Brett Favre for MVP.

How can we celebrate a team who had an unfair advantage on all of their opponents?

Yeah, so Belichick was fined money and a draft pick, but how harsh is that really to a person who makes approximately $4.2 million a year?

I was amazed how public opinion of the Patriots was suppressed after their 18-game winning streak and a completely undefeated season up until the Super Bowl. The New York Giants more than deserved this win. They overcame challenging obstacles of their own and they did it fairly.

And who says Tom Brady is not to blame for this event? He had something to gain from it too, didn’t he? That would be the hopes of that fourth Super Bowl ring on his finger, extra money in his pocket and endorsements in his future.

Personally, I loved watching Belichick walk off the field with two seconds left in the Super Bowl on Sunday. In the end, I guess the good guys always win and cheating never pays off.