"Once a cheater always a cheater."

If you don't like football, you probably dislike social media today. The 2015 NFL season kicked off last night and less than an hour after the Patriots beat the Steelers we had the first accusation of cheating floated at the Patriots. They have since been cleared of any nefarious intentions, but the damage has already been done.

As a loyal Patriots fan I can see the steaming pile of poo from a mile away. It is easier to blame the Patriots for cheating than to recognize they outplayed you. If you leave Gronk wide open, you better be prepared to taken advantage of every trip to the Red Zone. When in the Red Zone you should play disciplined ball and not sit in the end zone with your toes out of bounds. You should probably put in a little extra work if you know the coach across from you is the best in the business.

However, there is something else which has been bouncing around in my mind for a while. Everyone is going to accuse the Patriots of cheating because they have a history of cheating. It doesn't matter that yourteamcheats.com places them 22 out of 32 teams. The Patriots are "notorious" for cheating and "outrageous in their flaunting of the rules."

Reputation matters if you are going to be tried by the media and your peers. If you are standing before Jesus Christ, He cares not for your history. He's prepared to purify your sins and wash you whiter than snow.

Jesus doesn't want to excuse away your sins or cover them so you forget. He wants to rid you of them. They aren't meant to be brought up again. The hardest aspect of grace and forgiveness is overcoming the memories of our past. We should learn from our past, but not repeat our history. There are going to be new sins. It doesn't cancel out the forgiveness. New sins require fresh repentance, but are covered by the same grace.

Where most Christians lose their testimony is the hypocrisy they show. Saved by grace, but standing in judgement of others. I personally don't want to be my history.

Will the NFL ever find its balls?

For 225 days deflated balls have been the main topic of conversation for the NFL. Deflategate dominated the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl and the 211 days since. While Roger Goodell and his merry band of goons steadfastly hide behind deception and lies to keep Deflategate front and center, the fans of the NFL are deflected from the true deflated balls in the NFL. 

Wanted: a few good men of the NFL to take a stand for their mothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends, fiancees, cousins, housekeepers, assistants, and female fans. 

I'm avoiding a tangent to discuss the sufficient credible evidence the NFL's investigation found which prompted a ten game suspension and the general awareness of a more probable than not for Brady's four game. It is a topic for a different post. If Judge Berman delays his decision too long I'm sure you'll be objected to it. 

Real men don't hide behind campaigns to salvage a tarnished image. Real men will earn respect by daily living a life of integrity and respect.  

Harold Henderson acting as arbitrator reduced Greg Hardy's suspension from 10 games to 4 games. His reasoning as published on NFL.com "I find that the conduct of Hardy clearly violates the letter and spirit of any version of the (personal conduct policy) since its inception, and of the NFL Constitution and Bylaws long before then. The egregious conduct exhibited here is indefensible in the NFL," Henderson said in a statement obtained by NFL Media's Albert Breer. "However, ten games is simply too much, in my view, of an increase over prior cases without notice such as was done last year, when the 'baseline' for discipline in domestic violence or sexual assault cases was announced as a six-game suspension."

Currently Tom Brady and Greg Hardy are going to serve the same suspension. Brady was given a four game suspension for directing a Patriots' employee to let some air out of a football. Greg Hardy was involved in a domestic violence incident which left his now ex-girlfriend with "a range of injuries, including bruises and scratches on her neck, shoulders, upper chest, back, arms and feet."

The NFL suffers from deflated balls. A pair belongs to every player who will collect his paycheck while the League disrespects every female by equating their value with 1 PSI. 

On September 10th, 2015 there will be approximately 1,700 players representing 32 teams and not one man among them. Regardless of your thoughts on whether Tom Brady instructed a couple of Patriots' employees to stick a needle in a ball, a real man should be taking a stand against the mentality of the League. If there is a player, coach, owner, or ball boy truly concerned with the integrity of the League, Greg Hardy wouldn't have been signed. If a PR person, the Commissioner, or lawyers hope to gain some respect, they'll stop producing commercials to improve their image and become real men. 

Regardless of how Judge Berman rules there will be a reputation to save. Tom Brady might have to overcome the hollow cheating accusation, but I don't believe he will ever face abuse accusations. The NFL shield isn't used to protect women, but to protect those who abuse women. As long as you can throw, catch, or kick a football with some skill, you are welcome in the NFL regardless of the bruises you leave.

I may be idealistic, but I'd love to see some balls in the NFL inflated and some courage found. Where are the real men who will take a stand against the League? You don't have to support Brady to take issue with the demeaning mentality.