'Deflategate' fall guy will be a Pats minion
Once again, New England are at the centre of a controversy linked to the Super Bowl and once again, the top echelon will avoid blame
The most wanted rule-breaker in America today is a New England Patriots ball boy.
So whether you believe that "Deflategate" is a big deal or not, consider this: If the allegations are true, the fall guy won't be the quarterback married to a supermodel or the multimillionaire coach.
Just like the last time the Patriots were caught cheating, a more expendable member of the family will take the blame.
When there is trouble, the Patriots circle the wagons. Ball boys don't get invited inside. The best he can hope for is a new identity
Last time, that was Matt Walsh, the only guy fired after "Spygate", when the Patriots videotaped other teams' coaches to steal hand signals. Coach Bill Belichick said he interpreted the rules wrongly, claimed he could not pick video employee Walsh out of a line-up, paid his fine and continued coaching as if nothing had happened.
Now, the Patriots are accused of deflating footballs to make them easier to throw and catch.
Once again, the organisation has gone hush-hush from top to bottom, including how the footballs are handled.
But somewhere, locked inside a janitor's closet somewhere deep in the bowels of Gillette Stadium, there is probably another young staffer waiting to be sacrificed. He is the ball boy the Patriots are sure to single out as the mastermind behind it all. You can imagine him, texting his parents.