INDIANAPOLIS — This week has been filled with tons of talk about the genius of Bill Belichick and the mastery of Tom Brady and just what another Super Bowl victory would mean to their legacies.
One chapter of the story seems to have been erased from the book on the Patriots dynasty, though.
Anyone remember Spygate?
The Patriots have not won a championship since then-Jets coach Eric Mangini exposed the Patriots’ illegal taping of opponents in 2007. The fallout resulted in fines of $500,000 for Belichick, $250,000 for the organization, and the Patriots had to forfeit a first-round draft choice.
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Yet it was not mentioned this week until yesterday despite all the talk about the historic significance of this game. When it did come up, you can imagine the Patriots were not eager to revisit the scandal and the idea their three championships in 2001, 2003 and 2004 could be considered tainted because of it.
“We moved on from everything in the past,” Belichick said. “We are focused on this game. That’s it.”
There are three players left on the Patriots who played on each of those title teams — Brady, running back Kevin Faulk and tackle Matt Light. Each reacted differently when asked about the feeling by some that those titles are tainted. Faulk was angry. Light joked about it. Brady seemed stunned that it came up.
Brady was asked if he feels a win Sunday over the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI would legitimatize their titles because it is not believed they have used the videotape tricks since 2007.
“If that’s the case, hopefully we win,” Brady said. “So you mean we won’t have to hear anymore about that if we win?”
When told yes that probably would be the case he said, “All right, great. Let’s win the game.”
The Boston media does not want to touch anything Spygate related for fear of retribution from Belichick and the Patriots. That has led to the topic being the dirty, little secret no one talks about anymore.
Faulk said a question from The Post yesterday was the first time anyone mentioned it to him all week. Faulk was asked if it bothers him that the perception still lingers that the Patriots cheated in their title years.
“This is the first time I’ve heard about it all week. Lingering? No, not to me,” he said. “We’ve won a whole lot of games besides those Super Bowls that lead up to getting to a Super Bowl, I don’t see how they can say anything. That’s lingering from one person, you.”
But there are plenty of New England detractors who believe they cheated. Former Giants receiver Amani Toomer said he would put an asterisk next to each of the Patriots’ championships.
“I would,” he said in an interview on “The Jim Rome Show” yesterday. “I would, definitely. Without question.
“Tom Brady hasn’t won a Super Bowl since Spygate,” he added. “If they don’t win another Super Bowl with Brady, with Belichick, their three Super Bowls that they did win are going to be tainted. It’s going to be like Barry Bonds. You’re going to look at these three Super Bowls with an asterisk because of Spygate.”
Toomer also dismissed the idea that taping would not help a team. The Patriots were disciplined for stealing the hand signals of the Jets’ defensive coaches in a game on Sept. 9, 2007.
“If you know somebody’s defensive calls before you line up on the field, that’s as close to cheating as you can get in the NFL,” Toomer said. “If you know what their adjustments are, what their signals are, and you practice with those signals, that’s cheating. There’s no other way to slice it.”
Light said he does not buy into the idea the Patriots need to win Sunday to validate the other championships.
“I think it was ancient history about the day after it broke,” he said. “I think it was always something that was more smoke and mirrors than actual substance. Winning this one would just mean we finished off another great season and we could hold our heads up and be proud of what we did. Outside of that, I don’t think it really means much.”