On January 21, a Baltimore man named Scott Latshaw posted a petition on Change.org seeking to disqualify the New England Patriots from the Super Bowl and replay the AFC Championship between the two teams they eliminated in the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts. Six days later, that petition has over 40,000 signatures.
It reads as follows:
To maintain the legitimacy of this year's NFL Championship the Patriots should be immediately disqualified and the two teams they beat to advance should be allowed to continue with the playoff process. The AFC championship should be replayed to determine a rightful representative for the AFC in this year's Super Bowl.
Within a day, the petition had already gained 25,000 signatures, so it does appear to be losing some steam. It's at 40,866 right now with a goal of 50,000. Latshaw also appears to agree with Jerry Rice that the Super Bowl should have an asterisk next to it if the Patriots win, and posted the following message on the petition's page when it reached the 25,000 plateau:
Thanks Everyone !!!! With over 25,000 signatures we are now the #1 Petition on Change. org. Do we really want a Super Bowl Champion with an asterisk??? If we had stopped Barry Bonds or Lance Armstrong at the onset, think how much better things would be. Let's do the right thing this time. Let's keep sports clean for future generations. If you haven't signed it yet please sign it now! and then SHARE IT !!!!!!!!!
One is left wondering which things would actually be better, and by how much, if Barry Bonds and/or Lance Armstrong were stopped at the onset of their performance enhancing drug use.
It is also more than a little coincidental that this Baltimore man wants to not only strip the Patriots of their trip to the Super Bowl, but replay the AFC title game between both teams the Patriots beat. Most others advocating for the Pats to lose their Super Bowl bid have just suggested to give the Colts a shot.
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Most comments left on the Change.org page in response to the petition seem to include some variation of "we need to teach our kids not to cheat" while asserting with near certainty while USING the random CAPITALIZATION method, that the PATRIOTS are the ONLY TEAM to EVER do this or anything like it. Considering the NFL has existed in some form or another for over 90 years, that somehow seems doubtful. Take this comment from a user called William Cochrane, for example:
The PATRIOTS Have been CHEATING For YEARS. Have been caught n warned. Still does not stop them. They deflated the balls, got up early at HOME. Basically deflating the colts hopes of making a comeback, That's a BIG ISSUE that can not be turned a blind eye. Cheating in an AFC Playoff game ?? To get to ANOTHER Super Bowl? While other teams play by the rules? Saints were not able to make the playoffs and got picks taking away. THIS Is BIGGER. Something has to be done and it MUST Stop or they will keep doing it. It has not stopped em. Do something major, so they play by the rules. Let them NOT be elligible for the playoffs like ya did the saints. Id ban belichick from football. DO SOMETHING Major. Set the tone for the rest of the league.
Major respect for the "deflating the Colts hopes of making a comeback" line right there, but this has all really just gone too far.
