Harsh but fair. Tough but just. That's the verdict on the NFL's "Deflategate" verdict, in which quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for four games and the New England Patriots were taken to the woodshed for the underinflated footballs scandal.
Right is right. Wrong is wrong. And everyone knows the difference, even if Brady and the Patriots did their best to muck up the investigation into the secret and systematic deflation of the game balls. Which only added to the penalty.
This wasn't just about Brady, even if he was front and center. It was equally about, "The Patriot Way," that signature catchphrase the team so proudly uses to describe how they work and why they win.