Well, so much for the New England Patriots capable of shedding that whole cheaters mentality, because after the move the Miami Dolphins did in order to protect themselves from any funky shit going on during their game against the Pats earlier this year, teams don’t think New England has an honest bone in its organization.
The Fins, who played at New England for a Thursday Night game this past October, decided to bring along extra equipment managers so that no one affiliated with the Pats could pull anything tricky.
Per the Miami Herald‘s Adam Beasley:
When the Dolphins visited New England in late October, they took extra precautions to guard against potential malfeasance, multiple sources tell the Miami Herald.
Most notably: the organization traveled to New England this year with more equipment staffers than they do for a usual road trip. It wasn’t a coincidence. It was a preventative measure.
The extra staffing ensured that no Patriots employee would have any reason to touch (and potentially tamper with) their gear ahead of or during the Thursday night game.
There will be no such concerns when the two teams meet again in Sunday’s season finale. The game is in Miami Gardens.
The Pats might be the most dominating pro team in sports and have four Super Bowl rings from the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era, but after the whole Deflategate and Spygate bullshit, other teams are proving to be a little extra cautious when playing in Foxboro.
Hey, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
[H/T SB Nation, Miami Herald]