After reading Mike Lowe’s May 12 column (“Patriots Beat: NFL’s punishment excessive for Brady, Patriots”), basically “so-whating” Tom Brady being caught with his pants down as a liar and cheat, I had to pony up my 2 cents on the issue. I suppose Mr. Lowe thinks plagiarism by a news reporter is also fair game as long as the reporter is never caught.

I have been a Cal Ripken Little League baseball umpire for more than 20 years and have umpired at the local, district, state and regional title levels. Additionally, I spent seven years as a Western Maine Board umpire working high school baseball games.

At the meeting behind the plate before games, I always impress on coaches that good sportsmanship begins with them. If a coach is a cheater or crybaby, he will raise a team of cheaters or crybabies.

So was Tom Brady a cheater in Little League baseball, too? Clearly, he modeled the behavior somewhere en route.

Pete Rose was banned from baseball for life because he bet on games. But Mr. Rose did not use money to actually fix games or buy the outcome – he simply bet on them.

Mr. Brady used a physically altered game ball illegally to suit his own needs – something far more direct in fixing the game than merely placing a bet.

Tom Brady has misplaced his integrity and never again can present himself as a role model for America’s youth. If the owner of the Patriots had any honor, he would fire both Tom Brady and Coach Bill Belicheat.

Since money and winning at any cost have become more important than playing the game to win with pure team talent and coaching skills, don’t hold your breath on that one.

For shame.

Bruce Sanford

Raymond