Sore losers

What’s more obnoxious than a disgruntled sports fan?

A disgruntled sports fan who also happens to be a lawsuit-happy lawyer.

Enter “fans” Eric Deters of Independence, Hugh Campbell Jr. of Villa Hills and John Young of New Orleans, the legal triumvirate whose suit accuses the New England Patriots of cheating to beat the St. Louis Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl. Their clients include Cincinnati ticket broker Kevin Hacker, who attended the game, and wants the federal courts to order refunds to all 72,022 people who attended the game, and award that would come to $29,168,800.

Plaintiff Willi Gary, who played on the Rams that year, wants each member of the losing team to get $25,000, the difference in bonus money between winners and losers of the contest. He also wants “compensation” for not getting a 2002 Super Bowl ring, which unsentimental winners are able to now sell on eBay for $125,000.

These guys all claim the Patriots and their coach, Bill Belichick, improperly videotaped a Rams walk-through practice before the game, giving them unfair knowledge of the St. Louis game plan. The Patriots won 20-17 with a field goal.

I’m no fan of Belichick, who is a great coach but an unabashed cheater. He was fined $500,000 by the NFL this year for taping an opposing team’s signals, something he had previously been warned not to do. But right up there with cheaters are sore losers who are upset they didn’t win rings they could hock. And right up there with cheaters and sore losers are… well, the rest of the greedy clowns involved in this suit.

We have rules to deal with cheaters in football games. We don’t lawsuits.