or...their coach/QB being heralded is a product of cheating. people tend to spout that greatness stuff without realizing that perhaps Belicheck would of one zero SBs with the Patriots and been fired by now had he not cheated.
Each of his first three SBs were won by a FG or less...and yes, he was cheating during all of them. If he hadnt of cheated, he likely wouldnt of made it to any SBs, and yes, what they did was worth at least a FG. Without cheating BB might well be the defensive coordinator of the Jets right now.
No doubt that, with slightly different circumstances, Belichick, Brady and the Patriots could have won fewer Super Bowls. However, that's not because of cheating, but because of the razor thin margin for NFL success. They probably should've lost the Seattle and Atlanta games, and probably shouldn't have even been in last year's SB. But the sword is double-edged. They should've won the 1st Giants game and become only the 2nd team to undefeated for a season.
You call it cheating, but it's really walking the thin line just on the inside of the legality. E.g., they (or maybe just Tom) knew the propensity for the officials to call PI so when you need a play, simply chuck it up and the odds are in your favor. They're not alone in that - I hate PI for that reason.
I'm not a Patriots fan and get tired of seeing them play in the SB, but you're blaming their success on cheating and failing to acknowledge anything but that has the air of sour grapes.