I don’t always agree with Gregg Easterbrook, but I sure do here:

Argument for the New England Patriots as scoundrels in the service of that which is baleful: Dishonesty, cheating, arrogance, hubris, endless complaining even in success. The Patriots have three Super Bowl rings, but that jewelry is tarnished by their cheating scandal. They run up the score to humiliate opponents – more on that below – thus mocking sportsmanship. Their coach snaps and snarls in public, seeming to feel contempt for the American public that has brought him wealth and celebrity. Victory seems to give Bill Belichick no joy, and defeat throws him into fury. Belichick and the rest of the top of the Patriots’ organization continue to refuse to answer questions about what was in the cheating tapes – and generally, you refuse to answer questions if you have something to hide. The team has three Super Bowl triumphs, yet its players regularly whine about not being revered enough. The team’s star, Tom Brady, is a smirking sybarite who dates actresses and supermodels but whose public charity appearances are infrequent. That constant smirk on Brady’s face reminds one of Dick Cheney; people who smirk are fairly broadcasting the message, “I’m hiding something.” The Patriots seem especially creepy at this point because we still don’t know whether they have told the full truth about the cheating scandal – or even whether they really have stopped cheating. They say they have, but their word is not exactly gold at this juncture. Ladies and gentlemen, representing Evil, the New England Patriots.

Ahh, I enjoyed that paragraph. And I don’t think this whole villain theme is stuck with just the Pats. No, it already is shared by the Red Sox (who have taken a Yankee-like mentality with their lavish spending on free agents, and have arguably the most annoying fanbase on earth), and it may bleed over to the Celtics (The big trio, while all awesome, have their flaws. KG - one of the most intense players in the NBA, could fly off the handle at any point, Pierce - a serial moper, Ray Allen - never performed in big games, not a very good actor). The Bruins, well, they just suck (this phantom start will not last, I guarantee).

Could Boston house the major villains of sports? I cannot think of a time when a city housed villains in more than one sport, let alone three! The closest examples that come to mind are the Yankees and Knicks of the 90s (but honestly, who actually vilified the Knicks?), Pistons and Red Wings of the 80s (Hockeytown wasn’t that great in the 80s, so I don’t think this works), Philadelphia in general (nah, just because the fans are crazy doesn’t make all of their teams villains.

Nope, I think this is unprecedented. Boston may be on the verge of something we have yet to see. A triumvirate of villainy. An across the board notoriousness. All out impropriety.