Petition to boot Patriots from Super Bowl tops 57,000 — What’s your view?
More than 57,000 people want to see the New England Patriots kicked out of Super Bowl XLIX in the wake of Deflategate.
Of course, that's not going to happen, but it is another example of fans' ire concerning the possibility that the Patriots broke the rules to better their chances.
The petition on change.org isn't just calling for the Pats to be bounced from the big game, but for AFC championship to be replayed between the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens, the two teams that played the Pats in the postseason.
"To maintain the legitimacy of this year's NFL championship the Patriots should be immediately disqualified and the two teams they beat to advance should be allowed to continue with the playoff process," according to petition author Scott Latshaw. "If we had stopped Barry Bonds or Lance Armstrong at the onset, think how much better things would be."
The investigation into the scandal, which has overshadowed much of the usual attention in the time leading up the Super Bowl, reportedly will not be conclude until after the big game.
The Patriots have maintained the team -- especially Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady -- is innocent of any wrongdoing.
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
