I don’t know about you but I’m sick and tired of athletes getting caught red-handed cheating or involved in some scandal only to defiantly maintain their innocence. Pete Rose, Lance Armstrong, A-Rod come to mind and now Tom Brady has joined the list. Eventually the truth comes out and each person only compounded his problems with the lies that ensued. Of course, this issue isn’t limited to just athletes. We’ve all seen our fair share of politicians, religious leaders, businesspeople and many others go through the same thing.Just once I’d like to hear someone say, “I did it. It was wrong. No excuses and now I’m willing to bear whatever punishment comes my way.” The public doesn’t care why they did what they did because it’s all excuses. My old high school football coach said it best, “Excuses are like a—holes. Everybody has one and they all stink!” The only thing people care about is what they did. Lying after getting caught only compounds cheating. Thus the well-known saying, “The cover up is worse than the crime.” When will they learn? I realize a lot is at stake, but had each of the aforementioned people taken their medicine when they were caught, odds are they’d be back in the good graces of the public by now. Tiger Woods, as horrible as his behavior was, fessed up, sought help, and is in a much better place than Pete, Lance, A-Rod or Tom.Football is a game of inches. Sometimes the slightest advantage makes all the difference between winning and losing. But the point is not whether or not deflating a football a little bit makes a difference or not, or whether fans and players think the rule is silly, IT’S THE RULE. The issue with Tom Brady is twofold. First, he chose to break the rule and only did so because he felt it would be an advantage for him. If he didn’t think balls with slightly less pressure would help he wouldn’t have instructed others to let a little air out. Like the rule or not, he knowingly broke it.Second, and more important now, he lied about it. For most people when everything is on the line we see their true character. Sometimes people choose to risk life and limb for others but most people focus just on themselves. That’s the choice Tom Brady made.In Dale Carnegie’s classic How to Win Friends and Influence People,he has some great advice under the section Be a Leader (something Tom Brady is supposed to be):”When you’re wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.”Carnegie’s advice taps into Robert Cialdini’s principle of authority. One shortcut to gain credibility with others is to admit weakness or mistakes before the other person brings them. In doing so you’ve viewed as more truthful.If I were in the NFL, I might get flagged for a 15-yard penalty for “piling on” with this blog post. I don’t dislike Tom Brady or the New England Patriots. In fact, I was pulling for them to win the Super Bowl years ago when they had a chance to go undefeated because it would have been a historic event. But no longer can I root for them at all because it seems at every turn Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the organization are embroiled in controversy over the rules. When there’s smoke there’s usually fire. Admit you started the fire and do all you can to prevent any more from starting!Here’s my final thought: Tom Brady needs to grow a pair and take his punishment like a man. Of course, maybe he already has a pair but if so, then they’re obviously a bit deflated too. 
Brian Ahearn, CMCT® Chief Influence Officer influencePEOPLE Helping You Learn to Hear “Yes”.