Jerry Rice and stickum does not compare with what Brady and his cohorts did. They got the footballs inspected by the refs, then had them diverted to a bathroom where they could be deflated, then returned them to the refs.

That is blatent and overt cheating. Not by a bit. By a mile. And Brady lied about it.
Today we make excuses for cheaters and that is a shame. Imagine the absolute mess the NFL would have had on it's hands if the Pats won in a squeaker.

We should stop making excuses for cheaters. The penalty is deserved.