Red Sox sign-stealing scandal shows cheating in sports is always worth it

MLB is expected to come down more harshly on the Red Sox this time, but the punishment probably still won’t be enough to deter potential cheaters. For example, MLB is not expected to suspend any players, coaches or executives in connection with the Astros’ sign-stealing operation in 2017. That leaves fines and lost draft picks as the possible methods of justice. A World Series title is worth the trade off.

That’s not to say the Astros or Red Sox won the World Series because of their sign-stealing systems, of course. In fact, the Red Sox reportedly abandoned the practice during the playoffs, because MLB had in-station monitors in every video room. But if the subterfuge helped even a little bit — and surely, they believed it did, or they wouldn’t have participated — then the cost is justified. It’s not like the Red Sox will suffer a dip in their attendance or revenue next season. Outside of a potential fine, the scandal will have no impact on the franchise’s bottom line.

The Red Sox don’t have to look too far to see proof of that. The Patriots have captured six Super Bowls and are worth an estimated $3.8 billion. It doesn’t matter that Spygate and Deflategate are two of the most infamous cheating scandals in NFL history. The Patriots keep on winning, and the money keeps flowing. Perhaps that is why the Patriots were careless enough to allow members of their in-house production video team to illegally film the Bengals’ sideline this season. They know firsthand the risk isn’t all that great.

The truth is, fans don’t care about cheating. This was evident during the MLB Steroid Era, when attendance increased as soon as home runs started flying out of ballparks at incredible rates. Maybe the “chick digs the long ball” formula propelled MLB to juice its baseballs this season, at least according to conspiracy theorists.