Altering a football’s air pressure to gain an advantage in a championship game is a serious offense and could lead to a suspension for Tom Brady and fines or lost draft picks for the Patriots. But the transgression is just the latest example of flimflam or folly from a franchise that has long lived on the outskirts of the pro football establishment. The modern Patriots are both wildly successful and highly secretive, but the team was built on rogue thinking and atypical behavior.
