Someone made the point....
Bill Belichick is no different than Red Auerbach. Red absolutely would have done every single thing that Belichick is alledged to have done to circumvent (or outright violate) the rules. Things like making sure there WERE dead spots on the floor that the C's could maneuver the opponents to and grab a steal. Making the opposing locker room freezing cold or sweltering hot. Any little advantage that he could, some within the rules, some certainly in the grey area, some more clearly outside.
Does this excuse what Belichick did? Nah - but anyone who is claiming that the Pats' reputation is permantly tarnished needs to remember just how selective our memories truly are. Any dirty tricks employed by Red are now - if not forgotten, effectively dismissed and those teams' true greatness is remembered. In twenty years, no one will remember these charges, they'll remember the Pats as being one of the best, smartest teams of all time.
Hell, I'll go out on a limb and say that this will be entirely forgotten before mid-season, brought up only again when the Pats next play the Jets.