If it wasn't cheating then it was controversial enough for consequences.
Unfortunatly they did not go far enough and strip them of the SB "win" as they should have done.
In any case, the Taints just cannot ever get to another SB without some cheating incentive as we have seen since then.
"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall

Are you talking about Bountygate, where they paid their players to injure players on other teams? That ain't cheating. That's called football, brother.