It’s human nature to be envious of those who have what we don’t – at least for those of us willing to admit to this character flaw. But when that success is perceived to being achieved through ill begotten means, envy turns into resentment. And that’s why most of America hates the very team that wears our nation’s colors – the New England Patriots.

New Englanders will storm to their team’s defense, but they shouldn’t go around pretending they’re above this behavior. For decades the Red Sox ineptly watched the Yankees pile up World Series rings. Resentment grew into hatred. And for most football fans, the Patriots represent the Yankees of the pre-Red Sox renaissance – an object to be loathed for no other reason than their massive success. But the Pats have even been generous enough to provide additional fuel on top of that pile.

Two other NFL teams are currently under investigation for violations that are more serious ethical violations than “Deflategate.”

The Falcons have already admitted to using fake crowd noise in 2013 and 2014, a violation that can have a serious effect on the outcome of a game if opposing offenses struggle to communicate or commit false starts. Based on their 3-5 home record this year, that effect looks more theoretical than actual.

The Browns are being investigated for illegal in-game text messages from general manager Ray Farmer to assistant coaches. The league is looking into whether this gave the Browns a competitive advantage, which marks the first time in more than two decades the words “Browns” and “competitive advantage” have been used in the same sentence.

Because of their ineptitude, no one outside of the league office will have much anger about what Atlanta and Cleveland will done. They feel like one of those dumb criminal stories that invariably begins with the phrase “Florida man…”

The Patriots, on the other hand, will continue to draw our collective ire. It’s not because their violation is worse – fiddling with football air pressure seems like the type of chicanery that we’d laugh off if the violator could be cast as some sort of loveable rogue. In other words, any team that was playing against the Patriots.

But because the Pats are successful, it’s infuriating. Part of that has to do with New England always getting what the rest of us want. Browns fans in particular have to be cursing the skies as they see Bill Belichick succeed after his failure in Cleveland. Everyone in the AFC East is deeply resentful of “The Patriot Way,” as is Indianapolis.

For neutral parties, the question is simply “Why?”

The Patriots didn’t need to know what plays the Jets were running to beat them. They didn’t have to doctor footballs to manhandle the Colts. It’s possible they needed borderline bogus formations that are technically legal to beat the Ravens, but even without those they were the better team on paper.

The Patriots feel like one of the giant corporations that gets busted for various violations, or a tycoon abusing tax loopholes. When you’re already got the world in the palm of your hands, do you really need to apply Stickum to keep it there?

That is why America will continue to love hating the Patriots. But the Patriots will never care. Because thumbing your nose at everyone else is a lot more fun when the rest of your fingers are covered in Super Bowl rings.