Pittsburgh TV station employee calls Tom Brady a 'known cheater' in graphic—and gets fired for it

A television graphic on KDKA-TV referred to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as a "known cheater" during a Monday afternoon broadcast.

Apparently, the bosses didn't find that to be very funny, and the employee responsible for the graphic was fired, KDKA told Fox News.

"While fans are entitled to have personal opinions, we have a journalist responsibility to provide unbiased reporting," the station's statement read. "The graphic that appeared Monday violated our news standards. The individual who created the graphic no longer works for KDKA-TV."

Here's the graphic that cost someone a job:

Is he a 'known cheater?'

Whether or not Brady is a cheater probably depends on who you ask, and what NFL team they're a fan of. The New England Patriots have become an extremely hated team, partially due to their success, but also due to some alleged scandals surrounding the franchise.

Back in 2007 a Patriots video assistant was caught filming the New York Jets during a game to steal their defensive signals. Head coach Bill Belichick was fined $50,000, the Patriots were fined $250,000, and the team also lost a first round draft pick in 2008.

In 2015, the Patriots were accused of altering footballs used in the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts after they were found to be underinflated. Brady was suspended for four games, the team was fined $1 million, and they had to give up a first round and a fourth round pick. A lengthy court battle followed, but Brady's suspension was upheld.

The employee who made the "cheater" graphic has not been identified, but there does seem to be a chance that he or she is a disgruntled Steelers fan who hasn't gotten over the 2016 AFC Championship game, in which the Patriots beat the Steelers 36-17.

The Patriots will play the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Sunday in Atlanta.