Of course it is. Everyone knows that holding is against the rules. Sometimes it turns a loss into a touchdown. Every baseball team tries to steal its opponent’s signals. Part of the game.
Part of me wants to go all ‘purity of the game’ and then I think fondly of Gaylord Perry throwing a spitter when I was a kid growing up.
I think I do draw a line, though, certainly steroid use seems to be inappropriately cheating. As though there is something like appropriate cheating.
You inferred “holding” is cheating. It’s not.
Its against the rules, a flag is thrown, penalties are assessed and the game goes on. As you say - its part of the game.
Cheating is an entirely more serious matter. IMO