Patriots scandal revisited

Email from an avid Boston fan:

The pats scandal has been a nightmare for me. It’s been so disappointing and embarrassing just to know that it went on and to have the national press just dump on the Pats and Belicheck has made things even worse. It’s hard to separate my allegiance to the Pats from the situation and offer a reasonably impartial opinion, but here are a few thoughts to ponder.

Let me start off by saying that what they did was absolutely wrong, I don’t at all condone it, and I think they deserved the punishment they got. That said, people who say the punishment is too soft are out of their minds. The fine was for the maximum allowed under the policies of the NFL. The 1st round pick is unprecedented and far more severe than any suspension. Effectively, the Pats “lost” a Richard Seymour, or Lawrence Maroney, or Ty Warren, or Vince Wilfork, or the equivalent of any of their first round picks. That’s WAY more severe than a 2-4 game suspension for Belicheck. Furthermore, Belicheck was brazen and arrogant in doing what he did, especially against the Jets and Mangini because they knew the Pats methods since Mangiani came from the system.

But why is this viewed as such a heinous crime? When a receiver traps a ball and the officials call it a catch and the offense hurries to the line and snaps the ball so the play can’t be reviewed that’s considered a “heads-up” play by the offense. But isn’t that cheating, too? When an offensive lineman holds and isn’t flagged for it, isn’t that cheating? When the Jets d-line starts barking out the audible calls of the Ravens offense (against league rules) isn’t that cheating, too? I’m not saying that these indiscretions are on-par with what the Pats did, but aren’t they all merely attempts by one team to gain a competitive advantage through questionable means? I’m not justifying the Pats actions, but they got called out doing something that all teams are trying to do–gain a competitive advantage. They were penalized and are paying the price. Shouldn’t that be the end of the story?

If the Pats weren’t 3-time Super Bowl champs and Belicheck wasn’t a surly, prickly coach, would this situation have gotten the same attention it has? In the late 1990′s, the Broncos circumvented the salary cap and they lost a 3rd round pick and almost a million in fines. Isn’t that violation skewing the foundation of the NFL’s level playing field more than what Belicheck did?

Besides Belicheck, there may be no one who knows just how much, if at all, the video-taping of signals impacted the games and I doubt the public will ever know unless Belicheck writes a book in 20 years. It’s been hugely disappointing, frustrating, and maddening to be a Pats fan now. But the penalty was fair given the crime and to single the Pats out as cheaters is a bit hypocritical in my opinion.

My response:

Let me address a few points here.

First, I think we can agree that the fine barely registers with a team that is worth over 1 billion dollars.

Secondly, if this wasnt Belicheck, I think the coverage would probably be a little less harsh. Although, you have to admit, a lot of the national writers are East Coast……Peter King being one of them.

Lastly, the reason the 1st round pick is soft is because the nature of the offense committed. Even the slightest comparison to holding by an offensive linemen or trapping the ball by a receiver is in my opinion, not looking the depth and degree of the infraction.

When a linemen holds, it is something that is in front of your own eyes. You can see it, you can see the effect it has on the game(whether it is called or not). In a way also, an argument can be made that its a part of the game and thus, the league has institued a rule to condone that part of the game.

Ill be fairly emphatic in saying, holding is not cheating. There has to be a differentiation between cheating and a rules infraction.

Comparitively, would you call a basketball player who fouls somebody a cheater?

What the Pats did is an unknown. That is to say, the fans cannot actually see the depth of what they did. For that matter, the NFL and other coaches cant see the degree or extent of what the Pats used.

And because of that unknown, it creates more speculation, more questioning, more uneasiness amongst the fans and other teams.

How many times was it used?

How long has it been used?

How many games were directly or indirectly effected by the use of these tapes?

When a linemen holds, we know the possible effect it has on a game. When a team steals defensive signals with no knowledge, we have no idea the effect it has.

The “unknowns” have to be punished more severely than the “knowns”.

And because Belicheck is the leader of the Pats operation, he should take personal responsibility and be suspended for 1/4 of the NFL season.

That, along with the loss of picks, is in my opinion, fair and just.

I guarantee the Pats will not use tape again nor will any other NFL team. Deterring teams from doing this has to be the #1 priority for the NFL as an organization.

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