Football is everywhere these days, with games being played virtually every day of the week, televised nationally on cable and network TV. All the more reason for the NFL to set a dramatic precedent by dishing out an unparalleled punishment to the New England Patriots and their coach, Bill Belichick. In case you haven’t heard, the perennially successful franchise has been caught cheating--for the second time. This time, they were found to have videotaped another team’s plays and signals.
ESPN.com ran a poll asking what its readers considered appropriate punishment. The choices were: forfeiting draft picks, suspendingr the coach, or even forfeiting the game.
I say: “All of the above!”
Inspire us, Mr. Commissioner! Make us proud, and restore our faith. Because this is getting ridiculous in ways that are as discouraging as well as unethical. The nation of “hot dogs, baseball, apple pie, and Chevrolet” is becoming the nation of “overpaid cheaters and the uninspired people who check their brains at the door and zone out watching them.”
This isn’t just about sports, but its about the kind of ethics that we should always be insisting on, even in the entertainment industry. When game shows cheat to select a winner, it’s been a major scandal and the show goes away. Great care is taken to be sure that reality shows don’t cheat. Why should NFL football be any different? Baseball heroes are banned from the game and sometimes the Hall of Fame due to their indiscretions. The steroid issue took away from the greatest record in baseball being broken. Heck, an Ohio high school team was forced to forfeit a 66-6 win last week when it was discovered that an academically ineligible kid played one play--after the game was already far out of reach! Why should we train kids that the NFL is exempt?
The NFL’s Game Operations Manual says, “No video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game." These guys cheated, and it should cost them the game. To penalize them with some future draft pick that may not make the team anyway won’t send the right message, won’t help the team (the Jets) that lost, and won’t help our kids overcome the already blurred lines of ethics they already see in their mentors and heroes. Make this punishment count.
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If the Patriots were cheating on most of the games, wouldn't we think they should have won more than 3 super bowls in 6 years? Or mabey the Colts were cheating in the playoffs last year with a come from way behind 2nd half.
If this videotaoing business is a violation of NFL Policies, then Yes, toss the book at the Pats. They broke the rules, they must pay.
But please, please, don't anyone try to tell me that the New England Patriots invented or originated this practice. Belichick is a helluva coach in any regard, but he aint no geek, he didn't wake up at 3AM and go,"Eureka, What A Great Idea I Just Had!!!"
Finally, someone in here made the interesting point about Eric Mangini having a hand in catching Belichick at his game. Why because as a defensive coordinator and assistant coach for Belichick, it is alledged Mangini knew because he took part in it. So what is this, sour grapes because Belichick and Co. whipped his Jets and pissed him off?...No, it doesn't excuse The Patriots from cheating, it does tell me the kind of self-serving sqaut bag Mangini is.
The team's punishment wasn't harsh enough. Belichick should have been fired. Now every game they ever played under his leadership can be called into question.
I believe the punishment was too lenient. A suspension should have been handed out to not only Belichick, but to any others involved. Naturally, the HC should receive the harshest end of it.
The NFL suspends players 4 games for "substance abuse" when in some cases it can not be proven with hard/clear evidence what the substance truly was, as well as for all sorts of other offenses. I agree with these suspensions because no one should be "cheating" or conducting themselves unethically in any capacity. Their conduct on and off the field should be reflective of the them and their team. Not only kids but persons of all ages look up to and emulate many of these characters (clowns).
My next thought is this, Charlie Weiss and Romeo Crennel, two of the so-called masterminds or geniuses that came out of this system and landed nice jobs. (Although Weiss appears to have recognized some of his shortcomings and chose to operate in a second-tier limelight.) Crennel is rumored to have his job on the line after just two years, yet we must remember he is coaching the lowly Browns. Weiss is not performing any wonders with ND. Although Weiss' QB went to whom, Da' Browns. Miami's presumed blunder. Could their presumed success and genius status been unfairly bolstered by this blatant cheating?!
In case you haven’t heard, the perennially successful franchise has been caught cheating--for the second time. This time, they were found to have videotaped another team’s plays and signals.
YOU DON'T KNOW THIS TO BE FACTUAL THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY CHEATING JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS ON THE FIELD TAKING PICTURES.
IT'S AN ASSUMPTION AT THIS POINT STILL.
REMEMBER TO ASSUME-- MAKES AN " ASS OUT OF YOU AND ME "
ASS-U-ME LEAVE THEM ALONE ALREADY!!!
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