Belichick Must Pay

[Hammock Parties]

http://chiefs.scout.com/2/679048.html

When I heard about the outrageous cheating committed by the Patriots this past Sunday, my initial reaction was to call for the league to hit New England where it hurts most: the NFL draft

Draft picks are the lifeblood of any successful NFL franchise. You can’t build a competitive team through free agency (as the Washington Redskins continue to prove). The Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles draft well each year and continue to win.

Robbing the Patriots of their entire allotment of picks in next April’s draft would have sent a harsh message – cheating will not be tolerated. But it’s too harsh. It hurts the entire team – the coaches, players and front office personnel – and the entire team wasn’t responsible for what happened on New York’s sideline on Sunday. One man was.

Bill Belichick.

Belichick should be the one to pay the ultimate price for this transgression. He’s clearly the ringleader. It’s absurd to speculate that any assistant coach conspired with his co-workers to pull this off. New England’s head coach obviously signed off on the deal to steal New York’s signals, and as the man in charge, he should be the one to pay.

The NFL should suspend Belichick for the remainder of the 2007 season, without pay. He should be barred from participating with the team in any football-related matter, and all communication concerning coaching matters should be cut off.

This heavily penalizes Belichick while taking an appropriate toll on his team. Who knows what advantages they gained against the Jets with Randy Moss running through New York’s pilfered coverages. Without their head coach, the Patriots will be robbed of their leader and key strategist for a suitable time.

It’s unfair to take away draft picks. It robs New England’s players of the tools to get the job done on the field next year, and in future years. You might say taking away only a couple of picks would be punishment enough, but it’s not, especially for a team that’s as well-built in the present and drafts as well as the Patriots do.

This isn’t just about the Patriots, either. There are probably similar cases of undiscovered cheating going on around the league every weekend. We’d be naive fools to think otherwise.

Cutting off New England’s head (Belichick) will make everyone stand up and take notice.

It was important for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to do the right thing with Michael Vick, regardless of his status as a big-name quarterback. He sent a clear message to every NFL player when he suspended Vick indefinitely – behavior that reflects badly on the league will not be tolerated.

If Goodell doesn’t take the same stance with Belichick, he risks alienating hundreds of players league wide. Let Belichick off scott free, and it looks like players are accountable, but coaches aren’t.

Here’s the really disgusting part of this – Belichick isn’t apologetic in the least. In an official statement released on New England’s website, he referred to the blatant stealing of New York’s defensive signals as “a videotaping procedure” and “my interpretation of the rules.” That’s like Pacman Jones describing his illicit nightclub-related activities as “relaxation procedures” and “my interpretation of what I can get away with.”

For Goodell’s sake, I hope the penalty that comes down from the league offices doesn’t scream “double standard.” It’d be a shame, especially after the league took appropriate action with former Vikings head coach Mike Tice during his ticket-scalping scandal. Just because Belichick has won a few Super Bowls is no reason to treat him differently.

In fact, Belichick’s success only gives the league more reason to step in. Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn’t going to do anything, so someone who doesn’t have an emotional and financial investment in Belichick must.

I think it’s time for a “punishment procedure.”

[HonestChieffan]

this too shall pass....probably a minor take away of a draft pick is all in my estimation.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

Hmmm... were you listening to ESPN Radio this afternoon between 1 and 3pm? This reads very (and I mean very) simliar to their discussion. Your use of "cut off the head" and several other areas of the article read like a transcript from their commentary.

It seems like I remember once last year that I heard Bob Gretz wonder aloud on the postgame if Jay Cutler was going to turn out to be the 'wunderkind" Denver thought and he used the same term... don't know if it was on here or in a WPI article but it was curious timing, later the same day perhaps.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Ehh...i dont think its all that big a deal. Every team in the league tries to get a competive edge. The Pats just got caught.

I seriously doubt this helped the Pats win that game.

Forget the whole cheating aspect and any effect it might have. Remove all of it. It's still a big deal because they were specifically warned and told by the NFL not to do this and they blatantly disregarded the rules and did it anyway. That should warrant punishment in itself. Throw the cheating back in and the punishment increases.

[cadmonkey]

Originally Posted by GOATSE

Who knows what advantages they gained against the Jets with Randy Moss running through New York’s pilfered coverages.

right, because Randy needed to know the defensive play in order to get through a triple team, 50 yards down field. This whole thing, maybe, helped them on two or three plays and would be a bigger issue if the game was even remotely close. New England blew the Jets out of the water that game, and chances are didn't need to steal signals.

unfortunatly they did steal signals and got bagged. this will blow over and we'll move on.

[2112]

Originally Posted by cadmonkey

right, because Randy needed to know the defensive play in order to get through a triple team, 50 yards down field. This whole thing, maybe, helped them on two or three plays and would be a bigger issue if the game was even remotely close. New England blew the Jets out of the water that game, and chances are didn't need to steal signals.

unfortunatly they did steal signals and got bagged. this will blow over and we'll move on.

The game was relatively close until halftime.The dude was caught at halftime, or late in the 2nd quarter.

When mumbles staff was able to digest the info transmitted to them during the 1st half. after that it was some great 2nd half adjustments! it seemed like they knew exactly what was coming

Yes, the Jets got there asses kicked. but to act like you are above the league or the NFL is pathetic.

Everybody tries to steal signals, thats why coaches cover there mouths when calling plays. but video taping and stealing radio signals and transmitting them to your players?

[BucEyedPea]

I wouldn't put it past Mangini to have ever done the same thing. Afterall he learned from the master himself. I say no major edge was gained. Both sides know what's going on between each other's team and calls can be changed and most likely were due to this environment.

Not to mention Mangini can't build his own team's talent without riding the Patriot's coatails...'er Pat's ex-staff coaches and players. This may be legal but it speaks about Mangini's ability as a head coach to coach up his own talent and has no doubt done his fair share of acting out his and BB's childish feud.

[Basileus777]

Originally Posted by Bill Parcells

The game was relatively close until halftime.The dude was caught at halftime, or late in the 2nd quarter.

When mumbles staff was able to digest the info transmitted to them during the 1st half. after that it was some great 2nd half adjustments! it seemed like they knew exactly what was coming

Yes, the Jets got there asses kicked. but to act like you are above the league or the NFL is pathetic.

Everybody tries to steal signals, thats why coaches cover there mouths when calling plays. but video taping and stealing radio signals and transmitting them to your players?

He was actually caught during the first quarter, I don't think its very likely that this affected Sunday's game.

[2112]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

I wouldn't put it past Mangini to have ever done the same thing. Afterall he learned from the master himself. I say no major edge was gained.

Not to mention Mangini can't build his own team's talent without riding the Patriot's coatails...'er Pat's ex-staff coaches and players. This may be legal but it speaks about Mangini's ability as a head coach to coach up his own talent and has no doubt done his fair share of acting out his and BB's childish feud.

Enough with your incessant whining about Mangini!

You're a ****ing bandwagon Pats fan, and a Bucs fan.

How you can root for 2 teams is beyond me.

This is about Belichick, not Mangini. did Mangini hide in Green Bay last year and catch the Patriots cheating then too?

[BucEyedPea]

Mangini is cut from the same cloth as Mangini bill.
You can personally attack me all you want but Mangini is just as sleazy as BB. That's not cutting BB any slack; nor Mangini. Mangini learned from BB. He just hasn't been caught.

[2112]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Mangini is cut from the same cloth as Mangini bill.
You can personally attack me all you want but Mangini is just as sleazy as BB. That's not cutting BB any slack; not Mangini.
Mangini learned from BB.

You haven't (from what I've read) said anything negative about Belichick over this. you just kept blaming Mangini.

Maybe it's Mangini's fault the Hindenburg caught on fire almost 100 years ago. it's a possibility.

[BucEyedPea]

I have too. It was my first post. I've only said I'll await the full investigation including for what the penalty would be.

That being said Mangini is not better imo.

[2112]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

I have too. It was my first post. I've only said I'll await the full investigation including for what the penalty would be.

That's fair

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

That being said Mangini is not better imo.

He's such a terrible guy that Mangini!

[Mile High Mania]

I just think it's funny that WPI posted what amounts to be a forums post as an article...

Who knows what advantage was gained here. The issue is that there is a SPECIFIC RULE outlined about NOT doing this very thing. Every coach has this manual... every team knows it is wrong.

However, that didn't stop the Patriots from doing it anyway. They were caught and warned in 2006 and they were caught again in 2007.

Were these the 2 lone isolated incidents? Who knows, but I doubt it.

Repeat offenders... whether the benefit gained was minimal or not is not a factor here. They broke the rules and were caught twice.

If they can fine Wade Wilson (Dallas QB coach) $100k and suspend him for 5 games for receiving steroids (he claims they were for his diabetic issues)... then the punishment for BB has to start there in my book.

Cheating is cheating, whether it's steroids or using the miracles of technology to steal information.

I'm actually waiting for the day when someone claims that another team tried to hack into their team's computer network.

[Brock]

Another blogger chimes in.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Mile High Mania

If they can fine Wade Wilson (Dallas QB coach) $100k and suspend him for 5 games for receiving steroids (he claims they were for his diabetic issues)... then the punishment for BB has to start there in my book.

The exact point that Le Batard makes in his column today. IMO, this is much worse since Wade Wilson taking HGH has no effect on the credibility or outcome of the game.

Add that to the fact that they were specifically told not to do this and they unapologetically and blatantly disregarded it deserves extreme punishment.