FWST LBOH: Media gives cheating Patriots a break

[WoodysGirl]

Posted on Tue, Jan. 22, 2008

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LITTLE BALLS OF HATE: Media gives cheating Patriots a break

The New York Post has this Patriots season nailed perfectly. They remember the asterisk.

Not everybody does. Hardly any media types, actually.

Googling post-AFC Championship cyber-opinion revealed another liberal dose of what has become typical Patriots butt smooching. "They are great." "They keep finding ways to win." "They are 18-0, perfect, skipping happily towards a date with NFL history."

One problem: They are not perfect. Nor are they asterisk free.

They were caught cheating in Week 1, or has everybody forgotten that tainted victory against NYJ in Week 1? Apparently so, and probably because the NFL basically administered a love tap to Belichick and his Belicheaters.

Spygate was not Rog's finest moment. He screwed it up. What is frustratingly annoying is why so many of my people, media types, perpetuate this fraud.

Bill Belichick is Barry Bonds, only without the nasty fallout.

He did not need to cheat, just like Barry. He cheated anyway, just like Barry. About the only real differences I can see is Belichick admitted to his screw-up, and he is being given a free pass for it.

Go hypocritical?

Roger Clemens' body of work has been tainted by accusations of cheating, ditto for Bonds, while Belichick admits to cheating and is voted coach of the year.

And I guarantee if Bonds had tested positive for steroids in the first three weeks of the season and everybody knew about it and the league had punished him and he had gone on to break Hank Aaron's record, he would not be bathing in warm fuzzies like Belichick.

Of course, he and his players have spun this like they unfairly have been labeled cheaters and are rallying around this idea of sticking it to the haters

The righteous indignation is almost funny, if it were not so annoying. They are angry why?

The league warned Belichick his cameranigans were cheating. He was caught doing it, anyway. His non-denial, non-apology screams of guilty but not ashamed.

This is exactly the kind of game that leads to asterisk talk in sports and the fact that exactly 12 people are saying the Pats deserve one reeks of obnoxious.

The only hope for this NFL season is the Giants because, if Belicheat and his Patriots end up winning the Super Bowl - and as a very funny emailer noted, the Giants just won what amounts to the rights to represent Custer at Little Big Horn - this whole season needs an asterisk.

Friendly reminder: Patriots 17-0*, with * equaling caught cheating.

Just wondering: Did anybody else find themselves annoyed that Dan Marino's cellie was blowing up during the CBS broadcast? Has he never heard of vibrate?

That's an ender: My favorite part of this whole Belicheat, Spygate mess is how the NFL really cracked down.

You will remember Rog allowed them to keep the 49ers' pick.

So they cheat, they win and they still have the No. 7 pick in the draft. That will teach them, eh?

Jennifer Floyd Engel, 817-390-7760
jenfloyd@star-telegram.com

LINK

[ljs44]

I never understood this either. They were caught cheating. It takes the league weeks to decide on all kinds of other league problems but the whole cheatgate was rapped up in 10 days? Just never sat right with me.

I bet that if Philips had been caught doing the same thing that it would be a story every weekend of the season.

Just doesn't seem right.

[Duane]

Jen-Jen knocks the ball out of the park with this one.

I never got over how the NFL just swept the whole thing under the rug and the media let them get away with it.

[pancakeman]

The biggest joke is winning Coach of the Year the year you're caught and fined for cheating.

[odog422]

Seriously. I really wish one of these talking heads - Collinsworth, Costas, Marino, etc., who try to be so outspoken with radical commentary and opinion, would have called a spade a spade and said - AND STUCK BY - the fact that, no matter what the Patriots do this year, it's tainted.

Furthermore, that past accomplishments may also hold that distinction as there is question as to how long this has been going on.

They should've said when they were caught and every week, they should have harped on it - "yeah they won, but...."

Personally, when that came out, I lost respect for Belicheck and the team and what they've done this year and in the past. I also view Goodell as a hypocrite. Look no further than his treatment of players for harming the "image" of the league in comparison to his treatment of a HEAD COACH'S BLATANT DISREGARD TO A DIRECTIVE CONCERNING CHEATING AND DOING IT ANYWAY.

Not to mention his treatment of Wade Wilson for trying to improve his quality of life as opposed to a HEAD COACH BEING CAUGHT RED-HANDED IN-GAME CHEATING.

I think you get my point.

What a joke.

[odog422]

Originally Posted by pancakeman

The biggest joke is winning Coach of the Year the year you're caught and fined for cheating.

CRAZY AS H***!!!

[khiladi]

Why would the NFL do such a thing?

Bellichek won 3 Superbowls. He already collected a huge library, meaning the information he had on teams goes way back. The NFL had to burn all of them, because they knew that it made the Patriots' past victories look like a sham. The integrity of the game was at stake.

This year, the NFL wanted to make it seem that the Patriots won by their own greatness, and their undefeated record would prove it. But, the Patriots this year from a personnel stand-point are not the same Patriots when they won 3 Super Bowls. The Patriots have been dirty before this year. Why do you think they got Randy Moss for a 4th? It is in the best interests of the 'integrity' of the league to have the Patriots win. Because then, the league doesn't have to deal with the past.

The favoritism by the refs, the dirty shots that go rewarded. The holding the Patriots got away with against San Diego in the red-zone, forcing the Chargers to kick field-goals instead of getting TDs.

Before the beginning of the year, Godell's face was plastered all over the news, and his tough policy on 'crime' was going to be his trademark. Ever since the Patriots' incident, he has layed low, and you rarely ever see his face. I wonder why...

[CaptainAmerica]

The league could not afford for that scandal to continue.

It would have destroyed the league's credibility if it came out, with documented proof, that the Pats were taping opponents during their previous SB seasons. That's why the NFL never allowed anyone to see what was in Belichik's library. So they destroyed the evidence and with the complicity of the major media types, (who profit enormously off the NFL), everyone swept it under the rug.

The fact is this may be the Pats first legitimate SB, if they win it, but no one will talk about that because it's not good for business.

[tyke1doe]

Ah, the conspiracy theories and theorists.

First, the media HAS been talking about Spygate. Every game that the Pats win, someone, somewhere whether Don Shula, Mercury Morris, LT, Peter King, Wade Phillips, the Ravens, Anthony Smith, etc., will mention how their record is tainted - or raise comments from others who say such - how they get the benefit of the refs' calls, etc.

Second, everyone's talking about how the Patriots benefited from having a library of other team's signals. So?
If teams aren't smart enough to know that ...
a.) other teams know their signals and
b.) to change signals when you play an opponent who knows your signals

then those teams deserve to get beat.

Third, how do you definitely determine that the Patriots wins this year are a product of "Spygate?"
You can't. PERIOD.

So the league can't punish them any more than it has. Maybe it could have suspended Belichick for a game. But it has already taken away a 1st round draft choice.

Godell can't punish the team beyond what it did because there's no proof that Spygate benefited them.

The Pats beat every team on their schedule. They are now in the Super Bowl and have a chance to be 19-0. If they win, contragulations. A new season begins, and another team can emerge as the ultimate winner.

Let it go, folks.

[tyke1doe]

Originally Posted by CaptainAmerica

The league could not afford for that scandal to continue.

It would have destroyed the league's credibility if it came out, with documented proof, that the Pats were taping opponents during their previous SB seasons. That's why the NFL never allowed anyone to see what was in Belichik's library. So they destroyed the evidence and with the complicity of the major media types, (who profit enormously off the NFL), everyone swept it under the rug.

The fact is this may be the Pats first legitimate SB, if they win it, but no one will talk about that because it's not good for business.

And because it can't be proven. You can't prove any of what you've said and even if they were videotaping other teams' signals, you still have to execute. And there's no direct-correlation that you can prove that the videotaping, per se, resulted in a win.

You can speculate. You can guess. You can surmise. But that's not proof.

And that is why the league doesn't dwell on it. It was discovered, it was punished. It's over as far as what the league can do about it.

[SultanOfSix]

When one wants to defend a conspiracy, all one has to do is invoke the label of conspiracy hysteria. It's just too easy to relegate people to the mental asylum.

There was NO EXCUSE FOR DESTROYING THE EVIDENCE. NONE.

BTW, JFE is about 16 weeks late on her article.

[tyke1doe]

Originally Posted by SultanOfSix

When one wants to defend a conspiracy, all one has to do is invoke the label of conspiracy hysteria. It's just too easy to relegate people to the mental asylum.

That doesn't even make any logical sense.

Sorry, but the world operates on rules of evidence.

With or without the tapes, please make a reasonable and logical argument that the Pats won their games with the help of tapes.

You can't.

There was NO EXCUSE FOR DESTROYING THE EVIDENCE. NONE.

Uh, maybe so people wouldn't file them in their personal library.

Besides, what were the tapes going to tell you other than what you already knew, i.e., that the Pats stole the signals of other teams?

[SultanOfSix]

Originally Posted by tyke1doe

That doesn't even make any logical sense.

Sorry, but the world operates on rules of evidence.

You wish it did. Otherwise, some people wouldn't destroy it.

With or without the tapes, please make a reasonable and logical argument that the Pats won their games with the help of tapes.

You can't.

So Bellicheat was recording signals for several years as a hobby, right?

You're argument is irrelevant. It diverts the issue. The NFL obviously thinks that recording signals via videotape provides an advantage to the team performing the act. Otherwise, they wouldn't have banned it, and considered it cheating if it was done.

Uh, maybe so people wouldn't file them in their personal library.

So what? It would at least even the playing field.

Besides, what were the tapes going to tell you other than what you already knew, i.e., that the Pats stole the signals of other teams?

You sure like to defend the Pats a lot. So much so, that you think destroying evidence is acceptable so that third party arbitration couldn't even participate. It really is silly.

[tyke1doe]

Originally Posted by SultanOfSix

You wish it did. Otherwise, some people wouldn't destroy it.

Again, what would the evidence have done?
We destroy bank records, tax returns, etc., after a certain time.
What would have been the point of keeping this information other than the possibility that someone else would make copies?

So Bellicheat was recording signals for several years as a hobby, right?

What does that have to do with any?

You're arguing simply to argue and have no point. Of course, he was filming to gain an advantage. I'm saying to you, it's incumbent upon you to prove that he won games because of that advantage.

That's harder to do.

You're argument is irrelevant. It diverts the issue. The NFL obviously thinks that recording signals via videotape provides an advantage to the team performing the act. Otherwise, they wouldn't have banned it, and considered it cheating if it was done.

LOL!

My argument is irrelevant?
But it's your argument - or at least the argument of others here - that the NFL ordered the tapes destroyed to hide some conspiracy.

If you're going to make the argument that the NFL thought it created an advantage, then you have to also buy the NFL's position that the tapes should have been destroyed. Obviously, the NFL didn't think they should remain in existence.

You appeal to the same authority you criticize.

So what? It would at least even the playing field.

So what? Evening the playing field doesn't mean that the Pats still wouldn't have won. And that's the issue that everyone is crowing about.

If the Pats had gone on to lose the rest of their games, no one would be whining. But it's because the Pats won, that you hear the crying about "Spygate."

You sure like to defend the Pats a lot. So much so, that you think destroying evidence is acceptable so that third party arbitration couldn't even participate. It really is silly.

Who said this was open to third-party arbitration?

In order to have a third-party arbitration, you have to have one party (the Pats) and the other party (the NFL) to enter into that arrangement.

Second, the NFL has the authority to act in these cases. This issue wasn't against particular teams as it was against the league and violated the league's policy.

You don't even know what you're talking about. You create scenarios not even relevant (such as a third-party arbitrator), you ignore any attempts to show how "Spygate" led to a Patriots win, and yet you call my arguments silly?

[Vintage]

They got punished. They lost a 1st round pick. Bellicek got fined.

Move on.

We are about to witness history. Though I wish it was us and not the Patriots having this success.....it is still kind of cool to watch it unfold.

Someday, I will be able to tell my kids I watched the greatest team of all time play.