Goodell takes step in right direction re: Cheating

[superpunk]

With confidence in NFL rules oversight at low ebb, commissioner Roger Goddell is proposing enacting easier-to-impose cheating penalties as a deterrent for future SpyGate scandals, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The newspaper cited a memo sent to the league's competition committee Thursday in an article on its Web site and said the proposals included a change in rules that would allow league officials to make unannounced inspections of locker rooms, press boxes and in-game communications equipment.

The measure was among a series of stricter rule changes Goodell wants to enact before next season "to preserve the integrity of the game" and "maintain public confidence" in the sport, according to the memo.

"As the Commissioner and Competition Committee, we must take every appropriate step to safeguard the integrity of the NFL," Goodell wrote in the memo. "We have already taken some positive and significant actions this past season, but we must go further to ensure fair competition amongst our 32 teams and maintain public confidence in our game."

Goodell pledged stricter penalties for competition-rules violations and proposed a plan requiring team employees to give the league reports of "actual or suspected" violations.

Another measure would place each franchise's main owner, top executive and head coach under the threat of league discipline to stipulate that they have complied with the rules and reported violations.

The commissioner also endorsed a proposal to permit one defensive player per team to be connected to a coach on the sideline during games via a wireless device, and called upon the committee to conduct "a thorough review" of all competitive rules and practices.

"I think there are a number of steps that should be taken in advance of the start of the 2008 season to improve and strengthen the enforcement procedures designed to preserve the competitive integrity of the game," Goodell wrote, adding that "too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking."

Last month, Sen. Arlen Specter questioned the quality of the NFL's investigation of the New England Patriots' videotaping practices and Goodell's decision to destroy video evidence uncovered by the league earlier this season.

Goodell fined New England coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and docked the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick after the Patriots were accused of videotaping New York Jets defensive coaches as they signaled to players during the Sept. 9 season opener.

Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also cited NFL officials indicating the Patriots taped Pittsburgh Steelers' coaches during AFC Championship games at the end of the 2001 and 2004 seasons, and during regular-season games in 2002 and 2004.

Still needs concrete standards and punishments, but this is a start.

 

[burmafrd]

He will have to get permission from the Owners before he can ramp up straightforward penalties for other then players.

 

[hendog]

Goodell's handling of Spygate is a joke.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Basically he's admitting they overlooked and/or covered up the past violations and now to make up for it they are going to get tougher.

The whole league is in cover-up, denial, "let's move on" mode.

Can you imagine the hit to the league's credibilty if it came out that a team cheated in a SB? It would be horrible for the league's pristine image.

 

[Eddie]

Goodell's handling of Spygate is a joke.

I concur. The entire episode was a lame cover-up.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Always the right answer to cheating...

 

[Hostile]

I definitely think the Defense should have a radio receiver on the field too.

 

[Boysboy]

Eh........too little, too late. They had a chance to take care of this a long time ago(even before Spygate-i.e. defensive players getting radio communication), and they did nothing.

The damage has already been done.

 

[PullMyFinger]

Always the right answer to cheating...

Hehe.

 

[THUMPER]

He will have to get permission from the Owners before he can ramp up straightforward penalties for other then players.

Another measure would place each franchise's main owner, top executive and head coach under the threat of league discipline to stipulate that they have complied with the rules and reported violations.

Yeah, and the owners will be quick to impose possible penalties on themselves.

 

[THUMPER]

Basically he's admitting they overlooked and/or covered up the past violations and now to make up for it they are going to get tougher.

The whole league is in cover-up, denial, "let's move on" mode.

Can you imagine the hit to the league's credibilty if it came out that a team cheated in a SB? It would be horrible for the league's pristine image.

Exactly. Nothing to see here, move along, move along...

 

[TheCount]

"I think there are a number of steps that should be taken in advance of the start of the 2008 season to improve and strengthen the enforcement procedures designed to preserve the competitive integrity of the game," Goodell wrote, adding that "too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking."

So when he gets conclusive proof, he promptly destroys it?

Please. If he wants, he can start by giving the Pats a real punishment instead of saying, "We're going to really nail the next guy to the wall!".

Now it just won't seem fair. They wrist-slapped the first guy, and now the rest of the league has to put up with this crap because the world outside of New England thought the punishment was a joke.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Good... Maybe this will stop the BS of headsets mysteriously dying on crucial drives on the road, etc.

Just play the game the right way and let the best team win.

 

[tyke1doe]

The real issue may be that "cheating" is more prevalent than what fans expect.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

This whole situation makes me laugh. The only people who will be 'shocked' by the idea that every team cheats, in some manner or way (Even in Superbowls) are people who are completely niave.

If anyone thinks that New England is the ONLY team whose ever done this then you really have a very rose colored outlook on life.

I have zero doubt that there are individuals (Be it players or coaches or management or whatever) on every single team that cheat in some form, or fashion, in an attempt to help their team, or themselves, get ahead.

 

[TheCount]

This whole situation makes me laugh. The only people who will be 'shocked' by the idea that every team cheats, in some manner or way (Even in Superbowls) are people who are completely niave.

If anyone thinks that New England is the ONLY team whose ever done this then you really have a very rose colored outlook on life.

I have zero doubt that there are individuals (Be it players or coaches or management or whatever) on every single team that cheat in some form, or fashion, in an attempt to help their team, or themselves, get ahead.

Oh really? Well in that case let's just forget the whole thing and let everyone do what they want.

Everyone does it, so why bother.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Oh really? Well in that case let's just forget the whole thing and let everyone do what they want.

Everyone does it, so why bother.

As they say in racing. If you ain't cheatin you ain't tryin

 

[tyke1doe]

So when he gets conclusive proof, he promptly destroys it?

Please. If he wants, he can start by giving the Pats a real punishment instead of saying, "We're going to really nail the next guy to the wall!".

Now it just won't seem fair. They wrist-slapped the first guy, and now the rest of the league has to put up with this crap because the world outside of New England thought the punishment was a joke.

It's all in the way you look at it. Usually, when you have a first-time infraction, you're basically "feeling" your way through a process, especially when you have no rules or punishments to refer to. You don't always know what the appropriate action is because there is no precedence.

Now that this has occurred, it provides the opportunity to seriously examine the issue and to determine appropriate punishment. That's the way it is with the drug-testing policy. Initially, there was no such policy so one had to be adopted with the proper procedures and penalties.

 

[rguido]

All i know is when SMU got caught cheating they made an example out of them...
then again it doesnt look like they stopped anything

 

[Boysboy]

All i know is when SMU got caught cheating they made an example out of them...
then again it doesnt look like they stopped anything

The only difference b/w SMU and Ohio State/Florida/Fl State/Alabama/Michigan/USC, etc, etc is that the former GOT CAUGHT.

Otherwise, it's been going on for many years, and will continue to do so.

If anything, Belichick was actually more stupid than cheating. For one, Goodell warned him in a letter before the season. And two, it WAS the J-E-T-S...was it really necessary?

Otherwise, teams like the Eagles, Packers, etc continued to have their opposing teams' headsets blow out during critical drives of the game on their turf throughout last season.