Patriots are Cheaters
The NFL says it's not new, but it's new to us. Word that former Patriots employee Matt Walsh has turned over eight new tapes to the league, showing the Patriots stealing opponents signals, means there's new evidence publicly that New England was cheating. The Bills were one of the teams that had their signals stolen. The Bills game at Foxboro, November 11th, 2001, was on one of the eight tapes Walsh turned in. The Patriots theoretically used those signals the next time the two teams played, five weeks later, in Orchard Park. New England won that second game in overtime, and went on to win 12 of the next 13-games between the teams. Did the stolen signals account for the Patriots victories? Obviously they're not the only reason. But we may never know what sort of advantage the Patriots got from their stolen signals. We know this--the Patriots stole signals from the Bills, the Jets, and the Dolphins in their first meeting with each club in the 2001 season. They went on to win the rematch against every one of those division rivals. And of course, the 2001 season was the first of New England's three Super Bowl Championships over a four year span.
No question, the 2001 Bills were bad (3-13) and New England may not have needed much help to beat them twice. But they cheated, to get an advantage. And they went on to use that advantage and others to win a championship. The league says "the tapes are consistent with the findings of our prior investigation." That means they probably feel like the fines and loss of a draft pick imposed earlier this year will be punishment enough. But it may not be enough.
I think the NFL should look at some sort of suspension for Head Coach Bill Belichick, in addition to the $500,000 fine imposed on him already. He's the mastermind behind the New England Super Bowl run. He controls virtually every aspect of the Patriots football operations. And he should be held responsible for this breach of league policy, and unsportsmanlike practice.
No question, the 2001 Bills were bad (3-13) and New England may not have needed much help to beat them twice. But they cheated, to get an advantage. And they went on to use that advantage and others to win a championship. The league says "the tapes are consistent with the findings of our prior investigation." That means they probably feel like the fines and loss of a draft pick imposed earlier this year will be punishment enough. But it may not be enough.
I think the NFL should look at some sort of suspension for Head Coach Bill Belichick, in addition to the $500,000 fine imposed on him already. He's the mastermind behind the New England Super Bowl run. He controls virtually every aspect of the Patriots football operations. And he should be held responsible for this breach of league policy, and unsportsmanlike practice.
posted by John Murphy at
4:53 PM
3 Comments:
Additional penalties? For what? The Patriots were already penalized and Goodell stated that there would be further penalties if anything NEW (not just new to uninformed you) surfaced.
Belichick informed Goodell that the practice went back to 2000. These tapes merely confirm that.
Look, I understand you work in a small, out-of-the-way, rust belt mnarket that is on the verge of losing it's one big league team to Los Angeles or Toronto. But don't let your personally frustrations cloud your journalistic integrity.
I am a huge Bills fan, however, I was embarassed by John Murphy's childish performance on the news tonight. Look, the Patriots were scrutinized this past season more closely than any other sports team in history and finished 16-0 and again almost won the Super Bowl. I am a fan of the Bills but i am first and foremost a football fan and cannot sit and call the Patriots cheaters when all teams admit that stealing signals is part of the game. Yes, videotaping them is against the rules, but to call something cheating that other teams have done is ridiculous. Anyone that has played or coached football can tell you that Tom Brady does not need to be told that the defense is most likely in cover two when it is third and long. If anything, Bilichick should be ridiculed for thinking that it would give him any competitive advantage. He simply leaves no stone unturned. What the reality is, is that other teams simply resent the Patriots for their success and envy them. Look how every one dogged them Super Bowl weekend regarding the filming of the Rams walkthrough practice. Now, that doesn't even appear to have happened. I can't wait until Goodell meets with Matt Walsh, I am beginning to believe that much of this uproar is more about sour grapes than anything else.
i personally think that if the bandits do win today "yes" it will be a "real" champion for buffalo. This city has been waiting for any kind of champion whether it be minor leauge or major leauge sports, it is like everyone questions one of our teams if they are going good for some reason. specifically the sabres won 10 straight games to open the season before this one and as soon as we lost or if you call it a loss because i remember it was a shootout loss which does not count as a real loss in the stats, but everybody started to panic like we where not going to win another game that year. come on did everyone think the sabres where going 82 and 0? that is so obscure it is not even funny. so what is going to be the excuse in the city if the bandits are champs? "oh big deal there a minor leauge sport and the team they played is under .500 anyway". the way i see it the lumberjaxs cannot be a bad team if there in the championship even if there 9 and 10 they got there some how. it would be great if the bandits won because maybe even a "small" champion in the city can revive some of the optimistic fans and or news people we have.
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