Confirmed: The Patriots are indeed cheaters

by BigBlueShoe on Sep 11, 2007 8:10 PM EDT in NFL General Comment 23 comments

The New England Patriots unveiled their new logo Tuesday.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has determined that the New England Patriots violated league rules Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets' coaches, according to league sources.

NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets' defensive signals. Sources say the visual evidence confirmed the suspicion.

Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks" because it is the competitive violation in the wake of a stern warning to all teams since he became commissioner, the sources said. The Patriots have been suspected in previous incidents.

So, let's tally this up:

Their starting safety and veteran leader, Rodney Harrison, was suspended for taking HGH.
One of their multimedia people was caught video taping the NY Jets coaches in order to record their calls to the field.
It seems they tried to tap into the Jets radio communications as well. Read the rest of ESPN's article for details on that.

Folks, it just doesn't get any more pathetic than this. I mean really, what moron would feel they needed to cheat in order to beat THE JETS? No offense to Jetfighter, but the Patriots flat out own the Jets. With their roster and their coaches, the Patriots would just need to show up to beat them.

This kind of violation goes beyond the usual crap we see coming from New England, like watering their home field before gameday or mugging receivers in the AFC Championship Game in 2003. The Patriots were caught red-handed cheating, as in breaking the rules to gain a competitve advantage. They have been suspected of doing this for years.

Now, there's proof.

There is nothing more disgusting in sports than cheating. I can take players snorting coke, getting a happy ending from a hooker, or the occasional drunken owner making stupid statements. Cheating? That's pretty unforgivable. The sad thing is you are going to see a plethora of excuses from the Patriots fanbase. Rather than demand accountability from Belichick, Pioli, and Kraft (the men ultimately responsible for this), they'll simply dimiss or ignore it, as they did here.

One thing is for sure: No matter what New England does this year, it's a tainted season. God knows how much cheating they've gotten away with. Remember, this is not the first time they've been cited for this. Perhaps Tomlinson's definition of Patriots football is indeed fitting:

The Patriots live by the sayin' if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'.

Goodell should forfeit the game, grant the win to the Jets, and start taking away draft picks. If he wants to send a strong signal to cheaters, that will get the message across. Cheating in a game immediately calls into doubt the outcome of that game. Since the Patriots cheated, they should bare the punishment by having to forfeit that win. If I'm a Jets fan, I'm livid and out for blood. This is a screw job of immense proportions.

BTW, funny line from Mark Schlereth on ESPN News:

This is just like a player using HGH or steriods.

Hilarious.

Update [2007-9-11 20:34:39 by BigBlueShoe]: This is one of the few times I've actually found something written by Mike Florio worthwhile:

The Pats' habits in this regard were so well known that, per the same source, Colts president Bill Polian had all on-field cameras removed for the 2006 AFC championship game.

Thus, the Patriots knew that other people know what was happening. And yet they kept on doing it.

If all of this is true, it reflects a dangerous amount of arrogance in that team's coaching staff. In fact, our guess is that, now that the poo has hit the propeller, whoever put this system in place will privately justify it after the fact by explaining that, in the end, the cost was far less than the benefits that have been derived.

And it makes us -- and likely many others -- wonder how far back all of this goes. How many Lombardis are potentially tainted? How many of the games during that record-setting winning streak? Regardless of the lost draft picks, which mean much less in the salary cap era than they used to, there's now a stain on the NFL first dynasty of the new century. How far it spreads and how deep it goes remains to be seen.

Well said, Mike.

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Comments

Can't we let this play out

before we go all crazy with the "tainted season" stuff? It's possible it was an employee acting on his own or some such. There is no need to get excited yet.

by SteveW on Sep 11, 2007 8:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

SteveW

This is the second time that we know of that the Patriots have done this. If this was an isolated incident, I'd agree with you 100%. However, this is different. Goodell is likely going to punish the Patriots by taking away draft picks and fining them. There's also the investigation into whether they tried to listen in on the Jets radio communications.

When a team cheats and gets caught, it taints them. This thing has played out. They cheated. they got caught. They'll be punished. They're wearing a Scarlett Letter.

Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Sep 11, 2007 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Seriously?

I honestly think that to believe it was just some random employee acting on his own is far more difficult to believe than it is to think it was done because Belicheck wanted it done.

Teams have been accusing the Pats of this for years.

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Sep 11, 2007 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

hahaha

Good day to be a Colts fan.

Go Colts!

by KingRichard on Sep 11, 2007 9:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

surprised?

no...how else could they have read the colts d so well during manning's so-called "funk" with the patsies?

it's good to see evil be punished :)

by radiogirl79 on Sep 11, 2007 9:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

Maybe that guy with the camera was also the same guy who leaked Valerie Plame's name and destroyed her CIA cover! My god it makes sense now! ;)

by MasterRWayne on Sep 11, 2007 10:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh ESPN

ESPN was running a poll earlier about what should be done to the Patriots. The options were as follows:

Forfeit the game
Suspend the coach
Forfeit draft picks
Fine the team

And as they were doing this, I couldn't help but think "Am I the only one that's hoping for all of the above?"

by MonkeyBusiness on Sep 11, 2007 10:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

But but but but but...

everyone does it...

Go Colts!

by Marked Hoosier on Sep 11, 2007 10:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Another new logo?

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Sep 12, 2007 12:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

hahahahaha

Hilarious.

Go Colts!

by KingRichard on Sep 12, 2007 2:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now Video is one thing...

because they couldn't use it during that specific game, but could later on when they played them again. But if they tried getting into their radio communications???? Good God that is one of the worse things that I've heard of, that's worse than Baseball pitchers putting some type of cream or pine tar on a ball to give it an extra inch of drop!

by MarkV0327 on Sep 12, 2007 3:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I dunno...

maybe they could analyse it and use it during the second half?

by will on Sep 12, 2007 6:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Appropriate Punishment

Given the fact that they were caught "with their Pats down", I think that even if the Patriots did win the super bowl, it would be tainted.

Here's my punishment: no playoffs. Roger Goodell should ban the Patriots from going to the playoffs this year.

by Picky on Sep 12, 2007 4:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's no crazy

If this was the NCAA I'd bet that's what would happen.

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Sep 12, 2007 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Belichick

Belichick sees the rules as a tool to hold his opponents back while he finds ways to circumvent them rather than as a tool to ensure meaningful competition. He's not a competitor, just a small man who fears losing.

by Masson on Sep 12, 2007 7:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

bellicheat

or bellitrick? man, the jokes on this one are gonna roll for a long time.

by tenyardfight on Sep 12, 2007 8:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hate to say it

Hate to say it, but the NFL has not reached a decision yet, and Belichick has not been summoned to NY.

Sorry to rain on your parade here

by CGM on Sep 12, 2007 12:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes, they have

The NFL has indeed reached a decision on whether NE cheated. They did. The decision now is what is the penalty? NE will get to make its case Friday, but that's a subtle way of saying they will have the cahnce to beg and plead for Goodell not to suspend Belichick, which he may very well do.

Goodell has made up his mind. Like any good lawyer, he'll give the Patriots the chance to explain themselves. If they lie to him, expect Goodell to smack the Patriots with numerous sanctions, including suspensions, loss of draft picks, and possibly forfeiting the Jets game.

Folks, this is a very, very big deal. In the NCAA, they take away your National Championship titles when you get caught doing something like this. While that will not happen in New England, I do expect to see some serious penalties.

Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Sep 12, 2007 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i hate that man...

i just watched his press conference and he wouldn't comment on the incident.

just fess up what you did and be a man about it you maggot!!!

god i hate that man with a passion.

by WayneWayneJr on Sep 12, 2007 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

sad day for sport

what is really sad is this gives the NFL as a whole a black eye.. this kind of self-centered win at all costs defeats a lot of the message of playing fair, and play to enjoy the game that they try to encourage for kids...

it hurts an entire sport when these things happen and it is stupid because you are shooting yourself in the back when fans get disgusted with these kind of antics and stop buying seasons tickets. and it taints any kind of achievements you have... people will now wonder if belichick really is a good coach or just an asshole who is good a cheating.

I hope the NFL throws the book at him, not because i hate the pats, but for the good of the reputation of the sport and in the name of giving every franchise a level playing field.

by bluegirl on Sep 12, 2007 1:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

wow

if I were a Jets fan, I would be outraged.

I think at the bare MINIMUM, they should have to forfeit that Jets game. And I still think they should suffer more penalties.

How can the NFL let the Pats have that game in their W column if it is a known fact that they cheated? I just don't see it as feasible to say they are guilty but let them have a game they won by cheating. It's wrong.

by yellowsnow on Sep 12, 2007 3:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

you are so right

they should forfeit the game...and the next one too.

by radiogirl79 on Sep 12, 2007 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

having peyton's number

how much of having peyton's number a couple of years ago was due to belichick doing this... I think it puts a whole new slant on how good this team is.. .even if they weren't cheating at the time... their record is tainted for being caught now...

by bluegirl on Sep 13, 2007 6:18 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs