NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell won't suspend Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for stealing signs during Sunday's Jets' game, but the Warden will level a stiff penalty. From the Washington Post's Mark Maske:
... Goodell is prepared to strip draft picks from the New England Patriots as punishment for Sunday's incident [in New York] ... two sources familiar with the league's investigation into the matter said today.Maske adds that another source thinks Goodell won't make a "final determination about a punishment until speaking to Patriots officials." And NFL senior vice president of public relations, Greg Aiello, says "no decision has been rendered."
"He is going to do more than just fine" the Patriots, said one person with knowledge of the investigation, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the league has not announced its decision. "Draft choices could come into play."
Which means Belichick still has time to flee the country. Seriously, isn't this kind of a big deal? And while I'm wary of the media beating a story into the ground, does anyone else find it odd that this has gotten such scant coverage the past few days?
God forbid Pacman Jones gets a lap dance, or Tom Brady wears a Yankees hat or makes a baby, but when rumors circulate that Unabomber might be cheating, the media clams up. Weird. Whatever, it looks like Goodell will have the last word, and I eagerly await the next Pats-Jets get together (mark your calender: Dec. 16). That post-game hug-a-thon should be extra-special.
ADVERTISEMENT
_thumbnail.jpg "NASCAR Cowboy Hats")
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 4)
1. Fine, suspend, strip draft picks and investigate to find how long this has been going on. Probably too late to ask for Super Bowl rings back but the cloud of suspicion will always be there.
Posted at 8:40PM on Sep 11th 2007 by SC
2. As I have mentioned before. Belechik is a sleaze. He cheated with someone's wife and was too much of a coward to want to go to court. I also heard recently that he can accurately pick the calls the referees will make in the game. One wonders why there hasn't been more of a focus on this guy. do you think the talk would be bigger if he were of another race or in a different city?
Posted at 8:41PM on Sep 11th 2007 by myra
3. ESPN doesn't want to report anything negative about their golden team, the Patriots.
Posted at 9:20PM on Sep 11th 2007 by pedro
4. This is a hoot. The Jets and Pats have been going back and forth ever since Parcells left NE for the Jets. The Jets had to pay a couple of draft choices for that one. Miami got into the act last year by stealing Brady's audibles. Mangini is said to have kept copies of the NE playbook when he left for NY.
Don't forget, stealing signs is not against the rules, only taping them is. All teams steal signs or try to. I wonder how many cameramen the Jets had in the stands taping the NE sideline.
Posted at 9:34PM on Sep 11th 2007 by otbricki
5. So he won't get suspended even though this couldn't have been done without his consent??? This goes to the integrity of the game.
But a player gets suspended for things not even related to football?????
Posted at 10:02PM on Sep 11th 2007 by LB
6. I just heard one analyst suggest that they should make the forfeit the game. GREAT IDEA! Send a strong message to all teams that this will not be tolerated.
It is a shame that the Pats think they now have to cheat to win. The Randy plague has hit them, and they don't even know it yet.
Posted at 10:02PM on Sep 11th 2007 by ET
7. WOO HOO! It's about time Belichick gets what's coming to him...however, he's not the one paying the penalty...the players are. Too bad for them. I say fire the LOSER!
Posted at 10:17PM on Sep 11th 2007 by DJA
8. Michael Corleone said it best when he said, "It was between the brothers Kay". Also, Belichek could have never outfoxed Santino BUT he does it to the Jets all the time. Maybe the commish will go to the mattresses now with all of this cheating in professional sports. Who would have thunk it?
Posted at 10:22PM on Sep 11th 2007 by The Natural
9. If the Patriots lose draft pick for cheating then they will use free agency. It reminds me of the Los Angeles Raiders having spies on the Washington Redskins during prep week for Super Bowl 18.
Posted at 10:25PM on Sep 11th 2007 by George B Vieto
10. This now qualifies Belichick to run for President! If he cheats 10 more times, he can run the U.N.!
Posted at 10:44PM on Sep 11th 2007 by Gary
11. I have always been baffled as to how someone who was an incompetent fool while coaching Cleveland could become a winner. Proves he is still a 'wiener'
Posted at 10:47PM on Sep 11th 2007 by Johnny
12. I am totally disgusted about this unethical, cheating and another wound to the sports world. It is one thing to have players conducting themselves in an illegal/immoral manner that the team owners have little or no control over. But this is the worst of the worst, for a team to violate a standard of ethics. They knew what they were doing was completely wrong and totally unacceptable for a NFL
team.
Another disgrace for the NFL and sports in general. However this is magnified as it is a TEAM not just an individual. How do we expect our youth to respect sports when even the teams are cheating? I hope the NFL throws the book at them...large fines, draft picks, overturning past wins etc, etc. There is absoluting NO EXCUSE for their conduct and they should pay dearly.
Posted at 10:52PM on Sep 11th 2007 by gary munyon
13.
IT'S TOUGH TO LOOSE IN NEW YORK, ISN'T IT.
EVERYONE COMMENTS ON WHO IS AT THE TOP WHEN THERE IS A SO CALLED CONTROVERSY INVOLVING THEIR TEAM.
JUST FACE IT JETS, YOU ARE CRY BABIES AND ARE ALWAYS GOING TO NEED EXTRA MOTIVATION TO WIN BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT AS TALENTED, NOT AS SMART IN THE FRONT OFFICE OR MATURE ENOUGH TO TAKE AN ASS KICKING AND LEARN FROM IT ON ITS FACE VALUE. YOU MAKE EXCUSES , CRY FOUL WHEN WHAT YOU'RE MAD ABOUT IS STUFF YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE DOES. IT'S CALLED COMPETITION IT'S CALLED GETTING THE EDGE ON AN OPPONENT. THESE ARE COMMENTS MADE WHEN YOUR OWN TEAM HAS BEEN QUESTIONED ABOUT IT'S METHODS AND PRACTICES. I DON'T THINK THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN ANY DIFFERENT IN SUNDAYS GAME. AS FAR AS THE COMMISIONER SHOULD BE CONCERNED, IF A STANDING PRACTICE IS FOUND TO BE PREVELENT IN THE LEAGUE WITH NO DISCERNABLE EFFECT ON GAME OUTCOMES , THEN I FEEL IT WOULD COME DOWN TO A FINE ,IF ANY THAT WOULD BE MINIMAL. THE PATRIOTS ARE A CLASS ORGINIZATION FROM OWNER TO WATER BOY AND ITS A PITY THAT OTHERS IN THE LEAGUE JUST DON'T FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE INSTEAD OF POUTING ABOUT EMBARRASSING LOSSES. I.E. LADAINIAN TOMLINSON SNIF SNIF, PITTSBURGH ON OCCASSION, AND OAKLAND. I WOULD SAY INDY BUT IT APPEARS THEY HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE CREED THAT THE PATRIOTS LIVE BY AND FOLLOWED IT ALL THE WAY TO A SUPERBOWL WIN. LETS REMEMBER IT IS A GAME IT IS A BUSINESS FOR PROFIT BUT BOY IT'S FUN TO SEE PLAYERS COME TO NEW ENGLAND WIN A SUPERBOWL AND LEARN THE SIMPLE TRUES OF LIFE THROUGH TRUST IN EACH OTHER. BELIEF IN THEMSELVES AND A WILL TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
Posted at 11:06PM on Sep 11th 2007 by bill
14. I think what everyone is forgetting is that it is not illegal to steal signs. The only reason it has become a big deal is because they used the wrong kind of video tape to record it on. The NFL allows them to record the signs but only on a specific type of tape.
Posted at 11:07PM on Sep 11th 2007 by Jessica
15. so the patriots are just cheats and not champs. not hard to get superbowls cheating.... why not ban belicheck from football like rose was from baseball. i think the nfl is just fixing games anyhow. the pros are about stripping hard workers in this country of there money..... the comish is all bs about cleaning up shit, after all fat asss kraft is his best friend, so why would he punish the cheat.
Posted at 11:31PM on Sep 11th 2007 by dave
16. This sign stealing stuff is old news!!! All teams do it! Say or think what you want. I dont think sign stealing caused Randy Moss to make many great catches as well as Hobbs making a record breaking kick return. Just another attempt at Patriots Bashing! Patriots fans can live with that. We know we have a class act that all the rest wish you had. We also have the RINGS to prove it and plenty of fingers left to add to the collection.
Posted at 11:33PM on Sep 11th 2007 by Arnold
17. all the cities with staduims outta throw all these fat cat cheats outta their cities and start teams owned by the people. Stop giving your hard earned bucks to these filthy cheats..... nfl cheaters, nba fixing games, baseball steriods........... turn off the pros watch college games for free
Posted at 11:40PM on Sep 11th 2007 by dave
18. Mr. Commisher is cheating the other team creating a bad image for the league...... Why not ban belicheck for a year and Kraft the owner............. opps, thats right they are the wrong color...... the nfl is a joke
Posted at 11:41PM on Sep 11th 2007 by dave
19. {THE PATRIOTS ARE A CLASS ORGINIZATION FROM OWNER TO WATER BOY AND ITS A PITY THAT OTHERS IN THE LEAGUE JUST DON'T FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE INSTEAD OF POUTING ABOUT EMBARRASSING LOSSES. I.E. LADAINIAN TOMLINSON SNIF SNIF, PITTSBURGH ON OCCASSION, AND OAKLAND.}
I agree with you for the most part but for Oakland in that playoff game, tuck rule my a**, they got robbed and I'm not even a Raider fan. One thing I will give Patriots fans over Raider fans is you definitely outnumber them in class.
Posted at 11:51PM on Sep 11th 2007 by Ray
20. I'm sure Eric Mangini knew of the practices of his old mentor,then why didn't he use it to his benefit?Send out the signals knowing the Pat's know what they are but have a 2nd set and use those to cross the Pat's up.Seems like sour grapes but wait until the next time they play when the Pat's run up the score and win by 50,then what will the Jet's use as an excuse.
Posted at 11:55PM on Sep 11th 2007 by Paul