Its not secret... the Patriots share a coveted spot right next to Notre Dame on my list of "Teams I Hate.' Its a different type of hate though.. I hate the Patriots because I am just so fucking sick of hearing about how good they are. I can see the scoreboard, I can see the standings.. I don't need every asshole on the street reminding me how good they are (These same backassed hicks can tell me the Patriots are great, but can't name a single offensive lineman on the team or explain the difference between a 3-4 and Nickle defense.)
I will never deny that they are easily one of the most talented teams of this generation. I can respect the talent and enjoy watching them play while hating them at the same time.
So now we have this whole signal stealing scandal happening. On one level, I find it hilarious. We have all heard the storys about some of the stunts the old Raiders used to pull when Madden coached them. This type of thing is not new to football or any other sport.
On another level, I find it all disgusting. First of all, a team that good should not need to resort to such tactics. (Many will now argue that such tactics are what made them good.. they just destroyed thier credibility with fans and historians.)
Its no big deal if the team manages to figure out whats happening just by observing things from the sideline during a game... if a Coordinator is careless enough to flash his signals openly during a game, its his own fault if the other team clues in...thats part of the game. But when you take deliberate measures to decipher signals... strategically position powerful video cameras with high powered zoom lenses, then you have gone too far. Intelligence and wits are removed from the equazion, and now its just a matter of technology.
There is a difference between Gamesmanship and Dirty Tricks. Stealing signals from a catcher in baseball is Gamesmanship. Hiding a guy in a booth with a high powered zoom lens on a video camera is just a Dirty Trick.
The league NEEDS to come down hard on the Patriots for this. Send the message that no team is above the law. Soft punishment will further convince the public that the league shows favoritism towards the New England Patriots.. an accusation that has been around since 2001.
But more importantly then punishing the Patriots, the league needs to do something for the JETS, who are the victims in this. ( I am not saying the JETS dont do the same stuff.. they just have not been caught yet, and clearly are not as adept at it.) The Patriots blatently cheated, and the JETS lost the game. Any financial or post-season punishments will do nothing to help the victims of the Cheating. ANY PUNISHMENT MUST INCLUDE THE PATRIOTS FOREFITTING THE GAME AND A VICTORY AWARDED TO THE JETS. In the NFL, one game can make all the difference between post season and short season.
Beyond the reversal of the game result, I think the league needs to find punishment appropriate to the action. A post season ban would be going too far in my opinion. And I think its a bit harsh to strip multiple draft picks from the team... early round picks are too harsh a punishment, and its pointless to strip them of late round picks who would likely be cut anyways ( and the idea of giving those picks to the JETS is just silly, unless you make the Patriots PAY THE PLAYER's Salary..otherwise you are just dumping a financial burden on the JETS.)
FINES are a bad idea. That type of expense eventually trickles down to the fans, who already pay way to fucking much for EVERYTHING at a game, from parking to seats to food. No need to punish the fans more.
Clearly this type of thing does not happen without the Coaches knowledge. As Coach, the buck stops there. So.. my solution:
(1) Suspend the Coach for a couple games..
(2)the guy who had the tape in his hands should be banned for a full year..
(3) and give the JETS the win. That seems fair.
I will never deny that they are easily one of the most talented teams of this generation. I can respect the talent and enjoy watching them play while hating them at the same time.
So now we have this whole signal stealing scandal happening. On one level, I find it hilarious. We have all heard the storys about some of the stunts the old Raiders used to pull when Madden coached them. This type of thing is not new to football or any other sport.
On another level, I find it all disgusting. First of all, a team that good should not need to resort to such tactics. (Many will now argue that such tactics are what made them good.. they just destroyed thier credibility with fans and historians.)
Its no big deal if the team manages to figure out whats happening just by observing things from the sideline during a game... if a Coordinator is careless enough to flash his signals openly during a game, its his own fault if the other team clues in...thats part of the game. But when you take deliberate measures to decipher signals... strategically position powerful video cameras with high powered zoom lenses, then you have gone too far. Intelligence and wits are removed from the equazion, and now its just a matter of technology.
There is a difference between Gamesmanship and Dirty Tricks. Stealing signals from a catcher in baseball is Gamesmanship. Hiding a guy in a booth with a high powered zoom lens on a video camera is just a Dirty Trick.
The league NEEDS to come down hard on the Patriots for this. Send the message that no team is above the law. Soft punishment will further convince the public that the league shows favoritism towards the New England Patriots.. an accusation that has been around since 2001.
But more importantly then punishing the Patriots, the league needs to do something for the JETS, who are the victims in this. ( I am not saying the JETS dont do the same stuff.. they just have not been caught yet, and clearly are not as adept at it.) The Patriots blatently cheated, and the JETS lost the game. Any financial or post-season punishments will do nothing to help the victims of the Cheating. ANY PUNISHMENT MUST INCLUDE THE PATRIOTS FOREFITTING THE GAME AND A VICTORY AWARDED TO THE JETS. In the NFL, one game can make all the difference between post season and short season.
Beyond the reversal of the game result, I think the league needs to find punishment appropriate to the action. A post season ban would be going too far in my opinion. And I think its a bit harsh to strip multiple draft picks from the team... early round picks are too harsh a punishment, and its pointless to strip them of late round picks who would likely be cut anyways ( and the idea of giving those picks to the JETS is just silly, unless you make the Patriots PAY THE PLAYER's Salary..otherwise you are just dumping a financial burden on the JETS.)
FINES are a bad idea. That type of expense eventually trickles down to the fans, who already pay way to fucking much for EVERYTHING at a game, from parking to seats to food. No need to punish the fans more.
Clearly this type of thing does not happen without the Coaches knowledge. As Coach, the buck stops there. So.. my solution:
(1) Suspend the Coach for a couple games..
(2)the guy who had the tape in his hands should be banned for a full year..
(3) and give the JETS the win. That seems fair.
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