Belicheck caught cheating

[BigheadTodd]

So they fined the coach 500k, the team 250k and took away a conditional draft pick. Too harsh? too lax? Just right? As a pats fan, I thought it was ok. It could have been alot worse. i thought there would be suspensions. What if they made them coach without any electronic aids of any kind for a game or 2? No radios, no photos, no video. I wonder how big of an effect that would have?

[Sonny]

Not harsh enough. I can't believe they didn't suspend Belicheck for at least one game.

[Sonny]

[LaxRef]

Should have done what they did, plus a 4-game suspension. This guy shows complete contempt for the league rules (witness his abuse of the injury report).

[CyLaxKeeper00]

There is also a rumor floating around that they were jamming the opposing teams radio frequencies in Gillette stadium.

Should've eliminated the coach to quarterback radio. How does sending in offensive plays the old fashioned way *sound*??

[LaxRef]

There is also a rumor floating around that they were jamming the opposing teams radio frequencies in Gillette stadium.

Should've eliminated the coach to quarterback radio. How does sending in offensive plays the old fashioned way??

They apparently voted down a proposal to allow the defense to have radio to the middle linebacker, which would have eliminated the defensive signaling and which would have averted this situation. You can bet this will be revisited next year and will pass.

[dubbs11]

Oh please, this and other forms of spying are most likely rampant in the NFL, the main problem is that they got caught. So what will the patriots learn from all this? Don't get caught next time. The fine might've been a little too stiff in my opinion, I do wonder though if it would have been a different amount if a team other than the Patriots involved. As far as the headset jamming, that is something to actually warrant all this.

[bste_lax]

I think this whole thing is ridiculous and stupid.

If this was the Titans or Jaguars, no one would be caring as much and this is coming from someone who has no ties to the Patriots (I don't love or hate the Patriots).

Dan Marino even mentioned this stuff happens in the NFL during last night's Inside The NFL on HBO.

[LaxTV_Admin]

I think this whole thing is ridiculous and stupid.

If this was the Titans or Jaguars, no one would be caring as much and this is coming from someone who has no ties to the Patriots (I don't love or hate the Patriots).

Dan Marino even mentioned this stuff happens in the NFL during last night's Inside The NFL on HBO.

I agree there is a double standard. However, I would argue that the NFL needs to stop this. Winning is not everything and not the only thing. Remember, we play sports because we love the game and we love to compete. We don't play because we love cheating.

I go back to Beta's comment about honor. Though I don't believe this is a huge deal (punishment was swift and severe), I do believe teams need to start competing with honor.

(And no this is not one of those "integrity of the game" arguments. It is about people choosing to cheat over choosing to flat out work harder than the guy on the other side of the ball.)

[BigheadTodd]

I saw on RSPN that the Commish specifically covered this exact form of cheating with all the teams prior to the season. What would a team have to do to forfiet a game? I bet that would have gotten their attention.

[Beta]

I do believe teams need to start competing with honor.

(And no this is not one of those "integrity of the game" arguments. It is about people choosing to cheat over choosing to flat out work harder than the guy on the other side of the ball.)

Amen to that. The Pats have every conceivable legal resource in the world available to them...and they pull this. What if Belichick had a 10 year old son who got caught cheating on a math test...and when questioned...the child says "but daddy...you looked at the other person's stuff too!".

[dgr01002]

Everybody is acting like Belichick devised some seedy covert operation staring Tom Cruise as that Mission Impossible guy. HA! I don't recall him sending a guy with CIA satellite-linked technology, had him dress in green face-paint, an oversized JETS foam cowboy hat, and one of those fake nose, moustache and glasses combinations, trench coat and all. Jeez, Belichick didn't even do what every other team does, which is simply place camera and binocular people in the stands on the 50 yardline seats to record coaches - especially on their home field.

Um, he sent an assistant coach over TO the J-E-T-S sideline, at the Meadowlands (that's the Jets home field for Jets fans who don't understand) with an obnoxiously obvious camera blatantly out in plain site for every coach, fan, security and NFL security and MEDIA person to see (direct violation - being taunted). To boot, Eric Man-gina...Mangini worked with and knew the guy on his sidelines with the camera - they coached together! Belichick was messing with Man-gina...Mangini. Belichick is an amazing coach who coaches way beyond the sidelines. He tries to get in every coaches' head in any way possible. For a guy who comes up with masterful gameplans and shrowds his entire team to secrecy week-in and week-out, year-in and year-out, this doesn't exactly ring to seedy covert opps. Belichick just blatantly violated a No-recording device...and come what may from there. He toes the line but he does it straight-up in front of the public eye. That's not seedy. That's pushing limits. He got called on it and he and the Pats paid the price with a 1st rounder. Good thing he's so masterful at constantly earning multi first-round picks every year.

And Boo-Hoo to fans of teams who aren't as masterful at gaining future draft picks. Any other team losing a first-rounder would be absolutely devestated because they cannot build for their future like the Pats/Belichick does. That is a harsh penalty for any other team and you'd hear all sorts of cryings. We'll just take the punishment and get good players anyhow.

I didn't hear a thing in the Miami win over New England last year where Miami had audible tapes of Brady - one of the ONLY games where the Pats were shut-out. NOw that's fishy. But again, it's part of the game, so, get over it. But Miami stinks so it's not an issue. In fact, there was another controversy WITH the JETS last year when the Jets beat NE also but not from the Pats but from the Jets. Again, you didn't hear about that b/c the Jets are not champions.

Belichick blantantly violated the rules. Okay. He got busted. So, he'll go back to binoculars, cameras in the stands and spies in the stands like every other team - against San Diego. Signal stealing, audible stealing - is part of the game. You just have to abide by the rules to steal them.

[Pinball]

Belicheck is a great coach, just a disgrace to the game of football. He shows very little class on and off the field, even though he could be one of the greatest football minds ever.

[Chowdah Head]

A lot of people are calling for Belichick's suspension, but all that would do is make people think the NFL is punishing the Patriots. Belichick has a staff of 20+ people who coach the same exact way he does. In reality it makes no difference whether or not Belichick is there. The fine and loss of draft picks have real, tangible effects on the Patriots, whereas a suspension would only have the appearance of a punishment.

Maybe some combination of fines, loss of draft picks and suspensions would appease everyone, but in my opinion Goodell handled this situation perfectly.

[dubbs11]

Belicheck is a great coach, just a disgrace to the game of football. He shows very little class on and off the field, even though he could be one of the greatest football minds ever.

Even though he could be? Could be one of the greatest football minds ever? Pinny, what would make him a greater mind? Winning a 4th superbowl? Belicheck, is definitely in the top 5 great football minds all time. He has done more with less than any other coach in recent memory. What makes him such a disgrace? This incident? His job is to win football games, not be nice to the media or fans. He's a damn good coach who got caught doing something that many other teams in the league do, albeit without the camera being involved.