Whoa! NOW just think of the penalty... 
had Belichick been taping defensive signals in Michael Vick's backyard?
Posted on 09/13/2007 5:45:28 PM PDT by misterrob
Bill Belichick was hit with a $500,000 fine Thursday night -- the maximum allowable by NFL by-laws -- for violating the league's policy on videotaping the Jets defensive signs Sunday. In addition, Roger Goodell notified the Patriots that they would forfeit a 2008 first-round draft choice if they reach the playoffs, or second- and third-round picks if they do not qualify for the playoffs. The club was also fined $250,000.
Years ago the 5 yard chuck rule was instituted because the Colts complained about getting held at the line of scrimmage. So they changed the rule and Pats still won the Superbowl. I expect the same here.
Whoa! NOW just think of the penalty... had Belichick been taping defensive signals in Michael Vick's backyard?
Depends on what the definition of "is" is and "are" are...
bump
...and that's what turned the Chagers into sniveling snot suckers after the game?
No, the Commish did not drop any hammers but a feather. This is a joke. New England has two 1st Round Draft picks for 2008. The one they are taking away is the lowest one of the two, they get to keep San Fran's 1st Round Draft they traded for during offseason which is the highest of the two. Also what's up with the "if they make the playoffs A 1st round draft pick will be forfeited but if they don't they forfeit only a 2nd and 3rd round draft pick", keeping both 1st round picks. If this was as serious as some would like people to believe it would have been both of the 1st round draft picks no matter if they make the playoffs or not and maybe a suspension. Currently, the Patriots have five first-day picks in the '08 draft, them loosing one doesn't hurt then as much as some believe. So they loose the lower of their 1st round picks and get fined. Big deal, the way that front office is during draft season I wouldn't be surprised to see them with another similar higher 1st round draft pick like their San Frans trade for 08 giving them TWO higher 1st round picks. What I find interesting is the fact that the Commish made it a point to state the forfeited draft(s) are not going to go to any other team. Makes you think if this goes on with more teams then we are led to believe. Also if this was so serious, why wasn't Belichick summoned in person to the leagues office? What I know is that when someone is in serious trouble with the top dogs of an organization you are summed in person to headquarters and your punishment is not given to you through a fax. Which leads me to again believe this kind of stuff goes on more often in the league then what we are led to believe and this "punshiment" is for the birds. The Jets last year knew when Brady was going to snap the ball depending on his gestures and listening to the count. They did this by looking at game film that was bootlegged. The Dolphins did it to the Pats last year and did not get this kind of attention also leads one to believe that certain teams like the Jets and Dolphins can get away with this kind of stuff and that in my book is a double standard and very hypocritical.
David (Miami): "Why is there such a big commotion now over the Pats when Zach Thomas practically openly admitted that the Dolphins were stealing signals from the Pats last year? Is it simply because the Pats got caught, while the Fins didn't?"
Chris Mortensen(ESPN): "Yes, and what's interesting is that Thomas let it slip that the Dolphins had gotten some TV audio that helped them decipher some audibles and line calls. of course, Nick Saban and Bill Belichick have coached together and are bosom buddies, so it was ironic that the Dolphins shut out the Patriots that day...and Belichick never complained. The word is that this particular tactic involves wiring some interior D-linemen with microphones against a divisional opponent and matching up the video so the next time you play, you might have a big competitive advantage. I believe the Dolphins' incident was one of the reasons why the commissioner sent a stern warning to all teams."
As for the fines, well $500,000 for Belichick and $250,000 for the team are a drop in a bucket for them. An NFL head coach makes about $2.5 million per year and addition to that Belichick makes $244,561 per point, do the math on how much Belichick made in last week's 38 points win. That means Belichick can pay off the whole $750,000 fine on his own and have money left over for a million dollar home and millions more left over to spare. BTW, just for fun I looked up how much other coaches around the league make per points for during 2006, are you guys ready for this: Bill Cowher $191,277 per point, Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis $214,411 per point, Chicago's Lovie Smith $239,474 per point, Baltimore's Brian Billick $489,386 per point, Philadelphia's Andy Reid $519,950 per point! Oh but wait those aren't even the top dawgs. The New York Giants' Tom Coughlin who also has a a $3 million annual salary $1.9 million per point, Gibbs and Parcells cost their clubs $2.1 million and $3 million per point. But the they can't even top ex Cardinals' coach Dennis Green who not only had an annual salary of $2.5 million a year but he also made a whopping $8.2 million per point! Damn, no wonder coaches would do anything for wins and points. Doing the math with how much the least amount of them gets per point is mind boggling.
Even if Brady and Belichek were to go 1 and out in the playoffs every single year...It won't be until 2017 before Brady's playoff record runs the risk of losing more playoff games than winning them...
I don't understand why people believe this game would have been forfeited. Too much $$$$ (spreads, gambelin, Vegas) at stake that they would not forfeit a game for something like this. As for those who say forfeit the win to the Jets, that would never have happened either. I don't believe people think what consequences awarding this win to the Jets has to future games. Giving the win to the Jets leads to controversy for which ever teams gets the wild card play-off slots. Example the Jets would be awarded the last Wild Card slot because of their forfeited "win" over say which ever other NFL team would have gotten that slot because they played and won it on the field not by forfeit but since the Jets would be ahead of other team because of the forfeit fit well they get the slot. I'm sure Mangini would have loved it though. LOL! Besides this 'taping' had no bearing on the outcome of the game, the Jets would have lost this game if the Pats were playing with blindfolds on, even the Commish agrees with that.
Or the Jets Special Teams not tackeling Hobbs at the 20yard, bad tackeling and stupid play were the result of a 108 TD. ;)
Reggie Jackson hit the go ahead hr to win that game....
I don’t think the league can take away picks that were acquired by trade (assuming the trade was legal and approved of course). Technically that pick they got from San Fransisco is still San Fransisco’’s pick, it’s just going to be exercised by New England, that’s why it’s SF’s final record that will determine when in the first round that pick is. There’s periodic events where the league punishes teams by taking away their picks (usually player tampering, sometimes coach tampering) but I don’t remember them ever taking away picks acquired through trade, it’s always the true team picks they take.
Jeeze... is this real? They really pay per point?
No, it’s not.
Since Belicheat is a big Democrat Party donor, we need to find out exactly how much he’s given to Hillary’s campaign and then demand she return it.
Then again, maybe Belicheat makes his donations through his mistress.
That’s a keeper.
I think the reason they didn’t go the forfeit route is because they had the goods on the Pats cheating in the last Super Bowl.
If they had reversed the Jet’s game, the Eagle’s would have had a legitimate reason to ask that the Pat’s give back their trophy.
It would have opened a pretty big can of worms.
Total cop out and silly. Having certain teams especially offense players complain "they knew what I was doing" is ludicrous, especially when the league has done whatever it can to protect and make this game more offense powered, such as mikes in QB helmets. They are professional players learn to play smart ball, adjust plays to miniums turn overs don't make stupid plays that result penalties towards your team. This team gives Brady, even after he had three interceptions third and fourth tries in winning the game. Remember all those stupid plays the Chargers had against them last year? 3rd down with little chance of Pats getting a 1st down, Brady gets picked off by McCree and not even a second later with the Pats Offense players still playing the Chargers Defense, Brown strips the ball from McCree, Pats recovered automatic 1st down. By McCree messing up that play led to a touch down by the Brady Bunch. What kind of cheating did the Pats do there? Did Brown telepathically tell McCree "don't knee and let me strip the football from you?" Come on like I said anyone who believes that is stuck on stupid. No amount of "filming watching" or "cheating" or "stealing" can teach a team to play like that. That's smart gutsy football. If McCree fell on the ball after he intercepted instead of stupidly trying to run it back the Chargers would have had the ball and the Pats would not have put points on the board. And what about that messed up punt by Eric Parker, again Special Teams the Pats recover deep in Charger territory and when AGAIN they were stop by the Chargers what do Marty's Fools do? Chargers Florence draws penalty for bad sportsmanship that resulted to another 1st down and few plays later NE AGAIN puts points on the board. Don't blame the Pats if the other teams dumb plays result to their winning games. Was it the Pats who told Marty to challenge a call that even the Three Blind Mice would have know it was unchallengeable? It wasn't video that led to Kordell's fumbles/interceptions and bad executed Steelers field goals that made the Pats win that game. Or did the Pats have a secret futuristic video in where they were able to see the Eagles losing the SB because their QB was dry heaving during the game. Heck if the Pats catching 'enemy' strategies on film are that good maybe our military should hire them in locating a six food bearded towel wearing guy who lives in a cave named BinLaden. Teams who make so many turn overs while their D. plays dump ball giving opposing QB that many chances on the field guess what sooner or later the other team will smoke you and video will never teach anyone that. If McCree took a knee instead of playing dumb ball it would be the Chargers holding the title "SB Winners 2006" right now. You play stupid ball, call penalties against your team, then you have no one to blame for loosing those games but yourself.
“Teams interview guys cut from their upcoming opponents teams all the time. Legal yes. Ethical? Well....”
Ethical - yes. Understanding another coaches system is one thing. Using ELINT to steal another teams plans during a game is something different.
On top of that, the Pats were warned about this more than once, and did it anyway.
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