Belichick fined $500K by NFL for taping Jets' signals

• Redsauce

  +1

  I think this is a pretty fair punishment.  Certainly sends the message that teams shouldn't do this.

  This really should have been done last year when the Patriots did it the first time, however. 

  Posted 9/14/2007 [reply] [flag]

  • MurdahMan

    +1

    I tend to disagree...It's cheating to get an unfair advantage over the competition, plain and simple (same as steroid or HGH use). I for one am disappointed with the "punishment" and feel that it falls short. The patriots will more than likely make the playoffs, so they will lose a 1st round pick. Being that they had 2 picks in '08 anyway, they didn't really lose anything. A $500,000 fine might be alot to you and me, but doesn't BB make like 5 or 6 mil a year (+plus endorsements and speaker fees)? 500k is a drop in the bucket. The Pats cheated and got caught - after being warned that it was against the rules and would not be tolerated - their arrogance and smugness annoys me...this situation should have been handled the same way a positive test for steroids is handled. Suspensions should've been handed down! If all BB deserved was a fine that amounts to approximately 10% of his salary, while being allowed to participate in practices and games - the the Merrimans of the league deserve the same punishment. Cheating is cheating, plain and simple...

    Posted 9/18/2007 [reply] [flag]

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Links (11)

Pats Lose First-Rounder? Roger That
Published 9/14/2007 at ESPN.com - Hashmarks - Blog
... The swift hand of Roger Goodell has come crashing down on Bill Belichick and his New England Patriots. The Commish couldn't afford to show mercy in light of his crackdown on player conduct. ...

Tracker Off Topic: Patriots get busted for cheating
Published 9/14/2007 by spOiler at Titans Tracker
... Unless you’ve been hiding under the proverbial rock, you know that Roger “The Enforcer” Goodell ...

Oh No, The Pats Are Losing One Of There Two First Round Picks. Whatever Will The Franchise Do?
Published 9/14/2007 by Luol Dang! at The Smittblog
... So the Pats are losing a 1st rounder (possibly) and a bunch of cash. Boo Fucking Hoo. They had two first rounders as it was and if they don't make the playoffs (which is highly unlikely), they had a couple extra picks in the later rounds anyway. The pick that the NFL will take away from them would be "their pick" (as opposed to the pick they receive from SF). That means, in all likelihood that they'll have to give up pick 28-32 or something like that. They will still have their earlier pick from San Fran which, with any luck, will be around 14-15. So basically, the Pats lost the last pick in the first round in the draft and about a three quarter mil (500k coming from coach B). That's a hell of a deterrent for a normal team who depends on first round talent to build their franchise for the future. But for the Patriots, it doesn't mean shit. ...

More on Lions Involvement in "Spygate"
Published 9/14/2007 by Sean Yuille <info@prideofdetroit.com> at Pride Of Detroit: Front Page Posts
... As far as Belichick and the Pats go, this is their punishment: ...

Pats Punishment: Does the 1st round pick matter?
Published 9/14/2007 by Footballguys and hosts Cecil Lammey and Sigmund Bloom at Footballguys Blog
... Regardless of where you sit, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell came down with his “punishment” today: ...

NFL Dishes Punishment and Other Jets News
Published 9/14/2007 by Mike at Green Pinstripes
... The verdict is in. ...

Roger Goodell's Punishment Doesn't Fit The Crime
Published 9/14/2007 by Sportsattitude at The Power Alley -- A Blog of All Sports!
... In the case of "Goodell Vs. Patriots," that means we are left to ponder the remaining issue of losing draft picks. I am still trying to sort out what relevance making the playoffs has on the situation...losing one, higher pick if they do...two, lesser picks if they don't. Can't get my arms around that. Obviously, we all thought a loss of a draft pick or picks would be involved, but I am not sure why whether or not the Patriots make the playoffs this year matters. ...

Morning Munchies: Oden Out For Season, A PatriotGate Punishment and WVU’s Speed
Published 9/14/2007 by Tim at Mind Rite Sports -- Quality, diverse sports coverage
... . We already knew he had old man bones, so are we surprised? PatriotGate/Videogate ...

Quick Thoughts on the Divisional Round
Published 1/14/2008 by Rev. Shaw Moore at Hugging Harold Reynolds
... 3. Tom Brady was unbelievable against Jacksonville, racking up a 141.4 passer rating and completing an NFL record 92.9 percent of his passes. He dumped screens when the defense got too agressive, found the slant when linebackers vacated their zones ... it was unreal. It was like he knew what was coming. ...

Spygate, Again? Seriously?...
Published 5/15/2008 by Cotter (noreply@blogger.com) at One For The Other Thumb
... I don't know why. I'm not Roger Goodell. And while I think the best thing for us all to do is try and ignore it, I can't help but think that the way the whole thing was handled was bush league. The lower of their 1st round draft picks? $250,000? You think that was hitting them where it hurts? For such a calculated and prolonged violation like this, I find it pretty ludicrous that Bill Belichick himself was not suspended for at least eight games. ...

Why Fines Won’t Stop Flops
Published 5/29/2008 by Rockabye at The Arena
... Bill Belichick’s camera wizardry has been dubbed shady, despicable, and all sorts of other things, but the NFL’s penalty was ultimately a first-round pick less valuable than the one the New England Patriots acquired from the San Francisco 49ers plus stiff fines for Belichick and the team. ...