DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Pats Punishment

NEW YORK -- New England coach Bill Belichick was fined the NFL maximum of $500,000 Thursday and the Patriots were ordered to pay $250,000 for videotaping an opponent's offensive and defensive signals.

Commissioner Roger Goodell also ordered the team to give up next year's first-round draft choice if it reaches the playoffs and second- and third-round picks if it doesn't.

"This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid longstanding rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field," Goodell said in a letter to the Patriots.

NFL policy states that "no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game" and that all video shooting locations for club coaching purposes "must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3018338

Sounds in line.

I guess that sounds about right... glad to see the picks were a first day pick... surprised the fine wasn't bigger for the Pats themselves.... think for Bill it was appropriate.

Eh, I don't think it's enough. The team fine should have been more, IMO, with a cap hit for next year. Not having draft picks just gives them more money for FA.

Shoulda suspended Bill 4 games too.

Still dont think its fair IMO.

Should be more draft picks than just that and Billy boy shoulda gotten suspended.

My question is what happens if he gets caught again?

Bellichek should get the brunt of the punishment. Why wasn't he suspended?

Something else I forgot... Pats have two first rounders next year... so this really doesn't punish them at all...

Yea, I'm really surprised we wasn't suspended.

The team got punished more than he did.

Has there been any speculation or data that shows how effecive the video spying was? Did it actually help them win games?

How long has this been going on. Thats what still is unclear. Did they do this just to make sure they beat Mangini in the first game of the year???


I really doubt it. Maybe he is just a friggin cheater and not the genius everyone says he is.

to make a statement Goddell should have kicked the Pats out of the entire draft...no picks a all..and yeah a Belichick suspension would have been appropriate too...but I feared much less, so it´s ok I guess

If he suspends players for every fart, he should have suspended Bill for cheating on the game though....

Bah, i think this is being blown out of proportion. Every team in the league has interns on the sidelines and in the stands watching the body language of the coaches. Theyre looking for them to say the play call and match it to what is run. Everyone does this. He just took it one step further.

Did he cross the line and break a black and white rule? Yes. Should he be punished? Yes, if you break a rule you should be punished.

My question is, how many other teams do this also. Probably none the rest of the year for sure

I'm amazed at how much they lost and most people don't think its enough!

A first round pick is HUGE in the NFL, same with a 2nd and 3rd (Patriots won't miss the playoffs.)

What a huge hit for videotaping signals... Shows people not to screw around with Goodell.

What does whether or not they make the playoffs have to do with the pick ??

Suppose they finish 2-14 now, and have the first pick,...they GET it because they didn't make the playoffs ??? That's a load of crap,...either you penalize the pick or you don't.

I mean is it similar to the NBA gambling thing from last year. It must have done something for them or they wouldn't be doing it.

Seems appropriate to me. Makes the point Goodell was trying to make, that under his watch, blatant breaking of the rules will not be tolerated.

Significant sums of money and first day draft choices definitely make the point. Kudos to Roger Goodell on this one, IMO.

Can they give us their pick? I think its only fair.

and if the Pats are found to keep doing this, I wonder what will happen then?

Unless the punishment startes with forfitting their win againsts the NYJ, this punishment isn't enough.

I'm glad to see the punishment was harsh, but I dont see how you justify them being credited for a win they obviously cheated to get.

So who gets their pick or will there be 31 1st rounders or how does this work now?

or if we can get some of their wins.. lol.. that would help us out!!

If they have two first round picks, they should lose them both, IMO.

...I dunno...sounds pretty stiff to me.
A first round pick?!? Or a 2nd & 3rd?!?
Not that I have any love for Belleyache...(I don't).

Caught for the second time? Ex-assistant coming forward and admitting it was Bellachit's common practice?

Should be banned this year from playoff appearances. Bellachit should be suspended for the season without pay. Should still be fined $500k, team should be fined. Should loose 1st round draft pick. And also should forfeit their share of T.V. revenews.

That would be fair.

(and place an asteric behind every super bowl win)

The NFL has seemed to have loved the Patriots forever, at least recently. Being a true browns fan i notice the under dawg. Makes ya think back to the tuck rule. Business or Athletics?

There is no problem with a player or coach trying to steal signal.

It is a whole different deal when you film the stuff and set up a data base which can then be run through a computer to help you figure things out.

Quote:

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Unless the punishment startes with forfitting their win againsts the NYJ, this punishment isn't enough.

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That was my thought... seems to me the obvious first step is that you don't award them a victory in the very game in which they cheated...

As for those who say that everybody probably does it... so what. You punish the ones you catch.

And to the person who said the Pats have 2 first rounders next year so this doesn't affect them... sure it does, they had to give up SOMETHING to get that 2nd first round pick... and now it's gone.

1/2 mill to Belichick is probably substantial,, 1/4 mill to the team seems light,,

1st rounder if they make the playoffs and a 2nd and 3rd if they don't,, I don't know if that really hurts them much considering they have 5 first day picks right now...

Suspending Belichick isn't worth it. He's got such a tight hold on that team and it's coachs that he could probably call it in from his barkalounger.

Here's my question...and I'm sure some purists will disagree. But why not let the defense communicate via radio the same as offense is able to? Then there would be no signals to steal...well unless you pipe into the opponents signal I know that's not the way things have historically been done, but we didn't have high-def cameras and computers to process the signals historically either.

The way I heard it explained on the HBO NFL Show last night is because most times, it's a LB that calls defensive plays, but what if they go to a different formation and they don't need that particular LB..

With a QB, he's the QB,, He's in on every offensive play. So if I understand it correctly, that's the reason they don't think it will work for Defenses.

At least that's what was on that show last night.

Thought this belonged in here:

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Dallas assistant wants Goodell to explain Belichick's punishment
By Ed Werder
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: September 14, 2007, 3:05 PM ET
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In his first comments since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell punished coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots for cheating without banning him from coaching in games, Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said he intends to write a letter to the league office seeking an explanation for what he considers inconsistent enforcement of NFL policy.



Wilson

Wilson also said he might attempt to determine whether he can appeal his five-game suspension.

"I would say there is definitely a double standard being applied here," Wilson said Friday when reached at his home near the team's practice facility. "I don't want to be seen as a crybaby or as someone questioning the commissioner's decision, but I see some major inconsistencies here.

"To me, they're holding the organization accountable instead of the person."

On Sept. 1, the NFL suspended Wilson for five games and fined him $100,000 -- nearly a third of his salary. Wilson, who has suffered from diabetes for 24 years, admitted he purchased medication -- believed to be human growth hormone -- that is banned under the league's substance abuse policy (at the time he said he did not know the rule applied to coaches as well as players). Wilson did so while working as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bears and turned over phone records and credit card receipts in a seemingly successful attempt to convince the league he was taking them for his own personal benefit and not distributing them to players.

"They were concerned about distributing, and I was cleared of that or I was told I would have been banned from the NFL for life," Wilson said. "I don't want to bash the commissioner, but I definitely think there are some inconsistencies here. Intent was a big issue in my defense. What their [Patriots] intent was, I don't know. But I was just taking my punishment, and I guess what the commissioner does with Belichick is his business, but I think there are some inconsistencies here."

Belichick avoided suspension but was fined $500,000. The Patriots were fined $250,000 and will be required to forfeit at least one first-day draft choice for illegally videotaping the New York Jets' defensive signals during last Sunday's opener at the Meadowlands. The fine, the largest ever opposed on a NFL coach, represents 12 percent of Belichick's scheduled 2007 salary, which is believed to be $4.2 million.

"I did something wrong, but I did it only to benefit myself, not to gain a competitive advantage," Wilson said. "I accepted my punishment and moved on, but this is kind of a different deal. The percentage of my salary that I was fined is substantially more than the percentage he was fined as far as I can tell. I mean, $500,000 is nothing to laugh at -- but neither is $100,000. The punishment is definitely not the same in my opinion.

"I'm contemplating whether to write a letter because I accepted the punishment for my violation, didn't appeal and went about my business. All I'm asking for is an explanation, and I know exactly what the commissioner is going to say because I've read his comments, but it might make me feel better."

Wilson later said he might explore whether the window in which he had to appeal his punishment might still be open. He's hoping to use Belichick's punishment to make the point that he believes the sanctions he suffered were unfair in comparison.

"I don't know if I have the ability to do that as long as I'm suspended or whether it's too late," he said. "But it might be something worth checking into now."

Ed Werder covers the NFL for ESPN.