Jimke

I may be the lone dissenter on this issue. I think Goddell gave

consideration to a forfeit as punishment but could not justify it

since the score was close at the time the camera was seized.

Goodell may have even been questioned on this subject at the

time spygate occurred.

fnordcircle

Nope, was not.

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ctpatsfan77

He might have considered it, and then found out he couldn't do it. I suspect it has something to do with the controversy over the 1925 NFL Championship. (After all, doesn't it seem just a little strange that even the Commissioner can't unilaterally declare a forfeit?)

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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zoostation

It was ruled that there was no competitive advantage.

PatsFanSince74

I doubt it. The Patriots gained no advantage from the activity, either in September or in the past, as stated by the Commissioner. The forfeit talk was from the NY Tabloids, jealous opposing fans whose brains are perennially bathed in beer and a few true Patriots haters in the national media.

Anyway, the conversation between Goodell and Kraft would have been interesting:

Goodell: Um, Bob, I'm gonna make your guys forfeit a game over that taping thing. No hard feelings, by the way.

Kraft: You mean $750,000 and national humiliation weren't enough of a penalty? You want to put a permanent blemish in the record books for an entire NFL regular season for one of your most valuable franchises?


Goodell: Well, now, Bob, don't get like that on me.

Kraft: I don't think any of your big market owners would feel secure going forward if you did something like that. I know Jerry and Dan won't.

Goodell: Aw, Bob, you know how it is. The media down here are all over my *****.

Kraft: Including your wife over at Fox? Tell me, Roger, did she leak that stuff to her bosses at the network all by herself or did she have help?

Goodell: Come on Bob, this isn't personal...

Kraft: You ain't seen nothing yet, Roger. And, it won't be "personal" when I pull the plug on the CBG next season. Remember, no Jerry Jones, no Dan Snyder and no Bob Kraft and there was no CBG last year and we sure as he!! can unwind it next year. It's only those pissant small franchises that benefit from it anyway. Jerry and Dan and I are going to get richer and richer with or without a new CBG.

Goodell: Well, maybe we can work something out after all.

Kraft: I thought you might see it that way.

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It is what it is. It wasn't what it wasn't.

JoeSixPat

First of all, we don't take kindly to Anal-Rapists around here.

Second of all, it's interesting to remember what the initial fan reaction was... the VAST majority of even hard core football fans didn't fully realize the extent of sign stealing in the NFL.

The initial reaction was "outrage" that sign stealing is cheating.

To this day not all fans yet seem to realize sign stealing is LEGAL and that Goodell effectively sanctions it, knowing its been going on for decades and he's powerless to stop it.

Goodell's "strong" reaction to the Patriots was in part to allow him to continue the "myth" that sign stealing is cheating and that he's protecting the integrity of the game by coming down hard on the Pats.

So since Goodell was willing to go so far as to take a 1st round pick away from the Pats in order to perpetuate a myth that "cheaters" face consequences, allowing the perception that sign stealing is illegal to continue, I wouldn't rule out any additional over-reaction on his part.

This was always about perception and Goodell covering his you know what - not about the Patriots and what they did and didn't do.

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Watson's IQ

I think maybe he gave weight to all options in some respect, but I don't believe that was ever a serious consideration. Of course, I can't be inside his head, but even for the "new sheriff in town" that would have been a bridge too far.

Patriotic Fervor

What's "CBG"?

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....and that's the way I see it!

JoeSixPat

You're just mad because when the Dolphins cheated in "Audiogate" by taping Brady's signal calls it didn't spur on the Dolphins to a perfect season.

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Wax Frog

I won't tune it out. I shall savor the misery like a fine wine...

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