I agree re/ Spygate. My guess is that other teams did this; but the Pats were the only ones caught. Again, Goodell's penalty severity was assigned not based on the "merits" of the underlying infraction (Goodell's not stupid--I've got to believe that at a minimum, he had strong suspicions that the Pats weren't unique here, and I'm sure he believed that any advantage gleaned from the taping was marginal at best). Rather, the severity was assigned based on potential PR damage to the league.
Spygate stinks because of how it continues to be perceived by the masses outside of Patriot Nation. We see it as something like this: we're all on a highway, and a lot of people are speeding - maybe not everyone, but a fair number. Another guy who is speeding calls 911 and a cop comes by and pulls us over - and only us. We are not merely handed a $100 ticket - we are fined $20,000 and spend a week in jail. And that goes on our permanent criminal record.
That's how we feel. Like, geez, yes, ok, the Pats violated a minor rule. But a lot of other people (including the guy that ratted us out) were doing it too, so why are the Pats being singled out, and, moreover, why is everyone treating this like the Pats paid off officials or something? It's the knowledge that a lot of people feel that NE's championships are tainted that bothers us, because we know they aren't, and we don't want the accomplishments of our favorite team being stained.
As far as Goodell is concerned, I think he's shown himself to be a serious hypocrite. Calling for all these changes for the sake of player safety, but then pushing for an 18-game season. It shows that he's all about the influx of more money for the NFL (which, as the commish, is probably his job). He may, or may not, care about safety. But what he really cares about is that the public believes that he is cleaning up the game - rooting out "cheating" (e.g., spygate), changing the rules on hard hits (helmet to helmet, launching yourself at a receiver, etc.), and coming down so severely on Bountygate (I hate the "gate" at the end of everything). He's trying to give the public the perception that the NFL takes all these things seriously, wanting to provide a great athletic contest and great entertainment free from the stain of corruption and, of course, free from the possible concussion-related lawsuits potentially staring the league in the face.
Goodell knows that so much of this has been around long before he got involved in the league, but he's being the sherriff and is cleaning it up. That's the message he is trying to send, anyway.