Was making the Pats forfeit Wk 1 win at Jets a real possibility?

[brdmaverick]

After the whole spygate incident, was making the Patriots forfeit their week 1 victory at the Jets ever a real possibility.

If so, imagine how much buzz that would have created considering that we have thus far gone undefeated since.

 

[tobias funke]

They would have had to catch us doing something much more sinister than videotaping signals. I don't think it was ever a consideration.

 

[BelichickFan]

There was never any indication it was a possibility but who knows what went through Howdy Doody's mind. The fact that the camera was confiscated early in the game pretty much nullified that option to me as it obviously wasn't used in any way.

 

[tombonneau]

No way it would ever have happened. Beyond it being flat out ludicrous at face value, it would have created a tidal wave in Vegas.

The whole gambling mess would have been front page news, and there is no way the NFL wants their product that closely associated with Vegas. (Even though that is part of the sports popularity, whether the league wants to admit it or not.)

 

[Watson's IQ]

After the whole spygate incident, was making the Patriots forfeit their week 1 victory at the Jets ever a real possibility.

If so, imagine how much buzz that would have created considering that we have thus far gone undefeated since.

No.

If that possibility was ever raised outside of message boards and columnists with an axe to grind, I would be absolutely shocked.

The punishment much more than fit the crime, and in hindsight was ridiculously over the top to my eyes. A forfeit would have been beyond reason for something which had such negligible impact on the game itself.

 

[brdmaverick]

No way it would ever have happened. Beyond it being flat out ludicrous at face value, it would have created a tidal wave in Vegas.

The whole gambling mess would have been front page news, and there is no way the NFL wants their product that closely associated with Vegas. (Even though that is part of the sports popularity, whether the league wants to admit it or not.)

good point about the gambling issue it would have created

 

[Fanfrom1960]

After the whole spygate incident, was making the Patriots forfeit their week 1 victory at the Jets ever a real possibility.

If so, imagine how much buzz that would have created considering that we have thus far gone undefeated since.

No offense, but threads like this are what make it nigh on to impossible to find anything on this board lately. How about a thread "If Bill Belichick's Browns had been 8 and 8, or 9 and 7 in 1995, would we ever have seen him?" As the World Turns.

 

[richpats]

If that possibility was ever raised outside of message boards and columnists with an axe to grind, I would be absolutely shocked.

I guarantee if the Pats win Sunday, those individuals will dust off that argument to tarnish the perfect season.

 

[Watson's IQ]

I guarantee if the Pats win Sunday, those individuals will dust off that argument to tarnish the perfect season.

Well, that argument hasn't really been put down enough to gather much dust.

If the Pats win, you will always here people say "perfect, but.." It's just jealousy, and you need to just tune it out for your own sanity.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Actually, my understanding is that NFL rules explicitly forbid this:

• Forfeit. The Commissioner, (except in cases of disciplinary action; see last section on "Removing Team from Field"), League President, and their representatives, including referees, are not authorized unilaterally to declare forfeits. A forfeit occurs only when a game is not played because of the failure or refusal of one team to participate. [. . .]

Removing team from field. No player, coach, or other person affiliated with a club may remove that club's team from the field during the playing of any game, including preseason, except at the direction of the referee. Any club violating this rule will be subject to disciplinary action by the Commissioner, including possible game forfeiture and sole liability for financial losses suffered by the opposing club and any other affected member clubs of the League.

 

[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.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

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.

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?)

 

[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.

 

[JoeSixPat]

They would have had to catch us doing something much more sinister than videotaping signals. I don't think it was ever a consideration.

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.

 

[Watson's IQ]

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.

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]

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.

What's "CBG"?

 

[JoeSixPat]

I love how you Pats fan continually attempt to rationalize this as being ok. Like you did nothing wrong. Slice it or dice it anyway you like but the reality is you were caught cheating.

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.

 

[Wax Frog]

It's just jealousy, and you need to just tune it out for your own sanity.

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