OT: Shawne Merriman accuses the Seahawks of cheating

[Rob0729]

From his chat on ESPN.com:

Rick (Houston): Which road crowd is the loudest?

Shawne Merriman: Probably Seattle. They're the loudest I've played in because they have extra microphones and speakers that make the crowd sound louder.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=19650

So he accused the Seahawks of pumping in crowd noise. Pretty serious allegation that will get ignored by ESPN and the media.

 

[primetime]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

Whatever, at this point I don't care. The Patriots shouldn't have been punished for a minor infraction, but to constantly harp on other teams for minor infractions is just pedantic and annoying.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

Hasn't Roidboy heard the phrase, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? It just seems ironic that he of all people would cry wolf.
Although I wouldn't be surprised if it were true, obviously Indy has been getting away with it for years, why shouldn't the Seahawks?

 

[Rob0729]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

Whatever, at this point I don't care. The Patriots shouldn't have been punished for a minor infraction, but to constantly harp on other teams for minor infractions is just pedantic and annoying.

Why? I think as long as the Pats are persecuted on a political witchhunt, it is important to bring attention of other disgressions. The more these things come to light, the more Specter, ESPN, and others cannot treat the Pats are evil and the only team that has ever "cheated" in the NFL.

The local media and a few others read this board. It is important to bring these things to their attention.

 

[Caspir]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

If anyone would know about illegally gaining a competitive advantage, it's Merriman.

But, agreed with primetime. This ritual of, "Team X Did ____, Where's the Outrage?!" threads are lame.

 

[bigjunk1]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

This ritual of, "Team X Did ____, Where's the Outrage?!" threads are lame.

I may be in the minority here - but I love these threads! It helps fuel my moral indignation!
We got screwed. We are getting screwed. And we are going to continue to get screwed.
Pointing out and talking about how we were treated so unfairly compared to Team X and whatever infraction they might have commited won't accomplish anything but it does reinforce how how ridiculously the Pats were treated.

And maybe these truths will filter out to the rest of the world and some semblence of sanity will be restored to the NFL.

 

[otis p. driftwood]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

I may be in the minority here - but I love these threads! It helps fuel my moral indignation!
We got screwed. We are getting screwed. And we are going to continue to get screwed.
Pointing out and talking about how we were treated so unfairly compared to Team X and whatever infraction they might have commited won't accomplish anything but it does reinforce how how ridiculously the Pats were treated.

And maybe these truths will filter out to the rest of the world and some semblence of sanity will be restored to the NFL.

Agreed. The people who want to hide their heads in the sand and say "so what" (and not just about this but things in general) are only fostering an environment where more things are gotten away with.

 

[Watson's IQ]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

_____ accuse _______ of cheating!!!!! ESPN will ignore it!!!! OMFG everyone hates the Patriots!!!

The real victim in Spygate is critical thought.

 

[otis p. driftwood]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

_____ accuse _______ of cheating!!!!! ESPN will ignore it!!!! OMFG everyone hates the Patriots!!!

The real victim in Spygate is critical thought.

You care to explain just how you feel that's not critical thought?
Because logically, it works just fine.

 

[Watson's IQ]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

You care to explain just how you feel that's not critical thought?
Because logically, it works just fine.

Sure. There is a wide gap between something that was proven by the league and admitted by the Patriots and something Shawne Merriman (hardly an objective source) said in an internet chat. People make unfounded accusations like that constantly, and to take every single one and say "the NFL has to come down HARD on this, since they punished the Patriots" is ridiculous.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

_____ accuse _______ of cheating!!!!! ESPN will ignore it!!!! OMFG everyone hates the Patriots!!!

The real victim in Spygate is critical thought.

Well, considering the legitimate media has pretty universally ignored any other allegation of violating the rules or outright cheating, how is critical thought a victim here? It is just a statement of the reality of the situation.

Most of the media are not interested in getting to the truth about cheating in the NFL as they have taken the moral stance. They are about getting to get to the bottom of the Matt Walsh/spygate/Rams' walkthrough story and that is it.

If critical though is the victim, it is because people in the media have killed it among themselves. I don't think they hate the Patriots, but I do think they are singleminded towards spygate and hopes that it is true (but not because of their hatred to the Pats, but because they feel it would be the story of the decade). Many people in the media do ignore everything except anything that degregates the Patriots. When Mike Florio can even recognize it and points it out, you know there is something to it.

 

[Watson's IQ]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

Well, considering the legitimate media has pretty universally ignored any other allegation of violating the rules or outright cheating, how is critical thought a victim here? It is just a statement of the reality of the situation.

Most of the media are not interested in getting to the truth about cheating in the NFL as they have taken the moral stance. They are about getting to get to the bottom of the Matt Walsh/spygate/Rams' walkthrough story and that is it.

If critical though is the victim, it is because people in the media have killed it among themselves. I don't think they hate the Patriots, but I do think they are singleminded towards spygate and hopes that it is true (but not because of their hatred to the Pats, but because they feel it would be the story of the decade). Many people in the media do ignore everything except anything that degregates the Patriots. When Mike Florio can even recognize it and points it out, you know there is something to it.

I'm saying that Merriman stating something in an internet chat is a far cry away from the Patriots being caught red handed violating league rules. Now I agree with the consensus around here that both the NFL and the media went overboard on Spygate, and I wish it would stop as much as the next guy. But asking for a witch hunt every time there's even the slightest ripple like this is just going to make the problem worse, not better.

Whether we like it or not, the media is going to run their course on Spygate. All of us are hoping that whatever Walsh has or says is ultimately inconsequential, and I think that will ultimately be the case. But once it's run it's course, I don't want to be bitter and ask the NFL and the media to investigate every little claim Shawn Merriman or some other knucklehead makes, I just want it to go away so we can go back to enjoying football again, and not worrying about this garbage.

 

[Rob0729]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

Sure. There is a wide gap between something that was proven by the league and admitted by the Patriots and something Shawne Merriman (hardly an objective source) said in an internet chat. People make unfounded accusations like that constantly, and to take every single one and say "the NFL has to come down HARD on this, since they punished the Patriots" is ridiculous.

Wait. The Pats have been victims of scrutiny by the media for months on unfounded accusations from them jamming opposing team's radio communications to Matt Walsh having the videotape of the walkthrough which he and his attorney have never admitted he had and has only been speculated. The Super Bowl weekend was totally disrupted by an article from John Tomase that at this point is still an unfounded accusation.

A large portion of the media's coverage of everything Spygate have been reporting unfounded accusations and even speculations by the media. How is this different than what Merriman did?

 

[jeffbiologist]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

But why are all of you listening to a crybaby like Merriman?? Is there a bigger complainer in the league? Remember him sacking TN and Fisher says something like"someone get that guy"... What else is a coach to say? What else is a player to do? He doesnt like the fact that players are PAID TO HIT HIM, but its ok if he is paid to hit someone else...If it comes from someone reputable let me know, Merriman has lost all my respect when it comes to listening....I will watch him play, but I wont listen.

 

[Watson's IQ]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

Wait. The Pats have been victims of scrutiny by the media for months on unfounded accusations from them jamming opposing team's radio communications to Matt Walsh having the videotape of the walkthrough which he and his attorney have never admitted he had and has only been speculated. The Super Bowl weekend was totally disrupted by an article from John Tomase that at this point is still an unfounded accusation.

A large portion of the media's coverage of everything Spygate have been reporting unfounded accusations and even speculations by the media. How is this different than what Merriman did?

Has the NFL punished the Patriots based on any of the above? No. People can blame the Super Bowl loss on the Tomase hit job (and that's what it was) as much as they want, but you can color me unconvinced.

You're right that the media harps on the Patriots and treats the rest of the NFL like their [expletive] don't stink, but unless that actually translates into action by the NFL, who cares? The NFL's initial overreaction to it and the media's initial overreaction to it were two different things. I haven't heard the league itself calling for any additional investigation on this, and I believe that the only reason they're kicking the tires on Walsh is because they'd be accused of duplicity otherwise.

The media will continue to harp on it because Spygate pieces basically write themselves at this point and because it sells copy. That's what the media does. I'm not going to hope that they spend MORE time investigating shenanigans by other teams instead of actually covering football, that's the exact opposite of what I want. As long as the Patriots aren't punished further, than the media can do whatever they please (and they will).

 

[Rob0729]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

I'm saying that Merriman stating something in an internet chat is a far cry away from the Patriots being caught red handed violating league rules. Now I agree with the consensus around here that both the NFL and the media went overboard on Spygate, and I wish it would stop as much as the next guy. But asking for a witch hunt every time there's even the slightest ripple like this is just going to make the problem worse, not better.

Whether we like it or not, the media is going to run their course on Spygate. All of us are hoping that whatever Walsh has or says is ultimately inconsequential, and I think that will ultimately be the case. But once it's run it's course, I don't want to be bitter and ask the NFL and the media to investigate every little claim Shawn Merriman or some other knucklehead makes, I just want it to go away so we can go back to enjoying football again, and not worrying about this garbage.

So it is ok for their to be a witch hunt against the Patriots for every little ripple. The Pats have been convicted by the media without a shread of evidence on a lot of things. I think it is only fair that the media treats every accusation the same.

If you get arrested for doing drugs. The police can't search your house on every rumor of more wrong doings. The media has used one incidence of rules violations to drudge up any accusation against the Pats and use it as validation to report every accusation levied against the Pats.

My personal take is if ESPN and the NY Times are going to report every accusation against the Pats, they MUST do the same with every team.

As for getting past this garbage and enjoying football, good luck with that. If Walsh says that he videotaped the walkthrough against the Rams even if he has no evidence, this isn't going away for a long, long time. Specter is going to use that to push for Senate hearings. People are kidding themselves that if Walsh has no evidence and it is just his word against the Pats word that the media and Specter who want this story to be true will not treat Walsh as an impeachable witness.

 

[Watson's IQ]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

So it is ok for their to be a witch hunt against the Patriots for every little ripple. The Pats have been convicted by the media without a shread of evidence on a lot of things. I think it is only fair that the media treats every accusation the same.

If you get arrested for doing drugs. The police can't search your house on every rumor of more wrong doings. The media has used one incidence of rules violations to drudge up any accusation against the Pats and use it as validation to report every accusation levied against the Pats.

I guess it's just a blessing to us that the media has no power to punish the Patriots. The NFL is the entity responsible for punishing or not punishing the Patriots, not the media. The court of public opinion matters very little on the actual field of play or when it comes to assessing how the Patriots should be dealt with.

And, let's admit it, the Patriots did break the rules. Whether you like it or not, that does invite a hell of a lot more scrutiny. Do I think the Patriots are any more dirty than plenty of other NFL franchises? No. Do I think they brought this on themselves by getting caught directly defying an NFL directive? Absolutely.

I don't want the media to become more paranoid and accusatory, I want them to become less so.

 

[BradyManny]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

Haven't we learned that it's not cheating unless the Patriots did it? :bricks:

 

[BradyManny]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

The real victim in Spygate is critical thought.

Perfectly stated.

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: OT: Shawne Merriman accuse the Seahawks of cheating

I guess it's just a blessing to us that the media has no power to punish the Patriots. The NFL is the entity responsible for punishing or not punishing the Patriots, not the media. The court of public opinion matters very little on the actual field of play or when it comes to assessing how the Patriots should be dealt with.

And, let's admit it, the Patriots did break the rules. Whether you like it or not, that does invite a hell of a lot more scrutiny. Do I think the Patriots are any more dirty than plenty of other NFL franchises? No. Do I think they brought this on themselves by getting caught directly defying an NFL directive? Absolutely.

I don't want the media to become more paranoid and accusatory, I want them to become less so.

Not everyone agrees with the notion that the Patriots broke the rules.