- Joined
- Feb 8, 2005
- Messages
- 43,554
- Reaction score
- 24,138
Whether he is or not, he will certainly be remembered around here for eternity.
While I feel today's events have ended this saga, I am still a little frustrated by how the Patriots handled it from the start. One thing I know is, when you get caught, just apologize and move on. Being smug only brings the hammer down harder...and THAT is what the mediots have done to BB.
After reading the 'rules' in Mike Reiss's Mailbag, I too feel that BB should have just said "I'm Sorry" vs. justifying his interpretation. The rule is about as clearcut as a STOP sign. I'd be the same if you told the police, "Officer, I thought it meant to just be ready to stop...you know...in case if any cars are coming."
First of all, you really don't know what you are talking about. BB didn't try to JUSTIFY anything. He told Goodell what his interpretation of the rule was because that is what Goodell asked him. BB wasn't being smug and its foolish of you to think so.
Sorry, but the rule regarding taping is NOT as clear cut as a stop sign. And anyone with a brain can look at the way the rules are written and CLEARLY come to two different interpretations of the rule. If you believe that it is clear, then you are clearly not reading the entire rule. Particularly the part where it says,
. Or, if you DID read it, you chose to ignore it.that might aid a team during the playing of a game
Also, if your frustrated with the Patriots handling of the situation, you should be quadrupoly frustrated with the handling of the situation by Goodell. Because, in reality, what the Patriots did was not nearly as egregious as the salary cap violations by the 49ers and Broncos or the steroid use by the same said Broncos and the Steelers of the 70's.
As was stated today by Goodell, Walsh kept the tapes for the entirety of the games and did not give them to Ernie Adams until after the game was completed. So, in that sense, the Patriots did NOT violate the By-laws because the tapes weren't viewed until after the games.
The biggest problem here is that the Jets were not handed any penalty for their taping of the same game. Nor were they handed a penalty for the game from last year. And if you don't know what I am talking about, just do some research on this board. There were several major threads on the fact that the Jets were doing the exact same thing during the same game. And there were pictures to PROVE IT.
There is another point that Mike Reiss alludes to in that same mail bag. The statement in the memo was not included as changes into the Constitution and Bylaws. They should have been. They weren't. So, for the Patriots to be punished for the NFL's mistake is actually pretty lame. In fact, in a court of law, the standing rule would hold power over the memo. Not the other way around.
Last edited: