End of the "cheating" debate -- from the horse's mouth

[PatsFanInVa]

Whalers, that is why I am currently pissed, whereas I was originally okay with it. Basically I saw it as Goodell's call as to how severely to punish the Pats. From everybody else I knew, I could tell the rest of the country was in a lather, as if this explained all NE's winning, and as if no other cheating of any sort had ever happened (tampering, collusion this year, other taping, etc.)

I knew we would have to take the hit, and then move on.

Now we see all this crap surfacing every day with some clown trying to cash in either politically or financially by reanimating the corpse of this thing.

The whole deal with accepting the league punishment was, "Okay, League rule, league punishment. Tough titties, accept it and move on."

Now they want to change it to "unlimited punishment." So of course I'm p.o.'d.

Of course that puts Goodell in the corner of "League rule, league punishment," and ditto the competition committee (even if they do have to take a swipe or two on the way to playing ball.)

PFnV

 

[mb6592]

The problem with this approach is that it's a false concession on something that doesn't matter in dealing with the second issue.

While I see where PatsFaninVA wants to go, I tend to agree with your reluctance to cede this point. When people go around yelling "the Pats cheated," it has a quite different feel than if they were yelling, "the Pats violated a rule." This, "Pats cheated" thing, is fueling the whole mess.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Okay - if "everyone" doesn't do it we should make a list of teams that "do" who were caught or admitting to "cheating"

Dolphins
Bears
Chiefs
Raiders
Bronocos


who else?

 

[BradyFTW!]

One of the Steelers' conditioning trainers was caught in a steroids ring, does that count? Seems like the definition of a smoking gun, to me.

The 49ers violated the salary cap.

The Titans and Colts had a prearranged agreement on the outcome of a game with playoff implications.

 

[SVN]

I think the point he is trying to make by saying end of the "cheating" debate is that stealing defensive signals shouldn't be considered "cheating," as Fisher says "There’s not a bylaw against sitting up in a press box and taking notes with a binoculars as fast as you can."

As we all know the Patriots have been criticized in the mainstream media and labeled as "cheaters" because they stole defensive signals not because of the manner in which they did it. When Marcellus Wiley, Mark Schreleth, John Clayton, Steve Young, Sen Specter, etc get on TV and say it's a big advantage to know your opponenets defensive signals and how this is shocking and something they never heard of they are flat out lying. As Fisher mentioned above, it's ok to steal your opponenets defensive signals in any manner other than videotaping, "....there is a bylaw as far as videotaping signals and that is the issue." So the Patriots violated a competitive rule and were punished for it. This is closer to a holding penalty then it is an issue that should be investigated by senators. Just like offensive linemen are allowed to use their hands as long as they keep them to the inside of a defenders body, the Patriots are allowed to "steal" defensive signals. But when the OL's hands get to the outside of the defender's body, it's a no-no, just like it is for the Pats to have used the videotape. What he is trying to say is that this story should be over and done with, yet it's become a national issue and debate.

thats the sad part. no one talks about actual stealing of signals vs use of cameras which was the issue here.just because its the patriots.