Mike Freeman : Why Pete carroll gets a pass but belichick doesnt ?

[SVN]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...0-point-stance-whats-wrong-with-aaron-rodgers

Why is Pete Carroll not viewed as a cheater like Bill Belichick?
Rhetorical question.

The Seahawks were fined for the second time in three years for running afoul of a fairly serious rule in the collective bargaining agreement: violating contact rules in offseason practices.

Coaches may complain about the rule. They may hate it. Some players might not even like it, but it remains one of the most important changes the league ever made to protect players. The amount of contact during offseason drills is limited. There are a number of reasons the league made the change, but foremost among them was the desire to limit the amount of head trauma that players suffer. It's an imperfect rule, but it's a sensible one.

Carroll has shown no respect for it, as the NFL punished him a second time for violating it. The league fined the Seahawks $400,000 and docked a fifth-round draft pick from them, while Carroll was fined $200,000.

Yet where are the diatribes detailing how Carroll breaks the rules? Belichick is genuinely regarded (wrongly so) by many non-Patriots fans as a cheater. (You should see my Twitter timeline whenever I say something positive about him—or check the comments section for this story.) But Carroll generally isn't seen that way. What he has done in the NFL—and we won't even get into what he did at USC—is worse than anything the Patriots did.

New England was punished for videotaping other teams' sidelines (something everyone did) and puffing and stuffing footballs (something everyone did). This isn't to justify it or relitigate it (and I originally blasted the Patriots for Deflategate) but this is what happened.

Carroll has now twice undercut the spirit of a rule designed to protect the long-term health of his players. So why doesn't he get the same level of vitriol that Belichick does?

Easy answer.

Carroll is liked by many in the media; Belichick isn't. Carroll is generally liked by the league office; Belichick is hated. Belichick hasn't helped himself ("We're on to Cincinnati"), but he's been at odds with those two powerful forces for a long time. And as a result, both the media and the league have shaped Belichick as a cheating ogre, while Carroll—mostly—has gotten a pass from both.

Maybe people will now look at Carroll with the same critical eye that's applied to Belichick.

 

[brdmaverick]

I think the reason is obvious, the infractions just have a different 'feel' to them.

Tinkering with one's ability to play better using outside factors such as 'taking illegal drugs, deflating footballs, or using stick em' just feels a lot harsher and more deceptive than someone 'practicing more than their alloted amount'.

Sure they both get categorized as cheating but I'll give the public and the media a pass for looking at these differently.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

belecheat will always be hated by the league office because of how good he is.

**** the Seahags. SB49 seems sweeter now.

 

[Gronk]

He's just so fiery! What a ball coach!

 

[oldrover]

https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

 

[Nikolai]

SMY is right. BB's "cantankerous" nature at press conferences hasn't bought him a lot of wasta with the media. Also, we win more than the Seahawks.

I don't care, though...ehhhh...

 

[Danger Zone]

Goodell and the NFL home office isnt filled with ex-49ers maybe?

 

[Froob]

What did Pete do at USC? Was it just paying players? Reggie Bush was not exactly discrete lmao. **** the NCAA for trying to villainize him. I'd take the money and the car too and not suffer an ounce of guilt.

 

[IllegalContact]

 

[Koma]

I think the reason is obvious, the infractions just have a different 'feel' to them.

Tinkering with one's ability to play better using outside factors such as 'taking illegal drugs, deflating footballs, or using stick em' just feels a lot harsher and more deceptive than someone 'practicing more than their alloted amount'.

Sure they both get categorized as cheating but I'll give the public and the media a pass for looking at these differently.

I'm not sure it's people feeling differently about the events, but more of who is doing them. If the Patriots were practicing outside the mandated guidelines (longer practices, contact when there shouldn't be any, padded practices when no pads are allowed, etc), it would be treated as a big deal. We would hear things like "No wonder their offense functions so well. They're practicing 8 hours a week when everyone else stops at 6" or "Of course their line is able to protect the QB and run block, they're having padded, contact practices when other teams can't" It would be looked at as a huge advantage. When the Seahawks do it, not so much.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: What's Wrong with Aaron Rodgers?

Stinky Pete will always skate without any damage to his persona. He has this "Cool Dad" thing going that even though his may have some faults, people just want to like him.

The press and the league office want BB portrayed as the second coming of Pablo Escobar.

Madness.

 

[zydecochris]

SMY is right. BB's "cantankerous" nature at press conferences hasn't bought him a lot of wasta with the media. Also, we win more than the Seahawks.

I don't care, though...ehhhh...

I don't understand why they don't just use Gronk as BB's press secretary. He would be entertaining, the media would get lots of quotes, everyone would be happy.

....Until we got fined a first round draft pick for violating some newly made up rule by the NFL.

 

[archstanton543]

Easy. Because he's plays the media's game and gives them great soundbites each week.

Next question.

 

[archstanton543]

The hell is "puffing and stuffing" footballs?

 

[Nehalem]

I'm not sure it's people feeling differently about the events, but more of who is doing them. If the Patriots were practicing outside the mandated guidelines (longer practices, contact when there shouldn't be any, padded practices when no pads are allowed, etc), it would be treated as a big deal. We would hear things like "No wonder their offense functions so well. They're practicing 8 hours a week when everyone else stops at 6" or "Of course their line is able to protect the QB and run block, they're having padded, contact practices when other teams can't" It would be looked at as a huge advantage. When the Seahawks do it, not so much.

Considering that Seattle is averaging 7.5 points a game this season I think I can see why no one is saying that about Seattle

 

[fair catch fryar]

One major point that the writer doesn't even seem to mention is the fact that "deflategate" had nothing to do with BB. Even the NFL cleared him for it.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

"That's football."

-John Clayton

 

[DarrylS]

It is obvious that Carroll likes to gently massage the testicles of the press with warm baby oil..

BB does not.. and he is viewed as a cantankerous bastard with complete disdain for the press, not that I disagree with him. Every time he is on the podium he knows there are places he would rather be and things he would rather be doing except babysitting the press....

 

[The Gr8est]

Considering that Seattle is averaging 7.5 points a game this season I think I can see why no one is saying that about Seattle

Kind of like when the Denver Broncos, the 5-11 Denver Broncos, we're fined $100,000 for taping the 49ers walkthrough, AFTER Cameraplacement/"WeJustCan'tBeatThePatriotsGate".

 

[oldrover]

BB's "cantankerous" nature at press conferences hasn't bought him a lot of wasta with the media.

To the media: