NFL's Goodell Proposes Crackdown on Cheating

[IcyPatriot]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR2008030603654.html

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants the league to conduct unannounced inspections of locker rooms, stadium press boxes and in-game communications equipment, and to lower the standard of proof needed for him to impose penalties on a team or person for cheating, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

The proposals were among a series of changes Goodell wants implemented before next season "to preserve the competitive integrity of the game" and "maintain public confidence" in the sport, according to the memo, which he sent to the league's competition committee yesterday.

 

[IcyPatriot]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR2008030603654.html

Goodell wrote: "This will include spot checks of club facilities, including team locker rooms; press boxes and coaches booths; coach-to-quarterback and other in-stadium communication systems . . . and enhanced monitoring of team practices. Many of these checks will be virtually unannounced and clubs would be expected fully to cooperate with this effort."
One person familiar with Goodell's proposals said the new threshold for imposing punishment for a rule violation would be closer to a preponderance of the evidence than beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking," Goodell wrote. "I believe we should reconsider the standard of proof to be applied in such cases, and make it easier for a competitive violation to be established. And where a violation is shown, I intend to impose more stringent penalties on both the club and the responsible individual(s). I will also be prepared to make greater use of draft choice forfeiture in appropriate cases. I believe this will have the effect of deterring violations and making people more willing to report violations on a timely basis."

Monitoring of practices is nuts ... Polian would know everything he has ever wanted to know ... legal cheating to become law in the NFL ... give me a break.

 

[RayClay]

"Too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking,"

Hmmmm...... What does that mean? We were certainly punished.

 

[PonyExpress]

Goodell must go.

 

[spacecrime]

impose penalties on a team or person for cheating

The penaties for cheating had better start with a first round pick for the team and a half million for the coach.

 

[signbabybrady]

good....If he is gonna bring down on us he better follow up like this and crack down on it. And he should punish anyone he catches equally. If he does and ends all the little games that are played with bending rules than the league will be better off. But if he is just posturing and trying to instill fear and not follow thru than f him even more.

 

[Topher]

A) thanks for the heads up on that one, Rodger

B) it becomes clearer everyday that the Pats were used to make an example to others / save face with public

C) unfortunately, other teams will likely be much more careful with their activities going forward, meaning the Pats will carry the lone stigma of being "cheaters"

 

[maverick4]

This guy Goodell is such a little child in over his head.

 

[hwc]

Maybe the Boy Wonder could start with hammering the Eagles for tampering in the Samuel negotiation?

 

[signbabybrady]

Maybe the Boy Wonder could start with hammering the Eagles for tampering in the Samuel negotiation?

or parcells with smiley

ohh by the way parcells has been pullin crap for years and stuff worse than tampering

 

[ALP]

Maybe the Boy Wonder could start with hammering the Eagles for tampering in the Samuel negotiation?

or investigating stadiums "alleged" fake crowd noise...

 

[BostonBullit]

wonder if this includes unannounced monitoring of staduim PA systems during games. If it does it's interesting that he proposes to start the practice next season, immediately after some stadiums are being replaced....

 

[jmt57]

Goodell is biting off more than he can chew. Or perhaps he is saying this to quiet the critcs of his destruction of the tapes? Unless Goodell is taking this approach to fend off Specter and the spygate controversy, he may be starting a war on two flanks, which does not usually end up well.

First, there have been many comments and links on other threads that attempts to uncover what the other team is doing has a very long history in the NFL. He tried to stem it when the Jets complained back in September, and it created a furor that he was not prepared to handle.

Second, the Spygate story appears to be dying. If that is the case, then why would he make this announcement now?

Third, in another thread there is written a theory that Comcast is using espn to go after the Patriots due to Kraft's being on the NFL's television committee. The four letter network wants to squash a would be competitor, the NFLN and at the same time Comcast wants the Sunday ticket. There's a lot of opinion and assumptions, but the theory certainly makes sense.
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=79211

Fourth, in conjunction with the paragraph above is the theory that the Pats are "freezing out" espn. A lot of opinion and no hard facts, but the dots do connect.
http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=79158

Fifth, if Goodell is going to take these measures, is he going to do the same with other rules violations? Is he going to have his team arrive announced and take a look at e-mails and phone calls to players that were signed 21 minutes after they became free agents, for example? A memo was sent to all teams about tampering, is that going to be enforced just as vigorously? Will he enforce the rule that Parcells is apparently breaking in asking BC for tapes of Matt Ryan?


Back to my original statement, I think Goodell may be in over his head. It appears that right now he needs to concentrate on the NFLN/comcast and the espn/patriots situations, which may very well be related in one great big back room hardball big bucks negotiation. Or maybe Goodell is doing this to throw the media a bone and divert attention away from the real story.

I know this is a whole lot of conjecture right now - which we are well aware of how that works - but I do have two theories. First, I'm willing to listen, but right now I want some more proof about the comcast/espn conspiracy against the nfln and the pats. Second, I do believe that Goodell is in over his head, based simply on the fact that these stories are coming to light and being taken seriously (as well as the botched handling of spygate.)


Sorry for the long ramble, I'm just typing as all these things come to mind ...

 

[Deus Irae]

low standard of proof, increased surveillance, minimal due process, power concentrated into the hands of one office, and one man.......

Commissioner Clouseau strikes again.

 

[Joker]

remember...former Rat employee...I don't trust him...I will NEVER trust him...I hope Kraft lets him hang out to dry.

 

[GPR11788]

Goodell wanted to put spygate to rest, but it is Specter who is pushing for all this.

I just hate it when politicians trying to get a vote, over blow issues.

 

[DarrylS]

I agree the NFL is going down a slippery slope they do not need to, except to appease Specter.. the whole article is called cheating, not rules violation another effort at trying to keep this thing going and incensing the misinformed.

On the other hand, in a subsequent press conference, Goodell said:

These new rules on cheating apply to every team except the Indianopolis Colts.. our loyal, devoted comrade Bill Polian has had enough to deal with the past couple of years and we do not suspect him of doing anything wrong, the famous dome crowd noise was a product of CBS.

 

[BSR]

And there are certainly no privacy concerns regarding the commissioner's office and their access to team practices and the like. Its not like the office leaks secret information on a constant basis. Oh wait...

The incompetance continues.

 

[edzo44]

low standard of proof, increased surveillance, minimal due process, power concentrated into the hands of one office, and one man.......

Commissioner Clouseau strikes again.

"Commissioner Clouseau " - - - absolutely Perfect!?!?

 

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