- Joined
- Apr 3, 2006
- Messages
- 26,109
- Reaction score
- 52,116
Feel free to add to the list:
Illegally filming opponents from unauthorized locations (while being the first violator and deserving punishment in the case of the Jets, while being the second violator and expecting no punishment in the case of the Patriots)
NYJFL - 2006, two months after the NFL sent its infamous memo to prevent teams from filming signals (funny they would send that out if it weren't widespread, right?), the Jets were caught using illegally placed cameras in a game against the Patriots. The Patriots had the Jets cameraman removed for the clear violation, which was confirmed by multiple published reports.
Punishment - None
Patriots - Spygate!!!!!!!!! The Patriots did almost the exact same thing, the only difference being their camera was placed on the sideline and not the endzone. In both cases, the teams attempted to circumvent the rules in what many would call gamesmanship, unless you are the the Jets opponent and not the Jets.
Punishment - Loss of 2008 First-Round Draft Choice, 500,000 fine for Kraft and 250,000 fine for Belichick.
Altering (while disproven in the case of the Patriots, while proven in the case of the Jets) a football to gain a competitive advantage
NYJFL - In 2009, the NYJ were caught red handed in trying to use unauthorized equipment to prepare a game ball for Jets kicker, Jay Feely.
Punishment - The NFL suspended the employee (acknowledging wrongdoing) but did not sanction the Jets. Feely himself did not even receive a fine, nor was he asked to turn over his cell phone and emails, nor was the team investigated using electronic surveillance technology. No fines, investigations, follow-ups, or even public acknowledgement of the issue.
Patriots - Deflategate!!!!!!! The Patriots likely did not even alter footballs but were guilty of being on the wrong end of a hatchet job by former Jets employees in the league office. Jay Feely fought for Brady and testified to Judge Berman that the NFL hardly even cared about the tampering, let alone launched a $20M crusade against the Jets.
Punishment - The Patriots were given the loss of a First and Fourth Round Draft Pick and fined 1,000,000 in the stiffest penalty in NFL history.
Tampering with a player (while as a free agent in the case of the Chiefs, while as property of another team in the case of the Jets)
NYJFL - The Jets blatantly violated the letter of the law when Woody Johnson made public statements that he wished to have Darrelle Revis back. At that time, Revis was of course under contract with the Patriots, making this the worst type of tampering, since Revis was not a free agent in a waiting period. Johnson's comments were specifically prohibited and almost an exact match to prohibited phrases that were written in the rulebook that constitute tampering.
Punishment - The Jets were given a 100,000 fine, acknowledging they broke the rules. Although Revis is one of the league's best players and the Jets clearly tampered with him and LATER SIGNED HIM, the Patriots were given no compensation. Past precedent clearly dictated the Jets should swap or give draft picks to the Patriots.
Chiefs - It has been widely reported that the "legal tampering" period is somewhat of a joke, with teams constantly violating the rules during the time when players are free agents but can't officially negotiate. The Chiefs were singled out for contacting Jeremy Maclin directly instead of contacting his agent. In the case of the Chiefs, though, they did not tamper with Maclin while he was under contract with another team, which should certainly mean their punishment would be less than the Jets.
Punishment - The Chiefs were fined a total of 350,000 and forfeited Third and Sixth Round Draft Picks in a draconian measure that vastly exceeds the punishment the Jets were given for doing something worse. It might help to understand the Jets had been publicly (in a tampering kind of way) leaking reports since 2014 that they were targeting Maclin.
Illegally filming opponents from unauthorized locations (while being the first violator and deserving punishment in the case of the Jets, while being the second violator and expecting no punishment in the case of the Patriots)
NYJFL - 2006, two months after the NFL sent its infamous memo to prevent teams from filming signals (funny they would send that out if it weren't widespread, right?), the Jets were caught using illegally placed cameras in a game against the Patriots. The Patriots had the Jets cameraman removed for the clear violation, which was confirmed by multiple published reports.
Punishment - None
Patriots - Spygate!!!!!!!!! The Patriots did almost the exact same thing, the only difference being their camera was placed on the sideline and not the endzone. In both cases, the teams attempted to circumvent the rules in what many would call gamesmanship, unless you are the the Jets opponent and not the Jets.
Punishment - Loss of 2008 First-Round Draft Choice, 500,000 fine for Kraft and 250,000 fine for Belichick.
Altering (while disproven in the case of the Patriots, while proven in the case of the Jets) a football to gain a competitive advantage
NYJFL - In 2009, the NYJ were caught red handed in trying to use unauthorized equipment to prepare a game ball for Jets kicker, Jay Feely.
Punishment - The NFL suspended the employee (acknowledging wrongdoing) but did not sanction the Jets. Feely himself did not even receive a fine, nor was he asked to turn over his cell phone and emails, nor was the team investigated using electronic surveillance technology. No fines, investigations, follow-ups, or even public acknowledgement of the issue.
Patriots - Deflategate!!!!!!! The Patriots likely did not even alter footballs but were guilty of being on the wrong end of a hatchet job by former Jets employees in the league office. Jay Feely fought for Brady and testified to Judge Berman that the NFL hardly even cared about the tampering, let alone launched a $20M crusade against the Jets.
Punishment - The Patriots were given the loss of a First and Fourth Round Draft Pick and fined 1,000,000 in the stiffest penalty in NFL history.
Tampering with a player (while as a free agent in the case of the Chiefs, while as property of another team in the case of the Jets)
NYJFL - The Jets blatantly violated the letter of the law when Woody Johnson made public statements that he wished to have Darrelle Revis back. At that time, Revis was of course under contract with the Patriots, making this the worst type of tampering, since Revis was not a free agent in a waiting period. Johnson's comments were specifically prohibited and almost an exact match to prohibited phrases that were written in the rulebook that constitute tampering.
Punishment - The Jets were given a 100,000 fine, acknowledging they broke the rules. Although Revis is one of the league's best players and the Jets clearly tampered with him and LATER SIGNED HIM, the Patriots were given no compensation. Past precedent clearly dictated the Jets should swap or give draft picks to the Patriots.
Chiefs - It has been widely reported that the "legal tampering" period is somewhat of a joke, with teams constantly violating the rules during the time when players are free agents but can't officially negotiate. The Chiefs were singled out for contacting Jeremy Maclin directly instead of contacting his agent. In the case of the Chiefs, though, they did not tamper with Maclin while he was under contract with another team, which should certainly mean their punishment would be less than the Jets.
Punishment - The Chiefs were fined a total of 350,000 and forfeited Third and Sixth Round Draft Picks in a draconian measure that vastly exceeds the punishment the Jets were given for doing something worse. It might help to understand the Jets had been publicly (in a tampering kind of way) leaking reports since 2014 that they were targeting Maclin.
