Well I do know this:
The punishment outstripped the actual offense, which we all saw thanks to Fox and which Goodell stated he believed was not used for gaining in game advantage. It was a freakin procedural rules infraction, only it was punished based on the hystrionics of mediots and jealous coaches and players former and present not to mention a few fans who have likely broken more than a few procedural rules of their own. Which histrionics included all manner of anonymous or unsubstantiated allegations for which at least one media whacko is still looking for further retribution.
If this topic makes you want to puke, why don't you just stay away from it.
Okay, Mo, I take it back. The topic is fun. The attitudes on the other side are just this side of incomprehensible to me; for others here: it's precisely the inability of my fellow Pats fans to remove their own bias when discussing this which nauseates me.
I have no interest in discussing who is the "herd" (fellow Pats fans, or the national herd/media,) and who is the "critical thinker," unless said discussion goes beyond namecalling to a viewpoint remotely resembling one based in objective reality. There is such a thing, after all.
Do this board's denizens believe that the same evidentiary standard is attained by quoting a media report from an un-named coach, as is attained via in-game confiscation of tape and camera?
I suppose I am with the "herd" on this one. The "herd" seems to believe being caught red-handed is more compelling than hearsay and rumor.
The "herd" says we got off too easy. The "mediots" say we got off too easy. Only Pats fans say they threw the book at us.
The difference seems to be that Pats fans still do not believe we cheated. They want to draw artificial lines and split hairs. Obviously, weaker opponents want asterisks -- the Colts, for example, will have nothing to say after their one-and-done-not-a-run, other than "we did it fair and square, hey diddley ho, neighbor!" The Bolts had nothing to say except "if they ain't cheatin, they ain't tryin'..." until they came to Foxborough. The Steelers and Eagles and Panthers are all lining up for their rings for
losing.
That crap is the only thing uglier than our own local aversion to standing up, admitting it happened, we did it, and we need to move on.
How does the topic come up? Usually just one more clown attempting to either make the topic go away via tortured analogy, or attempting to stretch the camera thing into the "reason" for the Patriots' supremacy.
I do notice that in the last 2 weeks, success on the field has effectively stifled the "they only win by cheating" bullcrap. That is because it supplies evidence to the contrary of the theory that during the last 6 years, the edge in games came from this camera thing.
("It was like they were in our huddle"....) Um, news flash, it still is. Uh-ohhhh.
Okay, so those ***clowns are fading away. But what do we do in Patsland? Just keep on trying to make something ELSE the equivalent of the Pats/Goodell "conviction". Just keep on hating Goodell. Meanwhile, elsewhere they think Goodell cut a sweatheart deal with Kraft/BB.
Am I the only one that sees how assinine this is? Basically Goodell, faced with a
lot of hard evidence, after sending around a memo, acted in defense of his own office in this instance. He probably DOES view the infraction as major, but he ALSO knows he
just got done addressing this exact behavior.
It's like if I have 20 employees, and I say (irrationally,) "Everybody must break for lunch at 12:00 on the dot, no exceptions." I send a memo to all 20 reminding them of their lunch break time.
One guy decides to work through lunch the next day, then break at 12:30 the day after that and get back to work at 12:45. Then the next day I walk right by him at 1, as he is walking out the door, proclaiming "I'M GOING TO LUNCH GUYS, I DON'T CARE WHAT THE BOSS SAYS!"
It is immaterial that he isn't "bad" or "stealing," because he takes
less company time.
He is visibly and publicly flouting my directive.
Even though it's a STUPID policy, blind to personal differences; and even though he at least is on the clock more than other guys (and we're going to just assume is motivated and productive,) and even though he will just plain skip lunch to work, and even though let's say there are "rumors" of some people that break from 12-1, even though it's supposed to be a half hour break -- even so,
this guy is flouting his opposition to my authority.
All the rumored "other" bad break behaviour is empowered if he is allowed to do so.
WTF do you
expect to happen in such a scenario?
Get over the dire talk of how the punishment was too strong, that's my advice. Get over the bullcrap about the league "stealing" our first round pick. They docked it, for an offense they cited, and for which
our brass took full responsibility.
The facts are not in dispute. We broke the rules. We have accepted the consequences of losing a 1st rounder.
Nobody but the fans are arguing this outcome. Nobody on the team talks about a "stolen" draft pick. They are out to prove on the field, every week, that their winning was about better coaching, play, and dedication than you find elsewhere.
The team's not talking about the taping, because
it happened. They're not talking much at all... but the attitude is, "you thought we were winning games because of that camera thing? You gotta be kiddin' me. THIS is why we win games..."
And about this "Stolen" pick terminology? WE COMMITTED A PUNISHIBLE INFRACTION. THE LEAGUE PUNISHED US. The punishment was not outside the limits set on the commissioner's discretion, he made sure of that. So the punishment itself is a legal way to address an UNCONTESTED INFRACTION. THERE IS NO "STOLEN" DRAFT PICK... we were penalized a draft pick.
Critical thinking indeed. Do the facts have
any bearing on the homer perspective? It seems easily as impervious to factual comment as the perspective of "the media" and fans elsewhere.
It might be instructive for Pats fans to understand that "the herd" does not just apply to large groups who disagree with you. It applies to large groups that agree with you as well.
PFnV
