Pft: Despite Big Win, Cheating Scandal Persists

[Rob0729]

If you can step back for a second, would you be saying the same thing if this were happening to another team like the Dolphins, Jets, or Colts? Would everyone say they need to drop it or go get'em? I know it's really ****** when it's your team, but would eveyone still hold the same opinion?

If I knew that Florio was putting up selective information about the Jets, Dolphins, or Colts; I most definitely would feel the same way. I know he is a rumor mongeror, but I would hope he would be fair and balanced in the rumors he put out.

Even today, he put a post that league sources think there is a witch hunt against the Pats. He mention that in the first paragraph and then spends the rest of the article to bash the Pats.

 

[questionman]

If I knew that Florio was putting up selective information about the Jets, Dolphins, or Colts; I most definitely would feel the same way. I know he is a rumor mongeror, but I would hope he would be fair and balanced in the rumors he put out.

Even today, he put a post that league sources think there is a witch hunt against the Pats. He mention that in the first paragraph and then spends the rest of the article to bash the Pats.

The only reason I'm asking is over the summer PFT seemed very positive regarding Patriots' items and everyone loved them, espicially when they little digs in on Manning and company. That's why I was asking if people would still love PFT if the focus was on another team.

 

[PonyExpress]

Two thoughts.

First, my read on Goodell is this. He is an attorney and responded to the charge against the Patriots as a judge would. He has never stated he would pull a Congress and look into any or every historical claim (claims, by the way, which are very hard to prove as the evidence tends to be witness statements rather than hard video evidence), he addressed the charged illegal videotaping violation and nothing more. His statements about reserving the right to increase the punishment is also judge-like: if you perjure yourself in a proceeding or produce false evidence, a court holds you in contempt and adds punishment.

Second, any claims of further investigation do not fit the first proposition. Goodell wanted a deterrent for all teams, not just the Patriots. He repeatedly said that. He also wants this issue put to bed. As such, he would want all claims arising out of a single incident raised together and addressed through a single punishment. That serves the deterrent value and puts an end to a situation that is potentially damaging to the league's reputation rather than allowing the scenario to extend further into the season.

Any claims, such as those raised last night of a second Jets complaint on audio tape from the same game, would seem unlikely. That tape would be solid evidence just like video tape, and Goodell indicated last night he decided the case quickly because of the hard evidence and he wanted the statement made. If the Jets filed a second complaint after the matter was decided, the complaint would appear to be dissatisfaction with the punishment and an attempt to force Goodell's hand to hand out additional punishment. I suspect that would not be well received.

Goodell is not an attorney. He has never been an attorney. He went from college straight into the Jets PR department, and has been working PR in the league office since. He is a straw man in a suit.

 

[Rob0729]

The only reason I'm asking is over the summer PFT seemed very positive regarding Patriots' items and everyone loved them, espicially when they little digs in on Manning and company. That's why I was asking if people would still love PFT if the focus was on another team.

I was a big defender of Florio and PFT during the Moss and Seymour rumors right before the season started. I take his site for what it is, a rumor site with some commentary.

Since Spygate broke though, Florio has changed. He like many people in the media have taken the moral high ground and ignore most things that put the Pats in a positive light or the Jets or anyone else in a negative light. I don't care if he posts his opinions or that he posts unsubstantiated rumors. I just don't like that he cherry picks his information to push his agenda. He should have posted Tom Curran's nugget, but it makes the Jets look bad and the Pats a potential victim.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Although no one in the Patriots organization wants to be a Rat like Mangini, I think its time they leaked information about all the other teams that cheat to media outlets and even the playing field.

Numerous coaches and commentators have stepped forward and confirmed that what the Patriots did has been going on long before them on other teams.. and the media ignores it.

Take the gloves off - name names... if this is how Goodell wants to play, let's go for it. No need for us to take the high road anymore.

Manjudas is going to go down in NFL history as the guy who destroyed the credibility of the game by starting the domino effect of illustrating just how much "cheating" has gone on in the NFL for decades.

Nice job!

 

[sieglo]

Take the gloves off - name names... if this is how Goodell wants to play, let's go for it. No need for us to take the high road anymore.

Won't happen. Kraft is smart enough to realize the value of his team will crater if the league overall falls apart over this nonsense. So he won't go on the offensive.

 

[billpa]

And there's plenty of fodder for further investigation. On Sunday, Jerome Bettis of NBC suggested that cheating fueled the Pats' 2004 AFC title game win at Pittsburgh.

I'm sorry, but that's not fodder; some ex-player joining other ex-players of any team that was ever beaten by the Pats since 2000 and complaining that "I knew something was up".
I want those former (or current) players to have questions thrown at them the moment they insinuate the Pats "cheated".

Based on what?
Where's your evidence?
Why didn't you go to the league right away with your concerns?

It's ridiculous that the (broken down) "Bus" can say something like that with ZERO followup.
And it takes a hell of a lot of nerve to complain about an unfair game on national TV when you look at the officiating of that Superbowl they won against the Seahawks.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Tom Curren actually said it best on Friday when he picked against the Pats - national media write for their audience. Spygate is increasing ratings and web site hits exponentially. As long as it does, it will continue to be a story. Eventually the rest of the audience will become annoyed with it for the simple fact it focuses attention on US. Then, it will stop.

The person who can make it all go away sooner is Roger Goodell. And as Michael Holley just said on WEEI he better start thinking about what he wants the spin to be on the day after the Superbowl, just in case he ends up handing another Lombardi to BB.

Goodell surely never intended for this to take the turn it did even if he has personal issues with BB or a bureaucrats naivete about how the game has been played dating back to leather helmet days. But he has allowed others to control the spin on this story, probably at this point much to his chagrin. Michael finally brought the issue of the leaked tape to the table. Said it raises problems for Goodell on a couple of levels. Not the least of which is it was leaked to only one of the leagues TV partners, and the other 4 are likely berserk over that.

He needs to start flexing his muscle with the competition committee, which is clearly the source of the majority of leaks across the board attributable to league sources. A good idea would be to institute a couple of new policies including requiring each member of any league sanctioned committee to sign a confidentiality agreement that stipulates any leaks of league related discussions or information they are privy to as a result of their service will result in a members immediate suspension/removal from the committee. The committee should serve on a rotational basis almost like jury duty. Don't want to spend the time on it? Tough, you will serve a 2 term whenever your name or teams number comes up. You want to serve on it perpetually? Tough, that opens up the league to criticism that agendas are being driven and influence is being pedaled.

Disgruntled former players and others in the media need to take note that by and large former (and some present) coaches - including their own in some cases - are considerably more reticent to continue pushing this agenda or make broad attempts to connect the dots in an attempt to pile on. There is a reason for that, and it's pretty obvious. They no if push comes to shove, there are lots of dots waiting to be connected where there past activities are concerned.

How he handles things going forward will define Goodell's tenure. Could yet result in his Waterloo.