Possible Punishments: ESPN update 10:16 per Clayton

[AtivanPatsFan]

MODS sorry if this has been posted please feel free to merge:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=3014944

What could the punishment be?
Goodell must come down hard on this one because he clearly has evidence. ESPN has reported that Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks." That could mean a combination of a second-rounder and something else, maybe a fifth-rounder. The commissioner could push the penalty over two years, but he can't treat this lightly by just taking away a second-day draft choice. The Patriots are good. They had only two draft choices -- a first- and a second-round pick -- make the team this season. Fining them just a fourth-round choice wouldn't hurt them much.

So can we please end the possible suspension of BB and loss of first round picks for the love of creation.

 

[hodgey]

So now punishment is going to be distributed based upon the competency or achievements of a particu;ar team?

 

[Trot]

Doesn't Clayton remember this article (already posted) where he says, "Stealing signs is part of football?"

What a hypocrite. But I suppose we'll all have to get used to it until the penalty comes down.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2696227

 

[AtivanPatsFan]

And the worst part about it all is exactly that: WHAT the punishment WILL be.

Denver lost a 3rd round pick for salary cap fraud ( I suppose you could call it). If that is our penalty as well, so be it. Let's move onto the Chargers and put this meaningless pile of horse **** behind us.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

I don't like Pencilneck's reasoning. The penalty would need to be fair and appropriate from a precedent standpoint. Looking at how deep NE already is or how many choices they have next year punishes NE for running their business well and potentially unfairly punishes any future offenders.

Let's say Cleveland "cheats" later in the year. If you penalize NE a 2nd and 5th, as Pencilneck theorizes, you'd have to do the same to Cleveland. The punishment was chosen so that NE feels it, but would greatly hurt Cleveland.

This is all just conjecture, of course, and hopefully the NFL is more reasonable.

 

[stinkypete]

The Broncos lost a 3rd round pick for chronic violation of salary cap regulations.

I would consider this offense to be of about the same order as that.

Goodell is a fascist, and will come down harder than previous precedent may dictate.

Kraft is an influential owner, so some leeway may be given.

I feel a 3rd and a 5th is a good ballpark estimate of the penalty.

 

[Tunescribe]

This was good perspective from the same piece:

What will be the longterm effect on Belichick and the Patriots?
Although this is embarrassing, you can't take away what this franchise can do. They may have the best team in football. Robert Kraft is one of the league's best owners. The team has three Super Bowl rings and a great chance to get a fourth. Other great organizations have paid penalties for violating league rules. The Broncos lost a draft choice for violating the salary cap with John Elway. The Steelers once had to forfeit a third-round draft choice for working out in shoulder pads in the offseason. The Patriots may lose a draft choice or two. And whether or not the Patriots videotaped the Jets' defensive signals, Belichick won't be any less of a coach."

I felt better after reading this.

 

[Vern]

Don't you love how guys like Clayton, Curran, and others couple "this is serious" with "they will lose a real draft pick" but all the talking head idiots out there are ranting like anything other than some kind of franchise death penalty, forfeiture, or being forced to wear a scarlet CH for Cheater on their jersies would only begin to address the great EVIL that is the Patriots.

The range of reaction on this is just crazy.

I'm going with a BIG fine $1M and a 3rd round pick. The fine will be used to fund the inclusion of radio transmitters into helmets next year. The Krafts will then add some kind of censure of the director of scouting or whomever runs the advance team this camera guy worked for, along with some other feel good stuff like a voluntary team donation to fund new league initiatives - they're too good at that to guess at what it will be.

 

[BelichickFan]

That kind of penalty is B.S. - however - as long as we keep the two #1s we're OK - and a #2 isn't as bad as it sounds as the Raider #3 will be almost a #2. Crappy stuff but we're in such good shape it's liveable.

I was wondering how the NFL would deal with our great team having all these picks - now we know.

 

[AtivanPatsFan]

The Broncos lost a 3rd round pick for chronic violation of salary cap regulations.

I would consider this offense to be of about the same order as that.

Goodell is a fascist, and will come down harder than previous precedent may dictate.

Kraft is an influential owner, so some leeway may be given.

I feel a 3rd and a 5th is a good ballpark estimate of the penalty.

I agree completely with this. The following game vs. the Chargers will account significantly not only for home field advantage, but also for a vital first round bye.

I believe RG should make a decision as late as Wednesday night or Thursday morning regarding the accusations.

NONE of us have seen what is on the tape, so speculation is the only road we are treading currently. But action must be taken now. I want no distractions when playing the Chargers. Just vendetta.

 

[upstater1]

So now punishment is going to be distributed based upon the competency or achievements of a particu;ar team?

LOL, my answer is yes. Because that's what this is all about anyway. People just want to take us down. and to think, we haven't won a Super Bowl fo a while even. LOL.

 

[SVN]

This was good perspective from the same piece:

I felt better after reading this.

first somewhat +ve commentary i have read in a while

 

[mgteich]

We seem to be ready to believe that we will lose a couple of draft choices, with no consequences whatever for Belichick. Somehow, I don't think that this is the way it will come down.

 

[Bill's Girl]

So now punishment is going to be distributed based upon the competency or achievements of a particu;ar team?

I was thinking the same thing. Why isn't there any kind of concrete punishment for this infraction? Why is it arbitrary?

Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but if the NFL is looking for parity this would be a hell of a way to level the playing field.

 

[PromisedLand]

I actually thought this article was fairly well balanced and reasonable. There is a LOT of hysteria going around right now and this was the one piece that avoided falling into that trap.

 

[patpatriot]

We are going to win the Superbowl this year. It will start Sunday night when the Pats *crush* the Chargers. What will the headlines be like when the Pats win 48-10? Are they going to claim cheating then? Make no mistake about it. The Black Flag is going up for all the Pats opponents this season. I don't like it but that will be the only way to shut the weasels, pygmies, and sore losers.

 

[Tunescribe]

We seem to be ready to believe that we will lose a couple of draft choices, with no consequences whatever for Belichick. Somehow, I don't think that this is the way it will come down.

Why? Based on what? It's already been established that BB is not going to New York for a face-to-face with Goodell. Both Tomase and Clayton have contradicted Schefter on this. If you're going to offer doom-and-gloom conjecture, back it up with something significant. Or, just chill. Why borrow trouble unnecessarily???

 

[Rob0729]

So if the Raiders were caught doing it, an appropriate punishment for them would be taking away a compensatory seventh rounder? I'm sorry, the success of the Patriots and the likelihood of a second day pick making the roster should not have any bearing on the decision. The Pats should be treated the same as the Raiders if they were accused of this crime.

As for Clayton's logic, it is faulty anyway. If you look at the Patriots' way of doing things, the Pats could easily trade away a fourth in next year's draft for a third in the 2009 draft. Also, if they wanted to move up a place or two in the first round, they may need one or two of their second day picks to move up. To say that the Pats' second day picks have no value to the Patriots is just misinformed.

There are a lot of bad analysts out there, but John Clayton is one of the worst. He really should just stick to reporting the news and leave his opinions out of it.

 

[mgteich]

If you don't want to discuss speculation, then don't. That's your choice. Of course, we all should all wait until after Friday's hearing and hope all this will go away. As of this morning, the vast majority posting thought that this whole incident was a hoax. We'll all see when the commission rules, and Robert Kraft makes a statement in the week after the ruling.

Why? Based on what? It's already been established that BB is not going to New York for a face-to-face with Goodell. Both Tomase and Clayton have contradicted Schefter on this. If you're going to offer doom-and-gloom conjecture, back it up with something significant. Or, just chill. Why borrow trouble unnecessarily???

 

[BadMoFo]

Actually the Broncos lost two 3rd Rounders in a three year span. They were busted twice. Check it out:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28969-2004Sep17.html