Semi-OT: Cowher to Steeler fans: Get over Spygare

[PatsWickedPissah]

Do it brothah!!:rocker:

In 2001 when we beat the Steelers in the game where they already had their bags packed, I sent an email (at work) to the entire Pittsburgh office that said, "Hey, I have one of those terrible towels if any of you guys want it....only thing is, it's soaked with tears".

I got reprimanded by HR and had to send them an apology.....but it was worth it!!!

:rocker: You the Man!!!! :rocker:

 

[TonyTucker]

Gotta be hard for their assbag fans to twist themselves into a pretzel about this when it's their freaking HC of the teams that lost. I can imagine them sitting at their computer, spitting up their food in a rage and rapidly typing with their fat fingers about how he's wrong, he's just a shill for the NFL, etc.

 

[Absurdly Metro]

Of course no mention of this from Florio. But hey, Adrian Peterson keeping an eye on the Vikes offseason moves and Wade Phillips going on Sirius to say he's looking for a job are worthy of mention.

 

[YearbookCurfew]

I now respect Cowher a lot more.

 

[Danger Zone]

I want to know why Mike Florio didn't think an ex-NFL headcoach admitting that every team tried to steal signals was at all news worthy? Not at single article about this from PFT a month later.

Or is "news" to them, just what they want to pretend it is?

Not that I needed proof, but the lack of a comment about Cowher's confession is all the proof I need of their anti-Patriot agenda.

 

[danmateus]

Let me be the devils advocate over here. Look at it from the other side.
If it was really no big deal then why was Belichick fined $500,000 the highest fine ever for a coach? Why was Kraft fined $250,000? Why were they docked their 1st round pick for the 2008 draft if it was only just stealing signals like everyone else? Why were the tapes destroyed without anyone else viewing them? These are the issues that get brought from those outside the fan base and they are valid. These are the issues that lead some to suspect that there was a coverup to keep a lid on more clandestine goings on more so than just stealing signals. Goodell for sure botched the whole thing up. Because he brought the issue to light then appeared to cover up a supposedly simple issue of camera placement by handing out the biggest fines ever and destroying the tapes certainly leads some to wonder.

 

[SB39]

Let me be the devils advocate over here. Look at it from the other side.
If it was really no big deal then why was Belichick fined $500,000 the highest fine ever for a coach? Why was Kraft fined $250,000? Why were they docked their 1st round pick for the 2008 draft if it was only just stealing signals like everyone else? Why were the tapes destroyed without anyone else viewing them?

More importantly: why are Patriots fans the only people still obsessed with this topic???

 

[Dexter]

More importantly: why are Patriots fans the only people still obsessed with this topic???

If only. Pats bashers bring it up all the time.

 

[SB39]

If only. Pats bashers bring it up all the time.

Pats-haters bring it up in discussion with Pats fans, and it is clear it genuinely irritates a lot of people here.

I don't get irritated at Pats-haters. Haters gonna hate. What irritates me is how much airplay it gets in this forum.

 

[Jackson 2]

More importantly: why are Patriots fans the only people still obsessed with this topic???

Your tedious, repeated claim that no one but Patriots fans bring this topic up is pure, steaming BS. Where do you live? In Chechnya?

 

[TonyTucker]

It's one of the reasons why I have PIT higher than even the NYJ on my list of hated teams.

They are supposed to be so "tough" and blue collar...gutsy...hard-working, etc; yet all they really do is constantly whine, whine, whine. I see them as the crybaby franchise and fanbase of the entire league.

There's not a fanbase I hate more. Their arguments that spygate was the reason the Pats won those afccg's hold no weight. The Pats pummel them basically every time they play (34-13, 39-26, 55!-31). Plus, the 2001 title game was the first time Belichick faced them since 1996, as an assistant. Where did those magic signals come from? The sky?

 

[Danger Zone]

More importantly: why are Patriots fans the only people still obsessed with this topic???

Go and read ANY comment section having to do with ANYTHING about the Patriots.

Article about Revis?

Dozens of Spygate and cheater comments.

Article about what color shoes Edleman wore to his nephew's bar mitzvah?

The same.

I dare you to find a single article that even brushes on the Patriots over on PFT for example and have it NOT have a huge percentage of these kind of comments.

Are some/a lot of Patriot fans sensitive about the subject? Of course we are... but believe me, I read hundreds upon hundreds upon literal hundreds of these mindless jabs/references about Spygate before I get fed up enough to address them a time or two.

The percentage of people bringing up Spygate in completely unrelated topics versus obsessed Patriot fans bringing up the subject is about 500 to 1.

And I'm sorry, more should have been made of another headcoach admitting to signal stealing being a common occurrence in the NFL. That is actually news worthy.

 

[sb1]

Let me be the devils advocate over here. Look at it from the other side.
If it was really no big deal then why was Belichick fined $500,000 the highest fine ever for a coach? Why was Kraft fined $250,000? Why were they docked their 1st round pick for the 2008 draft if it was only just stealing signals like everyone else? Why were the tapes destroyed without anyone else viewing them? These are the issues that get brought from those outside the fan base and they are valid. These are the issues that lead some to suspect that there was a coverup to keep a lid on more clandestine goings on more so than just stealing signals. Goodell for sure botched the whole thing up. Because he brought the issue to light then appeared to cover up a supposedly simple issue of camera placement by handing out the biggest fines ever and destroying the tapes certainly leads some to wonder.

This is the response to all of that.... the fact that to date, not ONE current or former Patriots player or employee - many of whom have left the Patriots organization on less than good terms - has spoken up in any forum about either being asked to cheat, witnessing cheating going on, or actually participating in cheating? Funny that the Patriot haters and conspiracy theorists can never answer that one.

There's a ton of money and fame to be had by a whistleblower. And anything about the NFL shutting a potential whistleblower down because they want to "protect the brand" is nonsense. If that were the case, we wouldn't have heard a peep about things over the years like Bountygate, or the salary cap cheating from the Broncos and 49ers that allowed them to build Super Bowl winning teams, or Steve Courson blowing the whistle on the Steelers PED use in the 70s (and hence in my book putting a big fat asterisk beside that entire "dynasty")

If there really was something more nefarious going on that what we already know... then why haven't we heard a peep about it from anyone? Sounds to me like someone who wants to blow the whistle on the Patriots really has nothing tangible to say.

That to me speaks a lot louder than any conspiracy theory.

 

[Efstratios]

Admittedly, I am still oblivious as to how taping from the sidelines grants a team anymore of an advantage than it would from taping in a "legal" location (it's hard to find non rabid SPYGATE111 discussions on the topic and I'm no football expert in the slightest), but I imagine that the competitive advantage is minuscule at best.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

spygate = the vagina monologues.

 

[Jercules]

Spygate... cheaters... asterisks... blah blah blah (had the relevant thing quoted, I thought, but I was mistaken)

I'd like to respond to this as well.

Why were the fines so severe? Because the uproar was so severe. People have this mistaken impression that the NFL is like the justice system: truth and fairness reign supreme. The NFL is a business, which intends to make money by pleasing their fans at all costs, so when a large enough contingent of those fans call for someone's head, they will get it regardless of the significance of the transgression.

If enough fans called for the head of Mike Tomlin, when he clearly tried to influence a play on the field physically, he would've been fined to the nines as well.

I'd like to clarify something with you, my fellow Pats fans, because I have always found this to be the simplest argument against the spygate nonsense. The rule implemented in 2006, right? We are absolutely sure about this? Because as long as that's true, it's easy enough to prove the ridiculousness of condemning a team for breaking a rule that did not exist at the relevant time.

 

[danmateus]

This is the response to all of that.... the fact that to date, not ONE current or former Patriots player or employee - many of whom have left the Patriots organization on less than good terms - has spoken up in any forum about either being asked to cheat, witnessing cheating going on, or actually participating in cheating? Funny that the Patriot haters and conspiracy theorists can never answer that one.

There's a ton of money and fame to be had by a whistleblower. And anything about the NFL shutting a potential whistleblower down because they want to "protect the brand" is nonsense. If that were the case, we wouldn't have heard a peep about things over the years like Bountygate, or the salary cap cheating from the Broncos and 49ers that allowed them to build Super Bowl winning teams, or Steve Courson blowing the whistle on the Steelers PED use in the 70s (and hence in my book putting a big fat asterisk beside that entire "dynasty")

If there really was something more nefarious going on that what we already know... then why haven't we heard a peep about it from anyone? Sounds to me like someone who wants to blow the whistle on the Patriots really has nothing tangible to say.

That to me speaks a lot louder than any conspiracy theory.

You know what really bothers me about this whole situation? Why did he hVe to continue taping in areas the nfl didn't want him to? We can all agree that belichick is a smart guy...one of the smartest ever to walk the sidelines. So why continue with that practice? Especially on Jets turf. If the info he gleaned from it was minimal at best as he's stated in the past then why continue and risk being caught and punished? Is he really that arrogant or is there more than just normal information gathering going on? That's the one thing that's always bothered me. We waited all these years for an era like this and I can't watch anything about their run of success without someone bringing up spygate and it does put a damper on things for me. I'M ALWAYS reminded of it! That's why they need to win one more. I think deep down we all need one more without blemish and to unfairly validate the whole run in my estimation. If and when they do win this year or next it will be the biggest release of outpouring of emotions. Everyone from the Krafts to Belichick and the fans need one more. One with no question marks. No more excuses from the crybabies in other cities.

 

[Jercules]

You know what really bothers me about this whole situation? Why did he hVe to continue taping in areas the nfl didn't want him to? We can all agree that belichick is a smart guy...one of the smartest ever to walk the sidelines. So why continue with that practice? Especially on Jets turf. If the info he gleaned from it was minimal at best as he's stated in the past then why continue and risk being caught and punished? Is he really that arrogant or is there more than just normal information gathering going on? That's the one thing that's always bothered me. We waited all these years for an era like this and I can't watch anything about their run of success without someone bringing up spygate and it does put a damper on things for me. I'M ALWAYS reminded of it! That's why they need to win one more. I think deep down we all need one more without blemish and to unfairly validate the whole run in my estimation. If and when they do win this year or next it will be the biggest release of outpouring of emotions. Everyone from the Krafts to Belichick and the fans need one more. One with no question marks. No more excuses from the crybabies in other cities.

People forget how supposedly 'under talented' those Pats Championship teams were: The idea that they must have been cheating works for a lot of fans.

But spygate is absolutely nonsense, whether or not BB and Brady win a single game more. Believe.

 

[MassPats38]

Is he really that arrogant or is there more than just normal information gathering going on?

Yes, he is. It was a relatively silly rule, and he broke it. End of story.

As for other titles, the Pats torched the NFL the year this issue came up and had the first 16-0 season ever - with the offense convincingly earning those wins. If anyone doubts that they needed signal stealing to win, that year, under full league scrutiny, was proof positive the Pats did not.

Another title will not put this issue to bed. Nor will three. Fans of opposing teams will cite Spygate just to be annoying. It is like trying to debate a point with an idiot who simply responds "I disagree" without explanation. Why bother? The reality of that fan's team sucking has already addressed the mindless grousing.

 

[Koma]

Let me be the devils advocate over here. Look at it from the other side.
If it was really no big deal then why was Belichick fined $500,000 the highest fine ever for a coach? Why was Kraft fined $250,000? Why were they docked their 1st round pick for the 2008 draft if it was only just stealing signals like everyone else? Why were the tapes destroyed without anyone else viewing them? These are the issues that get brought from those outside the fan base and they are valid. These are the issues that lead some to suspect that there was a coverup to keep a lid on more clandestine goings on more so than just stealing signals. Goodell for sure botched the whole thing up. Because he brought the issue to light then appeared to cover up a supposedly simple issue of camera placement by handing out the biggest fines ever and destroying the tapes certainly leads some to wonder.

sb1 had a good response to you, but let me play devil's advocate to your devil's advocate:

If there was really more nefarious stuff going on that the league didn't want publicized, why didn't the NFL deliver a harsher, unpublicized punishment? They could have told the Patriots that Belichick had to be gone within 3 years. There could have been a cover story of health issues or a contract dispute or just a Parcells-like dissatisfaction over the way things were run. Alternately, they could have marginalized Kraft's role on league committees, reducing his influence.

Since neither of things happened, or anything that would resemble an "unpublicized" punishment, the league wasn't covering anything additional up.