Specter should stick with politics
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Updated: February 1, 2008
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But there is nothing estimable about Specter's call for a Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into the league's Spygate incident involving the
New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick, and his suggestion that Goodell should be called to testify about why the NFL destroyed the videotape evidence of cheating.
In fact, by putting his nose into an in-house league issue, Specter has portrayed himself as even sillier than Upshaw, who Thursday responded to a question about health benefits for retired players by noting, "The disability program is for the disabled." Duh.
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Whatever league infractions the Pats committed in their Sept. 9 season-opening rout of the
New York Jets -- as hinted cryptically by former New England video employee Matt Walsh, in interviews with The Times and ESPN.com's Mike Fish -- aren't a criminal matter. Nor is it an issue with which the Senate needs to waste its time.
This isn't about executing a war, addressing the undeniable drift toward recession or funding health care for the uninsured.
It's football gamesmanship and, although it was wrong, the Patriots accepted their penalty.
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Again, poor sportsmanship, but nothing with which Congress need busy itself.
You want crimimal? Heck, I attended the Patriots-Jets opener and thought that New York coach Eric Mangini's defensive game plan should have been outlawed. New England quarterback
Tom Brady threw nine passes toward
Randy Moss and the star wide receiver caught every one of them. And caught them easily. It was as if the Jets' defenders were in another zip code, maybe across the river in Manhattan.
