When, How Will it end?

[everlong]

Somebody else has to get caught for this to really end and the higher the profile the team the better. Nobody will dare this year at least on the field. The dream would be the Pats scanning the locker room in Indy for bugs and finding one. I'd love to see the media come running to Dungy and Pollian's defense, and they would. They would justify the events and tell everybody why it wasn't as egregious as the Pats infractions.

 

[PatsDeb]

I see that many of your seem to think you know how to run a business better than Robert Kraft.

From now on, I am interested in statements from 2-3 people: from the Commissioner, from Jonathan Kraft and from Robert Kraft.

The Kraft's have many corporate attorneys who can hire whatever consultants they need to help.

Kraft indicated that there was a long discussion with Goddell and with Belichick. If there is nothing more in the tapes that Robert Kraft now knows about, then there may be another punishment or issue, but it will all be contained, and has already been negotiated. If there is more than Belichick has told Kraft about, then Belichick will be suspended, and will work (with Kraft paying) in the Commissioner's Office on cleaning up these practices for all 32 teams.

I suspect that Belichick has come clean with the Kraft's and, with Kraft present, with the Commissioner. The issue should soon turn to detection of future events and prevention through rules changes.

I don't think I know how to run a business better than the Krafts. They are ruthless businessmen with a velvet touch (just ask the guy who used to own the race track at Foxboro and the state of Conn.) but they seem a bit befuddled by all this. I do not agree that they have had some confessional session with RG and he has forgiven them, nor that BB has offered, or been ordered, to clean up this mess in the NFL, whatever that means. If the Krafts are doing this right in the next few days this thing will either fade, or we will hear that there is an appeal of all rulings so far [including the fines and the first round pick, as the Pats were duped by RG into thinking that was the entire punishment for this minor infraction] and nothing else will be said as it is an internal matter. I expect then further leaks from the NFL side which at some point, I am hoping, make the Commish start looking like a fool.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

OK...but it isn't..the issue is Goodell going into the past, wishing to confiscate teh Patriot's library and of taking down the franchise..I agree that it SHOULD turn to that..but Goodell is hardly doing that..Do you think teh Patriots should have over videos, notes to Goodell???

I actually think that the confiscation is totally consistent with what's happened to this point. I think that the commish has determined that the videotaping of signs was obtained in violation of league rules and, as such, BB should not be allowed to keep them for future use.

Notice his did not say copies of the tapes, he said THE TAPES. If in fact BB was wrong in his interpretation, he should then NOT be allowed to keep them. I actually think that is very much in keeping with what he's done so far and I don't particularly think it's that ominous. Only for the media.

The harsh wording and strong language part of it... "The investigation conti....... blaa, blaa" is all bloviating and is 1/2 Goodell appeasing those a-holes within the league asking for BB head and 1/2 mediot pontification. Unless there is evidence of real cheating (which there won't be), this matter is dead.

I think it's all been worked out in advance and Kraft is in the loop with it. The fact that Kraft has seemed so accommodating at this point seems to confirm that for me.

 

[fourthandmiles]

What bugs me is BB got caught taping the Jets. Everything else about any other team is just heresay and it is not just heresay about the Pats, there is rumors about many teams.

Roger knows if he goes after everyone, and ends up handing out the same fines, the parity goes out the window. We will just be that much better.

 

[Oswlek]

The sun will go red giant and expand all the way to Mars, wiping out every football team on the planet.

Yes, I realize this is unlikely to happend for a few million years, but I'm not sure that it will end until the endiing is forced upon us. Even then, I'm sure Pete Prisco, Peter King and Michael Silverman will all get away on a shuttle and then hold daily circle jerks where they trade nasty stories about the Patriots.

 

[Spiral]

Another angle on this is that the NY media would love to see this whole issue drive a wedge between BB and the Kraft family. Despite their caterwauling, the NY media realize that BB is the NFL's best coach by far, and they would like nothing better than for the Giants to hire him at the end of this year. The Kraft family may have seen this coming, and decided to disclose the details of BB's new contract in order to try to head this off.

 

[mgteich]

Goddell indicated in the last paragraph of his statement that he would be investigating the taping data from the patriots, after indicating in the first paragraph indicating that the punishments were as a result of continuing violations.

I think that Robert Kraft should follow his legal advice, and ignore legal advice from fans. My speculation is that Kraft will do as he indicated that he would do. He will fully cooperate with the Commissioner. Personally, I have absolutely no doubt that the Commissioner's office has the right to request this information. But what is provided, if it's provided and when it's provided is a decision for Robert Kraft to make, based on legal and business advice.

Since we are dealing with an event less than 10 days ago, with investigation ongoing, I see no reason to believe that there will no further statements or actions regarding the Patriots. Such a conclucion would be serioudly premature. I do not expect the Commissioner to turn to other teams, unless and until there is a smoking gun reported involving the 2007 season. Certainly, all the other teams have their second warning, as the Commissioner indicated.

I trust that Kraft is much better placed than I to fully understand all the interlocking issues. I have no reason to beleive that I can add anything at all to the advice he's getting.

With regard to Belichick, I choose to speculate. As I said before, he needs to be on the same page as Robert Kraft. He needs do no more, or no less. If he does that then he will finish out his newly signed renewal.

OK...but it isn't..the issue is Goodell going into the past, wishing to confiscate teh Patriot's library and of taking down the franchise..I agree that it SHOULD turn to that..but Goodell is hardly doing that..Do you think teh Patriots should have over videos, notes to Goodell???

 

[Tunescribe]

I trust that Kraft is much better placed than I to fully understand all the interlocking issues. I have no reason to beleive that I can add anything at all to the advice he's getting.

That is the understatement of the year.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Personally, I think Kraft should tell him that his witch hunt is over. BB screwed up and he and the team were penalized. Kraft promissed it won't happen again.

He should tell Goodell that the past is off limits. The NFL will get NOTHING from the patriots concerning the past and any efforts to levy further fines will end up on a court battle.

Exactly, and I can't believe that so many people are missing the point.

Every leak that comes out of the NFL is another smear on the Patriots "brand" as Bob Kraft likes to call it. I would think that he would be furious about this.

Once again if it all ended with the fines and loss of a draft pick, many of us were putting this behind us. But, yesterdays leaks were over the line. Yet, people can't see that someone in the NFL is not willing to let this die and Goodell isn't willing to call a hault to it.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Personally, I think Kraft should tell him that his witch hunt is over. BB screwed up and he and the team were penalized. Kraft promissed it won't happen again.

He should tell Goodell that the past is off limits. The NFL will get NOTHING from the patriots concerning the past and any efforts to levy further fines will end up on a court battle.

Seriously, why WOULDN'T Kraft do just that.

Otherwise, how long does this go on?

And just the way Goodell said, "I reserve the right..." as if he is in completely autonomous power and can do whatever he wants.

I think the Patriots should stand up to him now before this thing gets out of hand.

 

[Jacky Roberts]

I think Goodell needs to realize that if he starts turning over more rocks, he's going to find a lot of teams doing a lot of stuff. He's probably best advised to move on.

 

[Pats726]

I If the Krafts are doing this right in the next few days this thing will either fade, or we will hear that there is an appeal of all rulings so far [including the fines and the first round pick, as the Pats were duped by RG into thinking that was the entire punishment for this minor infraction] and nothing else will be said as it is an internal matter. I expect then further leaks from the NFL side which at some point, I am hoping, make the Commish start looking like a fool.

I agree...if Goodell is going atthis like he is, Kraft needs to appeal the original decision as well as anything else...and the courts..but I agree..it will either fade..(and I do not know HOW we will know that..except we may not hear Goodell wishing for the tapes..etc..and he will pretty dumb if it's just dropped...) but...we may not hear about an appeal if it's iinternal. Watch what Goodell does..and Kraft..I think teh next few days are important...

 

[hartleeyikes]

The story will not die before the end of the season. Bill's non-handshake
with Mangini managed to be a story for almost the entire season last year,
and clearly this trumps that by a wide margin. Hopefully we won't hear
as much about it after the Pats win the Super Bowl this year. Of course,
come draft time, guess what comes back during Round One?

The league wants to be finished with this issue. I believe Roger Goodell has
smartly framed this as a single game rules violation. The precedent has
long been set that game related violations are handled within a week and
between games. Just as I don't think Chuck Cecil is going to be fined for
any spearing that took place in 1993, I find it hard to believe that the
NFL is going to start digging through sideline photos looking for hidden
cameramen. (That doesn't mean that some ambitious reporter isn't on
THAT job already...) Any other materials that gets handed over to the
office at this point will be carefully vetted. Case closed. Nothing to
see here.

What this shouldn't be equated with is either the Vick/Jones/Johnson
sagas, or any sort of salary cap/tampering issue. Those are off field
incidents. Whether you've injected yourself with a steroid mixture that
would kill a small horse or you enjoyed a Dexatrim, the penalty is
already spelled out: 4 games / 1 year / good luck. Break the rules on
gameday, and that week you'll find out what your punishment is.
Violate personal conduct or non-game rules, and you're into no-timetable
for decision and discretion of the office land. I'm pretty sure right now
the Pats are still on the proverbial reservation.

It still stinks that they broke the rule. Oh well, time for Week 3.

 

[mgteich]

Indeed, and if each of us would insert there own name and agree, we would have many fewer posts on the subject.

That is the understatement of the year.

 

[Kdo5]

Can't believe ESPN's top headline on the NFL page is that Belichick is going to hand over tapes. What about that game we just dominated the Chargers in?

 

[lost_c]

They obviously need to disband the so called "competition committee".

Like Barney Fife, Goodell is a weak enforcer who ends up arresting more people than the jail will hold trying to prove he's tough.

Polian and Fisher are trying to use him to enforce their agenda because they doubt they can beat the Patriots on the field.

I’ve been thinking something similar as well. If the commissioner insists on drawing the matter out even further, the competition committee would seem like an obvious soft target for the Krafts if they decide to make a fight of it.

The Krafts could easily argue, and my guess is with the support of many teams and fans, that to insure fairness in the game members serving on the committee must rotate every one to two years. After all there are 8 members on the committee and 32 teams in the league so it would work out well. It would also have the effect of ticking off the current members who use it as a tool to help their own teams (Polian, Fischer) and removing them from the committee for at least the next three years.

 

[tombonneau]

The life cycle of this story is all about human nature.

Human beings crave catharsis, denouement. Most of all, the crave a mea culpa. They need the target of their ire to stand before them, laid bare and say "I'm wrong, I'm sorry." They have not got that with BB.

They want Hugh Grant on Leno saying "I'm an idiot."

They want Mel Gibson crying saying "I have a problem."

They need Mike Vick reading a statement, saying he was sorry for everything he has done.

Belichick isn't giving them that, and the media & public need it. Once they have that closure, the story will end. Without that closure, they are able to continue a story, say that BB think he didn't do anything wrong, etc.

Belichick needs to hire a top PR firm to rehabilitate his image. He needs to go on 60 Minutes or something, detail what they did with the tapes, say how he is sorry and was wrong to do it, but it was just one small iota of what they do to prepare for teams. He needs to cry and say that most of all he is upset about what his dad was think.

In short, he needs to create a public image of himself as a human being.

Until then, this mess will never end.

The public and media need to feel that they were right, and someone else was wrong, and now that person is truly sorry.

Then they can move on to their next target.

 

[Pats726]

So BB is going to hand over the tapes..and..will this end now?? Or will Goodell try even more to bring down the franchise...OR was this a prearranged deal with Kraft and BB?? I am of two minds on this.....maybe it is a way to plactae those who want Bb's head?? OR is he continuing on a witch hunt?? It COULD be either..and that is scary..