Patriots Get Busted Videotaping Opponents ... Again

[Fire Goodell]

belichick needs to be suspended for the rest of the season

[j-d-s]

At this point I'm pretty sure the Cheats have been taping everyone for a long time. Just taping the Bengals, the worst team in the league, but nobody else except for the Jets in Spygate 1.0 seems unlikely. The Cheats just haven't been caught except those two times.

[Six Rings]

The New England Patriots caught cheating again.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...unintentional/


Hmm...

They videotaped the Rams practice for the Super bowl. The evidence was so damning Roger Goodell himself ordered the tape destroyed as it likely gave a big-time edge for the Patriots, who managed to win that Super Bowl by a narrow margin. Watching the game, New England seemed to have the perfect defense called for everything the Rams did.

There were caught on the Jet's sideline filming the coaches signals.

And now this. A third violation. The commissioner should come down hard on New England docking them draft picks. I’d like to see them lose their first and second-round pick with a stern warning that if this happens again, the fines will be increased.

This team has a forever stain on its dynasty. They were caught deflating Footballs for their own QB's advantage, screwing up radio transmission at home games. One day I like to see a turncoat Patriot player issue a tell-all book. Jaws would drop.


Cheating is in this team's culture. One classic video is New England one hired an x con to go out on the field during a snowy day, driving a truck with a plow, clearing the grass for a game-winning field goal.


See the 11:50 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LqckfI8yg8

[Craic]

Not sure why this is here. Don't we already have a thread for this in the Around the League subforum?

[Six Rings]

I never visited that forum. Mods, please merge.

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

Not sure why this is here. Don't we already have a thread for this in the Around the League subforum?

Goes good with we resign AB thread I guess ?

[Craic]

I never visited that forum. Mods, please merge.

I usually don't, either, but I had to break my rule to read about the Pats* cheating. I mean, who would have guessed?

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

I never visited that forum. Mods, please merge.

All good and you are a cool poster!

[Craic]

Perhaps the best comment so far to come out of this entire thing. TJ Houshmandzadeh just rips not only the Patriots, but the three or four dumbest players on every team in the NFL. Hilarious.

https://youtu.be/eE8kEqij1bo?t=237

[tom444]

Patriots, cheat? Come on man, never happen.

[T&B fan]

Shannon is sharp on this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyLTxYg5yQY

[GoSlash27]

Shannon is sharp on this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyLTxYg5yQY

I disagree with his conclusion that Belichick should be punished personally. There's no indication that he ordered it or is even involved in that stuff, although he's no doubt aware. I believe Kraft and the entire franchise should be punished. Big fine and at least 2 draft picks. The entire culture up there is rotten and needs fixed. They haven't gotten the previous messages, so it's time to get their undivided attention.

[Moose]

I think it was a punishment !! Someone in the cheats org. pissed off Belicheat and/or Kraft and for a punishment they were sent to cincy and forced to watch the bunghole game !!!

[Six Rings]

All good and you are a cool poster!

Thanks. I guess I just inadvertently drew attention to a seldom read forum. Not I might as well read some other post here. There has to be some good stuff.

[Butch]

The New England Patriots caught cheating again.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...unintentional/


Hmm...

They videotaped the Rams practice for the Super bowl. The evidence was so damning Roger Goodell himself ordered the tape destroyed as it likely gave a big-time edge for the Patriots, who managed to win that Super Bowl by a narrow margin. Watching the game, New England seemed to have the perfect defense called for everything the Rams did.

There were caught on the Jet's sideline filming the coaches signals.

And now this. A third violation. The commissioner should come down hard on New England docking them draft picks. I’d like to see them lose their first and second-round pick with a stern warning that if this happens again, the fines will be increased.

This team has a forever stain on its dynasty. They were caught deflating Footballs for their own QB's advantage, screwing up radio transmission at home games. One day I like to see a turncoat Patriot player issue a tell-all book. Jaws would drop.


Cheating is in this team's culture. One classic video is New England one hired an x con to go out on the field during a snowy day, driving a truck with a plow, clearing the grass for a game-winning field goal.


See the 11:50 mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LqckfI8yg8

Giving them a similar punishment as last time is not going to send a message. They don't really care about draft picks they will simply tamper with another player from another team and get them to leave "said team" and will sign him shortly after that player hits the open market. Fining a team is also a joke because Kraft has deep pockets and will pay whatever fine is levied against Bill without blinking.

IMHO the way to get their attention is to suspend Bill indefinitely. Say what you will about this being harsh but the punishment needs to be harsh to send the right message. This is also the message the NFL deemed was appropriate for Peyton for bountygate. The difference is bountygate was never proven as opposed to these video tapes. Anything less than a suspension will be a joke.

[Craic]

Giving them a similar punishment as last time is not going to send a message. They don't really care about draft picks they will simply tamper with another player from another team and get them to leave "said team" and will sign him shortly after that player hits the open market. Fining a team is also a joke because Kraft has deep pockets and will pay whatever fine is levied against Bill without blinking.

IMHO the way to get their attention is to suspend Bill indefinitely. Say what you will about this being harsh but the punishment needs to be harsh to send the right message. This is also the message the NFL deemed was appropriate for Peyton for bountygate. The difference is bountygate was never proven as opposed to these video tapes. Anything less than a suspension will be a joke.

I wouldn't agree to an indefinite suspension. I think that's too harsh if there isn't hard evidence tying him to the tapes (I know, I know, there won't be because they're not that stupid). However, I would be all for them losing their entire draft class this year and their first and second round picks for the next three years, and for Belicheat to be suspended for a full year plus financial penalties. Perhaps the team giving up their sharing of TV revenue for one year.

OR . . .

How about this: No suspension. No loss of draft picks. No fines. No loss of revenue. However, a $40 million reduction on New England's salary cap each year for the next five years (which equals 20 percent of the cap for this coming year).

[Butch]

I wouldn't agree to an indefinite suspension. I think that's too harsh if there isn't hard evidence tying him to the tapes (I know, I know, there won't be because they're not that stupid). However, I would be all for them losing their entire draft class this year and their first and second round picks for the next three years, and for Belicheat to be suspended for a full year plus financial penalties. Perhaps the team giving up their sharing of TV revenue for one year.

OR . . .

How about this: No suspension. No loss of draft picks. No fines. No loss of revenue. However, a $40 million reduction on New England's salary cap each year for the next five years (which equals 20 percent of the cap for this coming year).

Reason I say indefinite is because he would have to prove he learned a lesson to get back in. I also say suspension because that is what they did with Peyton so at the very least a year, and keep in mind Peyton was suspended on allegations nothing more.. Either way a couple picks here and there won't send a message unless it is extremely harsh and I don't see the NFL doing that.

[GoSlash27]

I wouldn't agree to an indefinite suspension. I think that's too harsh if there isn't hard evidence tying him to the tapes (I know, I know, there won't be because they're not that stupid). However, I would be all for them losing their entire draft class this year and their first and second round picks for the next three years, and for Belicheat to be suspended for a full year plus financial penalties. Perhaps the team giving up their sharing of TV revenue for one year.

OR . . .

How about this: No suspension. No loss of draft picks. No fines. No loss of revenue. However, a $40 million reduction on New England's salary cap each year for the next five years (which equals 20 percent of the cap for this coming year).

I like a severe punishment along these lines, but again... I don't support the punishment of any individual unless it can be proven that he is actually the one behind it. Looking at every instance of cheating so far, it's not really Belichick himself. He doesn't run scouting (filming opponent's play calls), equipment (deflategate), communications (jamming/snooping opponents' comms), or facilities (bugging locker rooms). He doesn't even look at or analyze the end product of all the spying. They have a guy up in the skybox who does that.
This culture of cheating goes all the way to the top; Kraft himself. Whatever punishment is handed down, it will have to hurt Kraft specifically and the entire organization in general.

[Iron Steeler]

Maybe they should have taped the Texans and Chiefs instead!

Your avatar seems to be working... keep up the good work.

[86WARD]

Kraft should be suspended, Belichick should be suspended, fines should be levied and draft picks should be lost. Seriously, it’s enough of the cheating...lol.

[pczach]

The punishment for the original Spygate cheating scandal was woefully weak. They should have gotten something similar to the "death penalty" in college football.

Even though the NFL punished them for a couple other offenses that were sufficient for the offense, the original deed was never really handled the way it should have been. The Patriots seem to believe that the crime was worth the punishment. That now needs to be rectified by making the punishment so strong that cheating can never be seen as a means to an end.

The sad part is that they used their cheating to have their successes, and they spit in the face of the NFL and all the other teams along the way...then continued to cheat and rub it in everyone's faces.

This franchise needs to be taught a serious lesson. Though, no matter how severely they get punished, it will never make up for the shit they got away with IMO.

[vader29]

[GoSlash27]

And there you have it.
We never got to see the footage from last time because Goodell had it burned. Now that the evidence has leaked out to the public, he will have no choice but to deal with this.

And before anyone suggests "maybe the guy really didn't know", let me stop you right there. If you've been busted and fined for this exact same thing in the past, you hire an outsider to go into this situation, and you don't want a second offense, what is *LITERALLY* the first thing you would say to him??
Right:"Under no circumstance are you to film their sideline. We got in big trouble over this before, and we don't want it to happen again. If you remember nothing else I've told you, remember this".
Do you *seriously* believe nobody in the Patriots organization told him this? Didn't even mention it in passing??
And really... what are the odds that a sports fan from Boston never heard of Spygate and didn't know that filming opponents' sidelines is illegal?

[Fire Goodell]

Gooooooo Bengals! lol

[43Hitman]

And there you have it.
We never got to see the footage from last time because Goodell had it burned. Now that the evidence has leaked out to the public, he will have no choice but to deal with this.

And before anyone suggests "maybe the guy really didn't know", let me stop you right there. If you've been busted and fined for this exact same thing in the past, you hire an outsider to go into this situation, and you don't want a second offense, what is *LITERALLY* the first thing you would say to him??
Right:"Under no circumstance are you to film their sideline. We got in big trouble over this before, and we don't want it to happen again. If you remember nothing else I've told you, remember this".
Do you *seriously* believe nobody in the Patriots organization told him this? Didn't even mention it in passing??
And really... what are the odds that a sports fan from Boston never heard of Spygate and didn't know that filming opponents' sidelines is illegal?

Slim to none, and I'm betting on none.

[T&B fan]

George Costanza - Was that wrong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RvNS7JfcMM

[T&B fan]

it looks like NE did need to videotape Cincinnati 13 to 10 , 1/2 time , only do to a fumbled punt or it would be 10 to 10

[86WARD]

They should lose minimum 5 first round picks, the whole 2020 draft and be penalized by having to use $20M less in cap space than any other team for the next ten seasons. They should pretty much face the equivalent of the college death penalty. I mean defacing the league is pretty much the worst thing a team could do...

[st33lersguy]

They should lose minimum 5 first round picks, the whole 2020 draft and be penalized by having to use $20M less in cap space than any other team for the next ten seasons. They should pretty much face the equivalent of the college death penalty. I mean defacing the league is pretty much the worst thing a team could do...

This will be great, then it will be funny hearing Pats fans bitch about how they were punished too harshly and struggling because of it, all 10 that don't leave the bandwagon

[fansince'76]

This will be great, then it will be funny hearing Pats fans bitch about how they were punished too harshly and struggling because of it...

Oh, the humanity...

Unreal. As Mark mentions, the Patriots two prior punishments are outliers, and massively so - off the chart outliers.

Total bullsh*t if football ops is punished for an innocent mistake by non-football ops. Not only would basically any penalty (other than a trivial fine) be disproportionate to the offense, but it makes zero sense to punish football ops for a non-football ops mistake. It'd be like punishing a company's legal team for a tax mistake made by their accounting team.

If the team loses (a) pick(s) I wouldn't be shocked if Belichick walks, either to another team or from the league, and understandably so. A corrupt, inconsistent, and biased league making his life miserable by stripping draft picks for something Belichick (and football ops as a whole) had zero to do with.

Here's hoping that report is not true.

https://www.patsfans.com/new-england.../#post-5779559