The NFL passed sentence down on the New England Patriots on Thursday for their ‘scandal’ last weekend. If you somehow missed it, the Patriots were caught video taping the Jets calling in their plays. The Pats are expected to be a powerhouse in 2007, but apparently they felt the need to cheat anyway. Considering the penalty handed down by the league and Roger Goodell yesterday, why wouldn’t they? The official cost of cheating as far as the NFL is concerned? One draft pick and $750,000 in fines. Wait a minute… the Pats get to keep the victory that they cheated to get? Yes they do. And the guy who signed off on it all got a fine and no suspension? That’s right. A league that has money falling out of it’s proverbial butt end, thought that it would be a real detriment to a team to hit them with a big fine. Ooooohhhhh… very scary. Penalizing them money is a joke… penalizing them a draft pick or even draft picks makes no sense… what a mess. How do you NOT reverse the decision of the game? Wouldn’t that have not only been fair and just, but a punishment befitting the crime? How does it seem ‘just’ to let the team get away with something that undoubtedly had a DIRECT affect on the game? In my opinion, the league should have SUSPENDED Belichek (that would hurt the team IMO), and reversed the game. We’re not talking about some paltry one or two game suspension… half or a full season would seem appropriate. That would send a message… to me, they sent the message that it’s okay to cheat and you’ll just have to pay a fine and lose a draft pick. How does it make sense to penalize the 2010 Patriots for the acts of the 2008 Patriots? That’s all stripping draft picks does. It’s a slap on the wrist for a team with such phenomenal depth and structure. Call me an opportunist… but if it’s the Conference Championship game… and I know that all I will lose is my draft pick next year (which if your deep in the playoffs is a mid-to-late round pick at best)… I’m cheating and grabbing the plays if I can. Let my owner pay my fine, let my team lose a pick, and I’ll see you in the Super Bowl thanks to knowing every play that the opposition was going to run. Wait, take it a step further. Why not cheat IN the Super Bowl, pay the fine, lose your 30th pick, and take the Lombardi home to momma? That’s the message that I personally got from the penalty handed down by the league. Go ahead and cheat… take your shot… and the league will tell you it’s a no-no while you’re on the way to your Super Bowl…
