patriots punishment?

Question

did anyone think that Bill Belichickthetapes and the patriots punishment was to little?? i mean only 500,000 and a draft pick? Atleast strip their championships or suspend the team for a year

Answer 1

That's a bit excessive don't you think? Yes I admit that the penalty seems a bit low, but as the Commish said, he did punish them to the full extent of what he could.

You would be surprised on how much a draft pick could cost a franchise. Imagine if the Colts lost the draft pick and couldn't take Manning. Where do you think their team would be at this moment?

A first round draft pick is pretty much the corner stone to a new year and could be your future. Granted they have the 49ers first round pick, but its still a huge blow. If they don't make the playoffs (AHAHAHAHA) they lose their second and third round draft picks.

Its the punishment the Commish handed down and he says its the worst he could do. I don't think its enough, but apparently he does, and what he says in the NFL goes.

Good luck!!

Answer 2

Now, don't get me wrong: New England probably did deserve to be punished by the commissioner for getting caught videotaping New York's defensive staff as it signaled plays in to its players. But a first-round draft pick? Methinks the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

Is this really worse, for instance, than Mike Tice scalping Super Bowl tickets? Or a Detroit assistant coach getting caught naked at a drive-in? It's common knowledge (trust me) that teams look at defensive signals through binoculars, and have been doing so for years. That the Pats took another step, and started taping them, is a clear violation of an NFL edict. But make no mistake: they're not the only people trying to learn their opponents' signals. That's a practice as tried and true as eye black.

So is the fact that they used videotape so heinous that we should have 31 first-round draft picks in the '08 draft, instead of 32? Let me put it this way: There's no way on Earth the commissioner takes away the Patriots' first-rounder if they hadn't had two (one from San Francisco, and their own). But because the Pats did have two, Roger Goodell could "make an example" of them, and show his critics that he's not the butt-boy of Bob Kraft, one of Goodell's biggest supporters on his way to winning the commissioner's job. The world will keep spinning on its axis, but this heavy-handed punishment does not fit the crime.

Answer 3

I don't think it's much of a big deal at all. There are enough other teams stealing signals; they just decided to put their foot down finally and made the Patriots the example for the rest of the league.

Answer 4

The fact that he was found guilty hurts the integrity of not just his team, but the entire NFL and the sport of football. Belichick should be banned from the league as a minimum.

Answer 5

This is old and your an idiot who doesn't follow football. 500,000 is the maximum fine for this type of infraction. you can't strip championships or forfeit games, and you can't suspend a team.

Answer 6

I don't excuse what the Patriots did one bit, but I think their punishment was appropriate.

Answer 7

They recieved what amounted to a slap on the wrist. But...fans outside of New England now will consider putting an asterisk next to their SB wins.

Answer 8

I think the coach should have been suspended for a couple of games then it would have been ok

Answer 9

It was the coach, not the team...Sheesh...The punishment was accurate...

Answer 10

how can you assume they used tapes in the super bowl wins? i thought in this country we are innocent untill proven guilty.are you an illegal ?