Do you REALLY think that Pats cheated or is this just an excuse to find fault in this team?

Question

Here are the facts... Bill Belicheck has been doing this sideline video taping for years. His understanding of the rules were that "It's ok to use recording devices if the sole purpose of doing so is for using it as a future reference for future games and no competitive edge was gained in the game in which they are recording." The Jets are a division rival... they see them multiple times in the season, what they were recording was no different then the film study material they recieve from the NFL for game preparation. I mean... honestly why would a man jeopardize the reputation of an organization that prides itself on class and dignity... and so blatantly, with a random employee in clear sight of the opposing team. I could see how it might be fishy if he was hidden, but it was in clear sight. And in the first four games they have proven that video taping was not the reason for their success.

All that it does by pinning this on the Belicheck and the Patriots is piss them off and makes them perform even better. People don't realize STILL that when the Pats are under scrutiny and disrespected... they play their BEST. So all your doing by calling them cheaters is angering the beast. Maybe if you laid off a little they would stumble... haha... probably not though. They're too good.

To Rumbler: Belicheck NEVER admitted to cheating. He explained to the commissioner his interpretation of the rules. Got ruled on. Then apologized to the team if for the distraction, but that's how he understood the rules. Never once did he state to the media he had cheated... when they asked questions about it, he just talked football.

Anyone that still states the Patriots are STILL cheaters after reading are just dense. I have been following the Patriots closely for years... all you people know about them is that they win, beat your team & you don't like it. I'm giving you facts, yet you shoot them down and come up with your own bloated and bogus interpretation. The Pats weren't cheating. They're better then your team. GET. OVER. IT.

No... I feel that the penalty needed to be set on the team. If the commissioner wanted all kinds of sideline taping stopped he needed to make a point and do it on the best team. I never said that it was a conspiracy... I think the Pats are gonna do just fine. I'm just tired of all the whiney fans of the NFL screaming "CHEATERS" when if they really looked closely at everything they would understand nothing shady was going on. Belicheck stopped doing it because he didn't want to distract his team from the ultimate goal... the SUPERBOWL. Please stop whining and trying to peg that label on us... it just makes you look stupid.

Haha... I'm not one for cheap shots. But talk about disgraceful. This is to the Falcons fan on the bottom. Your QB kills dogs for fun.

And these memos all the coaches recieved... did you actually read them? Do you know what was actually stated in them? No you don't so don't assume that there couldn't of been a misinterpretation.

Answer 1

Belichick admitted he cheated, but said he wont again. Why woud Nixon Ok the watergate breakin in 72 when there was no chance he'd lose to McGovern? People do risky things for strange reasons. Maybe Bleichek can rehabilitate himself, but we will have to see.

Belichick did admit to cheating, finally

See the links below

Answer 2

Yes. I REALLY think the Patriots cheated. This videotaping rule was not only written very clearly, it was also emphasised at the summer owners meetings that this would not be tolerated anymore. So Belichick showed that he had so much respect for the Commissioner's authority that he did exactly what he was told not to do in the very first game of the season.

Bill Belichick, for whatever reason, has shown a history of "bending" the rules in his favor. Coaching players to fake injuries on the field. (Willie McGinnest). Coaching DBs to manhandle receivers all the way down the field. So on and so forth. And it seems like every year, there is a rule that has to be re-emphasised in the offseason because the Patriots have been violating it so much that they just don't get called for it anymore. This year, it was video-taping. Just waiting to see what it will be next year.

There are other teams in the NFL that I hate. But the Patriots are the only team that the league has to come down on over and over again. Why is that?

Answer 3

If Belicheck didn't understand the rule then he needs some reading classes. The league told EVERY team that this practice was NOT ok.

Filming the coaches signals from their sideline is not even close to being the same as game film study. The difference is that when studying game film, you look at formations, plays, tendencies, etc. Not the coach signaling in the play.

But I guess you could be right....it must be a conspiracy, the NFL is just trying to bring down the Patriots. Get real dude. Accept the FACTS and quit crying.

Answer 4

of course he was cheating.....so what.
All coaches are cheating...or trying to cheat to get the "EDGE".....you cant afford not to these days. Manweenie just knew he was gonna get shown up and had to find an excuse for losing. Since he knew of this practice...bingo. If he was really a stand up guy....he would of brought it up when he was with the Pats....but since the videotaping helped him look good, and get his juicy new job.....of course he said nothing.

Belicheks error was doing something blatant....and not understanding Manginis lack of charactrer well enough not to realize the guy was a little fink.

Am I glad they got caught? Yep. And I hope all the other teams get louded out on the sheating and steroids and all that other crap...so we can get some respectablility back in the game.

*Jon M...I wanna agree with some of what you said...but how did the NFL not come down to the full extent...they punished Belichek the maximum allowed under league rules...Goodel explained why quite succinctly....and they punished the team for Belicheks indescretion. What more do you want? Goodel has yet to back down from high profile ANYTHING so far.....you wanna tear into the guy for being biased....thats alright.....but dont let your own bias cloud the fact either. And again....not only is this whole thing way overblown (even the coaches (minus Man-Weenie) and players (minus cry baby McNabb) think so), it is so last week...can we please move on to something relevant...like football (or those 3 teams the Pats crucshed sans video....including my Bengals?)

Answer 5

It was proven that the Pats DID cheat.......whether you want to call it "cheating" or "Bill's interpretation of the rules" doesn't matter. Either way, it was illegal and the league sent out a memo stating so prior to the season starting. THAT is a fact. Just because the almighty Bill Belichick didn't "interpret" the rule correctly doesn't justify what was done.

If what they were filming was "no different than the film study material they recieve from the NFL", then why bother doing it? Seriously, why do something that is blatantly against the rules if they can get the same stuff from the league within the rules.

Bottom line..........they got caught cheating, deal with it.

Answer 6

The Pats ball got rolling with one slight push.... the tuck rule.

Ernie Adams and Bellie-chick have been doing this little spy thing for years, not because they understand the rule differently, they have gotten away with it because no one has turned coat on them. The person who turned them in was someone who knew very well the tactic (and that the Pats know it is against the rules). Notice how quietly and quickly Bellie-chick accepted his punishment? A person who believes he's doing right by the rules fights! A person who knows that he's caught red-handed (and is hiding more) will take his slap on the wrist and cover his tracks.

The NFL isn't coming down on the Pats for the full extent, why? The Pats are too high profile to bring down, it would damage the NFL reputation to have the 3 time SuperBowl champ caught up in a cheating scandal that encompasses those three SuperBowls. Who benefits from punishing the Pats to the fullest extent? No one, the entire league would suffer that black eye.

Answer 7

Every team does something to get over. The Pats got caught, they got punished. It's over. Now every jilted fan of every team the Pats ever beat is using it as an excuse. You don't hear me crying about the Pats beating the Giants a few years back.

FACE THE FACTS, your team lost, they probably sucked, get over it. The Pats put together a great squad and won a bunch of Super Bowls. They are in a soft division and for a while had a padlock on their only real competition, Peyton Manning.

If blaming the spytapes helps you sleep better at night, then go for it. But, when they win the Bowl again this year, you're gonna have to wake up!

Answer 8

Hmm properly once you cheat, you get caught, properly you cheated! Cheaters under no circumstances win, that ideal describes this years superbowl!. No the patriots did no longer circulate undefeated, they lost interior the superbowl so anybody who says they went sixteen -0 they actually went 18-a million whith a great loss. besides the Pats constantly cheat. Oh idont be attentive to, they did during the infamous snowplow activity, geeze we could upload that one. properly do no longer ignore the phantom pass which became rather a fumble, however the refs reported he under no circumstances tucked the ball, gosh what do you somewhat would desire to have an IQ of below 70 to be an NFL Ref. Brady he fumbled the damn ball!!!!!!!

Answer 9

The sad thing, I mean besides being a Pats fan, is that you actually believe what you're saying....
Listen, they cheated, plain and freaking simple, OWN UP TO IT!!!

**Hey, I could sit back and defend Michael Vick, but I'm NOT! What he did was wrong and disgraceful!! No doubt.
Just own up to the fact that Bill Belichick is a natural born cheater! Come on. Quit hiding behind the camera....

Answer 10

Well, they did violate a rule that says no video devices on the sidelines during games...but I think its been blown WAY out of proportion by other teams fans who want to question their teams losing to the Pats...