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Why should we move on?

If Belichet has been cheating since '01, and he and his franchise has only been punished for videotaping one game in '07, then why should we move on.

Belichet, and in turn, his team, should be punished. How the NFL decides to do it, its up to them. I have no preference. I don't really like saying that the Eagles are now Super Bowl Champs of '04, because they sure as heck didn't earn it. But nor did the Patriots, so I honestly don't care what the NFL does. I myself can't decide on a good punishment.

As long as they get some type of punishment.

First, there is no proof that the Patriots even used any of the video taping. They weren't punished for just one game of taping, some of the tapes turned over to Goodell went back a few years. $750M in fines and first round draft pick is excessive punishment for a one game taping. Any more punishment will be overkill.

NIce blog Sandy, but the first commenter is proof that nothing will ever be enough. When your a dynasty with one of the greatest coaches to ever coach in the NFL, and Tom Brady as your quarterback, there will always be reasons for people to hate on this era of the Patriots.

You got that right, Tracy

Hey, the whole thing's redundant now...

Good Job Sandy

I'm not a Pats fan, but I'm really tired of hearing about this. I doubt that there is a team in the league that wasn't doing the same thing. If the Jets and the Dolphins were cheating too, maybe we should penalize the Pats for cheating better than their opponents.

good one Hllywd

Sandy, you have an interseting view of the situation but there are some points that you are not looking at as well.

In sports, it is assumed that both teams in the game are following the rules. It's the nature of the game and it speaks to a level playing field. At one time it was considered a "gentleman's agreement", but of course we now live in the age where women play team sports as well. It's just expected that teams play by the rules.

Now let's say we have a team that does not. Let's say they have not been doing it for some time. Let's say that through breaking the rules they have gained an advantage and enjoyed a status they do not deserve.

Let's say that this team that broke those rules about cheating took their position as winners and then raised ticket prices, enjoyed increased merchandising sales, gained extra income from corporate sponsorship and increased their broadcast fees.

What that team may have done is perpetrate a fraud and may be in violation of both civil and criminal statutes.

The problem with the situation involving the Patriots and the NFL is that the NFL has decided that the public has no authority to investigate this situation. Further, they took it upon them self to destroy any/all tapes, destroy all notes, call the matter closed and resist efforts from an elected official, a United States Senator, to investigate the situation.

Due to the cavalier treatment of the NFL this matter will be shrouded forever and the peoples ability to investigate the situation for possible criminal activity forever compromised.

but of course we now live in the age where women play team sports as well. It's just expected that teams play by the rules.

You sir, are an idiot. You showed your narrow-mindedness and prejudice with that one statement and made everything else that you had to say after that tainted.

Ghost: When you show me proof that the Patriots (and I mean Players were involved in any way) I'll listen to you, but there was no fraud commited and no proof any of the tapes were used. Also Mr, ManGenius was with the Pats and didn't seem to have a problem with it. If you think there's been a fraud commited then all baseball games for the last umpteen years should be throw out, since every team had a person that was allegedly on PEDs. Also every NBA game that Doughey called should be tossed. Once a criminal is convicted you can't try them again for the same offense. The Pats were punished, it's over. And where did you get that statement about women playing sport too?

In the early history of sport and it's view toward cheating it was expected that the participants were to act as gentlemen and follow the rules. I merely was mentioning that the times have changed and the idea of a "gentleman's agreement" was outmoded since women now have access to sports that was denied them. What has not changed however is the concept that the teams are to play the game to their best ability within the rules of the contest.

As to proof, how could I supply that Sandy? The evidence of the cheating, ie. what they had, how much they had, how they obtained it, how long they had been collecting it, the names of the teams they had information about, when the information was collected, how the information was used in practice, how it figured into game planning and how it was used in game execution does not exist any longer. It has all been destroyed by the NFL.

All we are left with is the Commissioner of the NFL saying he is satisfied with the results of his investigation, the matter is now closed and we are to move forward and not give this any more of our time as fans. He says the games are honest, he says this because he saw the materials involved. We don't know what the NFL had in terms of information and they made darn sure we never will. We will never get to see what Mr Goodell saw.

As to the many millions of dollars that a team can realize by winning one Superbowl, never mind three, well, we are not ever to think about whether they earned the money honestly because as far as the NFL is concerned it's none of our business.....

Who in the round world is Belichet? The older brother in Weird Science? Nothing like a well misspelled rant that has no substance or sense.

Bambino's Ghost, I don't know why you don't blog more. You obviously have a strong point of view on this topic, and no doubt many others. Your long responses would be fine postings that would assuredly get quite a bit of discussion.

Having said that, you misspeak. The NFL only destroyed six tapes that ranged from 2006-07. This is not all of the evidence that could be garnered for a further investigation.

The NFL is still in negotiations with Matt Walsh's lawyers to get him to testify and divulge what he knows.

At this point, anyone who believes that the Patriots cheated or broke a law are basing their belief upon conjecture, speculation, and no doubt a biased opinion.

I, for one, am waiting to see what comes of any other further developments and proof before jumping to conclusions.

I've been saying this since September Sandy.
This whole thing is a joke.
Arlen Spectacle oughta be ashamed.
The Boston Globe has an entire section devoted to this and there is an article that investigates Matt Walsh personally. From HS to his current position. Its interesting the number of lies he has told and been caught in by the Globe that he and his atty now refuse to comment on. It seems the Patriots are also missing an endzone tape of Vinatieri kicking the winning FG in the super bowl.
And he "planted" sharp blades on his bed in college so that if someone sat on his bed when his roommate had guests, they would be stabbed ? What the hell kind of deranged mo-fo does something like that??
I would suggest people visit boston.com and read the investigative reports as well as the one that Matt Walsh specifically says he's doing this to get back at the Pats for firing him.

and I agree with Tracy. This is just pure unadulterated jealousy. There isnt a fan out there that wouldnt want Belichick or Brady on their team.

The Globe article on Matt Walsh was an eye-opener. What a (no-) class act.

Cheating or not, no laws were broken. So no one other than the NFL has the right to investigate this (except for most of the media, which will investigate anything to disgrace Belicichick, because they are pissed that he never gives away any information to them). I also agree that it's at the point where it's just become absurd. Let's move on.

It's funny, but no one remembers that the Broncos were caught violating salary cap rules when they won their two Super Bowls - rules that allowed them to keep more higher-paid players on their roster during that time. But I don't hear anyone saying that they should give their rings back.

Finally, to say that the Pats didn't earn their victory over the Eagles is ludicrous. The game wasn't even close until Philly scored a late touchdown. What color is the sky in your world, tcat?

One thing to remember is if Walsh does have any tapes at all, this is actually prpoperty of the NE Pats, therefore he has committed employee theft. Now is someone that committed employee theft a credible witness, whatever he has will be thrown out due to this circumstance, this happens all the time in court. This is just another waste of taxpayers money.

there is a sen fron pa. his opions prove hes an "A", when the feds got caught with thier ears in your shorts , the sen from pa siad its ok, but alas it was the pats , theyve now put the world in danger, so forget the economy the war in iraq or the other problems we face, for the pats had a cam on that fateful day in sept o7, now the sen from pa says he was sent from the heavens to make the nfl pay, it seems his cronies from comcast with the generous lawyers want to have the last say, i can only hope when they arise from the bed they forgot the ky on his sphincter, theres no nation at stake, people wont go hungry, and seeing were no longer being screwed by medical and drug companies, yea its ok for Senator Arlen Spector to show us all hes a SPHINCTER.

there is a sen fron pa. his opions prove hes an "A", when the feds got caught with thier ears in your shorts , the sen from pa siad its ok, but alas it was the pats , theyve now put the world in danger, so forget the economy the war in iraq or the other problems we face, for the pats had a cam on that fateful day in sept o7, now the sen from pa says he was sent from the heavens to make the nfl pay, it seems his cronies from comcast with the generous lawyers want to have the last say, i can only hope when they arise from the bed they forgot the ky on his sphincter, theres no nation at stake, people wont go hungry, and seeing were no longer being screwed by medical and drug companies, yea its ok for Senator Arlen Spector to show us all hes a SPHINCTER.

this is getting old. I agree.