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And this week's recipients of the Way to be Rational award are...Joey Porter and Jason Taylor?

Yes, in the wake of the whole Patriots signal stealing fiasco, there is some semblance of reason in the sea of insanity that has resulted.  Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, both of the Miami Dolphins, made statements to reporters that *gasp* were sensible.  Not only that, but both guys have reputations for not exactly thinking before they speak.  Brother, they certainly thought before they spoke this time.

You see, NFL Comissioner Roger Goodell has, since this off-season began, taken a zero tolerance stance on bad behavior from players.  Anything that reflects badly on the product is treated with no sympathy, and is punished strongly.  This is certainly true for players.  I can't remember when Tagliabue punished this many players in one summer.  Goodell certainly has gotten tough on players.  But coaches, administrators, and owners?  Slap on the wrist.

I know that I said I do not really think that what Belichick and the Patriots did was all that big of a deal, but they got caught, by a former FBI agent for god's sake, cheating.  Red-handed.  This form of cheating, which has almost a spiritual relationship with baseball, is deemed illegal under the rules of the NFL.  Goodell is being incredibly weak and hypocritical in his punishment of the Pats.  $500 grand fine?  That's it?  McLaren racing was fined $100 million yesterday by Formula-1 for stealing technical data from Ferrari; you think McLaren will do that **** again?  No way.  Not only is the punishment weak and inconsistent with Goodell's get tough policy, but it gives credence to all the garbage Belichick has pulled over the years that have made people hate the Patriots so much.

There are people out there who are going to hate the Patriots no matter what, simply because the Pats have won those 3 Super Bowls so recently.  Those are the same people who would probably tell you that Michael Jordan, "wasn't all that great."  But then there are the people who simply cannot stand to hear how Belichick is "the best coach in the NFL."  Please.  There have been, are, and will be better coaches than Bill Belichick.  When he was in Cleveland, nobody was talking about what a genius he was back then.  He was doing the same stuff then that he does now; difference is, his team is better.  Personally, I think coaches get way too much credit and blame for what goes on on the field, and Belichick is a great example.  No one gave a d*mn about him or the Patriots until they started winning.  Yes, they are great, but we all have seen better.  Off the top of my head, I'd rather have Marvin Lewis or Sean Payton or even Eric Mangini than Bill Belichick.  Only reason is they're younger.  Honestly, if your coach and team are halfway decent, you have a good shot at going deep into the playoffs.  Just ask Jon Gruden and the Buccaneers in '03.  Or Tony Dungy and the Colts last year.  Or Bill Cowher and the Steelers from two years ago.  I mean, c'mon, BRIAN BILLICK WON THE SUPER BOWL.

I got kind of side tracked there, but the point is is that of all the people who buy into and worship at the altar of the Belichick, none are as enamored with Belichick as Belichick himself.  He consistenly lies about his teams' injuries or refuses to give out the reports as the league mandates.  Belichick sticks a big middle finger at the league's stupid dress code for coaches by wearing those ratty old hoodies during games.  Hell, Belichick would not even speak Mangini's name after the latter dared to leave the genius of Belichick for a better job with the Jets, a team Belichick once screwed over by quitting as head coach the day he got the job.  Basically, Belichick has cultivated an air of I'm better than you, smarter than you, and do-not-have-to-play-by-the-same-rules-as-you-attitude.

The Patriots have been pulling garbage like this for years.  Headset sabotage is par for the course in New England.  Makes it easier to steal signals if those headsets don't work.  Like I said earlier, stealing signals is part of the game.  But Goodell warned teams about this very thing.  And now, Goodell has made a clear statement:  Labor, screw up and you're through.  We can replace you.  Management?  Take advantage all you want.

As much as I hate the whole "race, class thing" the unfortunate truth by circumstance is that the mostly inarticulate, mostly black, and mostly of poor background players will now see the "man," the fair-haired, mostly white management people, as having preferential treatment from the commish.  This had nothing to do with race, but it does have alot to do with whether you sign the checks or cash them.  Goodell had a chance to really crack Robert Kraft, the NFL's "man of integrity and character" over the head with his proverbial baseball bat of justice, and he did not do it.  Kraft, whether he knew about this or not (and he did, I guarantee it) is at least guilty of not having control over his own organization.  That's a bad CEO.  The type that, if I were on the board, I would vote to have fired.

Some people think that the people who raged all summer long against Barry Bonds should direct their ire now towards Bill Belichick and the Patriots, because they too have cheated the game.  Joey Porter had something to say about that.  He said, "People take a supplement that has a little more than caffeine in it and they call that cheating and suspend you for four games for that?  But these guys are videotaping our signals from the sideline?  New England went from not being a good team to being a powerhouse.  Now I have a question."

I never thought I'd say this, but Joey, that was very well reasoned!  I'm putting a gold star next to your name.

Jason Taylor also had something to say.  "Stealing signs is not the same as changing the hormone levels in your body in a game that is built on speed, power and quickness.  I'm not condoning the cheating part of it, but they are two different things."

It's nice to know at least one player actually believes in fair play.  It's nice to know that at least one player thinks that cheating is cheating no matter what.  And even though we are going to see that for all the storm surround the Pats, after Belichick's phony apology, the punishment is weak and flacid, we will see that Belichick's smug attitude and lofty reputation are finally taking a smack right in the mouth.  Maybe now that smug look will be wiped off Belichick's face, at least until the Pats win another Super Bowl.

Yeah, right.