Pats fans: content to be ignorant

Don't you guys get it?  It's not about stealing signals.  It's about the fact that your liar of a head coach told Goodell he "misinterpreted a rule."  But everything about the tapes - from the secret way in which they were made to the unusual precautions the Patriots took to make sure they weren't discovered - tells you that the Pats and Sweatshirt-Boy knew what they were doing was a violation of the rules.

Think about it - it doesn't even make sense.  Even if you hate Belichick, you know he's a great coach and a smart man.  Do we really believe that all the other NFL teams - half of which are coached and/or run by morons - managed to comply with this rule, but that Billy somehow had a learning comprehension problem?  Please.

If you don't believe me, read this: http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10825023

The point here is that Belichick flat-out lied to the NFL.  That - not the taping - should be grounds for a lifetime ban.  He violated the NFL Code of Ethics.  His word means nothing at this point, and the NFL is too valuable to entrust to liars.

And to that fat, arrogant cheese-salesman of an owner - I would offer this.  Shut your yapper.  Considering your team was just busted for cheating, and your head coach lied to the league office on top of cheating, you have some kind of b*lls coming after the Boston Herald as if they falsely accused the Pats of cheating.  The only thing the Herald got wrong was the extent of the cheating.  Big fat Bobby Kraft's boy still lied and cheated.  So Bob - Shhhhh!

Patriots will always be the most despised team in sports whether they are 18-1 or 1-18

everyone outside of new england area basically hates them ,recognises them as cheaters ,i cant tell you how gratifying it was to see the Giants beat the pats ,made my month if not year ,i dont care which team in the league wins as long as its not those bas--rds in new england

CHEATERS NEVER PROSPER BUT IN THE CASE OF THE PATSIES AND THEIR SCUM COACH THEY UNFORTUNATELY DID !

Lol....Great post Mariobuster...

ANd please...A lifetime ban? People have done much worse things and not gotten life time bans (COUGH - Pacman/Vick - COUGH COUGH)

Want to know what's really funny? There were over 23 other incidents with teams taping from illegal spots. These include the Jets, Steelers, and Dolphins. (All this comes from ESPN.com) And they didn't get a whole scandal at all. I'm not saying what we did was right, but the fact that the "Spygate" scandal gets all the publicity is biased.

Uh, lots of people cheated. Roger Clemens, Eric Mangini, Barry Bonds, when some of those people get banned for life then maybe you have a case to ban Belichick

Robert Kraft does not own Kraft Cheese. I had to set that straight.

SuperMario66:

But everything about the tapes - from the secret way in which they were made to the unusual precautions the Patriots took to make sure they weren't discovered - tells you that the Pats and Sweatshirt-Boy knew what they were doing was a violation of the rules.

You make it sound like there are numerous factual details that point to the Patriots trying not to be discovered.  However, you recite the same claim twice:  "the secret way in which they were made" and the "unusual precautions the Patriots took to make sure they weren't discovered."  You simply stated the same opinion twice.  For someone with such harsh words, perhaps you could expand upon this.

Furthermore, nobody has any way of knowing if Bill Belichick actually lied to the league office.  His interpritation of the rule was obviously wrong, but the fact remeains that there is no hard evidence to show that what he used as an excuse was in fact not actually his opinion.  Goodell says he didn't buy it (which is his right to do as commissioner), and that went into levying the largest penalty aver handed out in the history of the league.  So, my friend, even if you could prove Belichick was actually lying about his interpritation of the rule, Goodell has already taken that into consideration when he handed down the initial penalty.  Your argument holds no water whatsoever.

Furthermore, just for the record,

And to that fat, arrogant cheese-salesman of an owner - I would offer this.  Shut your yapper.

Bob Kraft has aboslutely nothing to do with Kraft Foods.  He made his money through paper, real estate, etc.  He was a season ticket holder for decades before he owned the team, and financed his own stadium, all without the help of selling a single slice of cheese.

And finally,

you have some kind of b*lls coming after the Boston Herald as if they falsely accused the Pats of cheating.  The only thing the Herald got wrong was the extent of the cheating.

I guess you weren't watching CNBC this morning when Bob Kraft said he was very pleased with the apology from the Herald.  In fact, nobody from the Patriots has mentioned a thing about a lawsuit... so I'm not sure what you're alluding to (although the Pats have every right to seek legal action).  In my opinion, however, saying that a team taped another team's walk-through prior to the Super Bowl goes a little further than just getting wrong "the extent" of any infractions, especially since they presented that particular story as fact, without any support or corroboration whatsoever. 

Ignorance sure must be bliss, because you're swimming in it.

... and speaking of ingorance, here's something that many critics of the Patriots obvioulsy don't understand:

In the NFL, STEALING SIGNALS IS NOT CONSIDERED CHEATING.  PERIOD.  Trying to "steal" signals in order to gain some sort of an advantage is gamesmanship, and an accepted part of the game (which is why signals are routinely changed week-to-week, as well isn often times in-game).  It is also why teams send scouts (with binoculars) to watch opponents the week prior to their matchup.  Furthermore, it is common knowledge that players and coaches, either on the sidelines or on the field, will often look to the opposing coordinators to see if they can get a jump on what blitz package, etc. is coming based on signals.

Thus, the Patriots VIOLATED ABSOLUTELY NO RULES BY STEALING SIGNALS.  The infraction was based on the fact that they used a video camera to do so, which isn't allowed.  Had they been using binoculars and a notepad, it would have been perfectly legal. 

I just think its funny how many "fans" don't actually understand the rules.  I also think its funny when you see people who have run out of all possible arguments, and are now grasping at straws saying the Patriots deserve ruther punsihment because Belichick "lied" about what his interpritation of the rule was.  Now that's IGNORANCE.

Wow.  All these words come out of your mouths and none of them address the issue I raised.  That lying to the league and violating the NFL code of ethics should result in a ban for Belichick.