Yea the premeditation is what makes it egregious. The previously mentioned standard fine for this infraction isn't all that much more expensive then a fine a player will pay if his socks aren't pulled all the way up, but this goes far beyond a single solitary infraction, it is a pattern of rule breaking by a team that has already been punished heavily for rule breaking and been warned to stay between the lines. It was only a matter of time before the Patriots got caught with their hands in the cookie jar again, it is common knowledge that the Patriots skirt and break the rules with regularity and arrogance. This is why they are going to get hammered.
And the lying about it afterward and the indignance should not sit well with the ultimate folks handing down the punishment. _
Yes. Those who for whatever reason want to discount the importance of this transgression need to remember the context in which it occurred, which also includes Spygate and the league putting Belichik and the Pats on notice that they would be held to a higher standard going forward, due to that scandal. In ohter words part of the penalty for Spygate was that the Pats were supposed to be on guard, to police themselves, to make sure no additional scandal would happen. Since this deflation scandal occurred despite all that, in the face of the league's prior warnings, this consideration is grounds to include the Pats and Belichik in any penalties despite not finding Belichik guilty of commission of cheating. He is here guilty of omission, having failed to take adequate measures to prevent this from having happened. In view of Pulse's litany and the ongoing higher standard established in the wake of Spygate, here is what should happen: - The Lombardi for the most recent SB should be forfeited. I suppose it could be given to Seattle, but it also could merely not be given to anyone. It should in any event be taken back from the Pats. - Brady should be suspended for the coming year. - Belichik should also be suspended (on the same principle that Sean Peyton was, plus under the Spygate penalty's ongoing standard of care). I would vote for a whole year, but would be satisfied with half a year. - The Pats employees implicated should be reassigned to duties having nothing to do with pre-game activities and put on probation for 5 years. - The Pats should be fined $10million and lose next year's first and second round draft picks. - Kraft needs to be publicly denounced for having criticized the investigation and its outcome without substantive basis as a slander of the league, harming its reputation, personally fined $5million and put on probation for 5 years for not slandering the league anymore. (This is not a free speech issue - members of a private company do not have a right to criticize it in public, especially without basis.) What will happen? - Brady will be suspended, but only for 4 games. - Belichik will be put on probation (which is meaningless, since he was already effectively on probation following Spygate). - The Pats employees will be treated more harshly than i recommended above - either suspended or fired (the little guys always get it up the ass). - The Pats will be fined $2million. I really don't know if they will lose draft picks or not. That's it.
Just watch, Brady will get 5 games. Very conveniently making his return Oct. 25th at home against our NY Jets.
If Brady is suspended for 1 or 2 games it shouldnt benefit the Steelers. If anything he should be forced to sit Week 6 in Indy. Id love to see the NFL drop the hammer and force him out for the season.
You may be right, but as NFL fans we should really be upset by any kind of successful appeal. Particularly given the Pats non-cooperation with the investigation.
That is exactly why they shouldn't get any benefit of the doubt and no mercy.. they didn't cooperate with the investigation. And Brady didn't either. The league needs to come down hard because of that.
All of your proposed would be in the right. But can you imagine the bleating from Pats fans if the Lombardi Trophy was stripped from them? Talk about indignation. God they suck.
A special investigator brought in for a 103 day investigation to put together a 243 page report tells me they are taking it somewhat seriously. I could see some backlash coming if they don't treat it on a higher level than texting from the press box or piping in crowd noise. $25,000 fine? There would be significant backlash if this got the same fine as say a coach berating an official or a player wearing unsanctioned cleats.
"In assessing player discipline," Goodell said in a statement, "I focused on players who were in leadership positions at the Saints; contributed a particularly large sum of money toward the program; specifically contributed to a bounty on an opposing player; demonstrated a clear intent to participate in a program that potentially injured opposing players; sought rewards for doing so; and/or obstructed the 2010 investigation."
Oh, and Peter King is a douche nozzle of the highest order. To say "there is no smoking gun" when you can read that the Pats failed to cooperate with the investigation under the policy of integrity of the game and because of that the investigators couldn't 100 percent conclude rule breaking is about as pathetic as you can get. I wont link to his article because he can GF himself too.
Six games would be great because it would include the jets Oct 25. 4 games would be made for tv, as he'd return at indy week 5. Luckily for us, the patriots have a tough start to the season : Pittsburgh At Buffalo Jacksonville At Dallas At Indy Jets
Holy shit that shows what a fraud Kraft and Belli are. You can't put the refusal to cooperate on anyone OTHER than Kraft and Belli. No blaming ball boys or flunkies or fall guys. The fish rots from the head. _
They'll hide behind their lawyers because the Patriots legal counsel were the ones that denied the interview.
This is where it will get ugly for NFL. Kraft and his attorneys against the NFL and the other 31 owners. I suspect a owner con call will happen before Roger allows Vincent to come up with the punishment THere will be no slap on the wrist here.
It really doesn't matter what happens now or even if nothing happens as the damage has already been done. The organization and bellishit were already well known to be complete scumbags and now Brady is too.
