It seems the New England Patriots are having as much trouble earning respect as Barry Bonds. The New York Daily News reports that Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, who coached the 1972 Miami Dolphins to an undefeated season, says the Spygate controversy earlier this season will mar the Patriots’ success if they finish with a 16-0 record. The Patriots were caught videotaping the opponents’ sidelines during a game against the New York Jets. Pats’ coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,000, and they lost a first-round draft pick. The team was forced to turn the tapes over to the league, but because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ordered the tapes destroyed, we’ll never know exactly what was on those tapes. “The Spygate thing has diminished what they’ve accomplished. You would hate to have that attached to their accomplishments,” he said.
While it’s obvious that Shula is trying to protect the integrity of the Dolphins’ accomplishment, not many fans agree with the coach. In a survey on Fox Sports Web site, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents said the Patriots should not have an asterisk next to their name if they go unbeaten. What surprises me is how forgiving fans are. It’s obvious that the Pats’ were caught cheating and yet, two-thirds of those who responded to this survey are willing to look the other way. If you’ve got a talented team like the Patriots, why cheat if you don’t have to?
Showing posts with label New England Patriots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New England Patriots. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Biggest Cheaters in Sports History
As a follow up to my story yesterday, the New England Patriots will pay some steep penalties for violating the NFL’s rules that ban videotaping on the sidelines. Coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team $250,000 for what the NFL deemed was stealing signals using video taping equipment. In addition, the Patriots will lose a 2008 first-round draft pick if they make the playoffs this season. So, does this make the Patriots the biggest cheater in sports history?
The editors at the Miami Herald came up with their list of the biggest cheaters in sports history. I agree with most of the entries on their list, with one exception: the Chicago "Black" Sox, who were charged, acquitted, and subsequently banned from Major League Baseball for throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. It seems to me that cheaters are trying to gain a competitive advantage. They’re trying to win games. The Black Sox weren’t trying to do either. So while they may not have played fair and square, I can’t really count them among the biggest cheaters in sports history.
I also think the Herald’s list is missing one important name: Pete Rose. Surely a lifetime ban from baseball for betting on his own team’s games makes him one of the world’s biggest cheaters.
The editors at the Miami Herald came up with their list of the biggest cheaters in sports history. I agree with most of the entries on their list, with one exception: the Chicago "Black" Sox, who were charged, acquitted, and subsequently banned from Major League Baseball for throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. It seems to me that cheaters are trying to gain a competitive advantage. They’re trying to win games. The Black Sox weren’t trying to do either. So while they may not have played fair and square, I can’t really count them among the biggest cheaters in sports history.
I also think the Herald’s list is missing one important name: Pete Rose. Surely a lifetime ban from baseball for betting on his own team’s games makes him one of the world’s biggest cheaters.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Patriot Games: Is New England Spying on the Competition?
With everything that has been happening in the world of sports this year — Michael Vick’s dog fighting allegations, NBA referees charged with gambling, ongoing debates about steroid use in baseball — I probably shouldn’t be too surprised to find out that an NFL team may have violated league rules that ban videotaping of the opponents’ sidelines. I just never thought the New England Patriots, arguably one of the best teams in the NFL during the past decade, would be the culprit.
The NFL is investigating several reported incidents involving the New England Patriots’ use of video cameras to “steal” signals from opposing team coaches on the sidelines.
The most recent incident occurred Sunday when NFL security confiscated a video camera and tape from a Patriots’ employee during their game against the New York Jets. Last season, a similar incident occurred when the Green Bay Packers complained to the league when they noticed a man with a Patriots’ staff credential was carrying a video camera on their sideline.
Earlier this week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick about his “interpretation” of the league’s rules, and an ESPN.com reported that Goodell feels the Patriots did violate the videotaping ban. The NFL is expected to rule on the incident on Friday.
It’s understandable that any team or athlete would want to gain some kind of competitive advantage over his opponent, but a team as deeply talented as the Patriots shouldn’t need to resort to those tactics. Yet if these allegations are true, what do these actions say about their team and coaching staff? Are the Patriots insecure about the talent on their team or are they simply playing head games with the NFL and the other teams in the league?
The NFL is investigating several reported incidents involving the New England Patriots’ use of video cameras to “steal” signals from opposing team coaches on the sidelines.
The most recent incident occurred Sunday when NFL security confiscated a video camera and tape from a Patriots’ employee during their game against the New York Jets. Last season, a similar incident occurred when the Green Bay Packers complained to the league when they noticed a man with a Patriots’ staff credential was carrying a video camera on their sideline.
Earlier this week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick about his “interpretation” of the league’s rules, and an ESPN.com reported that Goodell feels the Patriots did violate the videotaping ban. The NFL is expected to rule on the incident on Friday.
It’s understandable that any team or athlete would want to gain some kind of competitive advantage over his opponent, but a team as deeply talented as the Patriots shouldn’t need to resort to those tactics. Yet if these allegations are true, what do these actions say about their team and coaching staff? Are the Patriots insecure about the talent on their team or are they simply playing head games with the NFL and the other teams in the league?
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