You guys need to change your perspective. Who cares what the media, or anyone else thinks? Why is it so important to you all?
People keep saying that the videotaping didn't affect the first game, which is probably true since the tape was confiscated. However, it's been reported that they've been doing this for years so they've had plenty of tape on opposing team's DC's. If the tapes aren't used for some purpose, then why was the cameraman trying to go into the lockerroom with the camera/tape? If it was not going to have ANY impact at all, then why bring everything into the locker room. People chose to believe Bellichick that the tapes weren't used during the game. The same man who was caught cheating in a game, who had an affair with a married woman, etc., etc. Yeah, his integrity can't be questioned. I don't believe for one second anything he said as it relates to Spygate. He misinterpreted the rules? Yeah right. He didn't use it during games? Yeah right. I wouldn't be surprised if he's still doing it but is probably being more discreet with it.
We don't know that the camera guy goes into the lockerroom at halftime. He was grabbed on the sideline by Jets security. Besides, it was a video camera with a tape. Even the biggest haters like Collinsworth have admitted that there wasn't enough time to do anything with the tapes during the game. Defenses change signals and who's calling them most weeks at the half. And defensive signals come in AFTER the offensive play is relayed to the QB, and the QB's mic is turned off with 15 seconds left on the play clock. And if what we read now is true at all (and this was the league's take on it), all teams can sit camera guys in the stands with the home teams permission with no league permission required. Basically, every team can tape the defensive coaches signals legally. Just not from the sidelines.
As far as I can tell, videotaping is within the rules, but you can't access the tapes during the game. What, do we need some sort of time lock on the camera to prevent access? No one is really suggesting that the tapes were going to be used improperly, but somehow it got blown up into a great scandal.
Who said it was important to me? Right now, I'm happy about how much media attention this game, between somehow glorifying the Patriots as victims of the snitch Mangini, and saying how so far blown out of proportion the score will be that _________. I hope it'll piss off the players so much that they'll take it out on the Patriots. I'm not one of those classless jerks that wants to see Brady bleed. You guys know all about classless jerks because the good majority of them "root" for your team. Like I said with the reference to my children, the lesson that Bill Bellichick teaches them is wrong. Do whatever it takes, if everyone does it its ok, you can lie and not lose anything, you can disregard your authority figures, etc. The NFL is supposed to be a role model for America, and the children of America. The Patriots are one of the most hated teams of this century so far, probably the most hated. I know you can say, "It's not college football, and there's no sportsmanship" but I'm pretty sure there should be. Again, what kind of message does that send to children? By running up the score and being a-holes, the Patriots are asking to get killed. Teams that are angry usually play better than teams that aren't. That the whole Spygate thing has actually turned into a positive thing for the Patriots is a joke. They cheated, but it's not okay to turn them in? I hate to sound like a broken record, but if you teach your kids to zip the lip and take the hit for the bully, then you'll never know what their problems are and you won't be able to install proper morals in them. That is something that I hope every father and mother tries to do for their children, and sports are supposed to help them do that, not hurt them. I do not wish hurt on the Patriots, their coach, their quarterback, or their ownership. At least not physical...
That's not true... If it were true, we'd see a lot more 'quick' snaps, and defenses caught off guard.... That's just a naiive thing to say....
Does anybody else find it amusing that the media spent almost all of last season building Mangini up whenever they could and this season they are tearing him down just as fast? Methinks more than a few national media types liked building sand castles at the beach and then stompling them into piles of sand when they were children.
What does anyone really expect? They're absoluted scum in the media... they were all against the Pats when they were caught because that was the better story... now they're on the Pats side because revenge sells & they don't want to be shut out of interviews when the Pats make the SB...
Regardless of what they actually say about it, the majority of players and coaches care quite a bit what the media says even if they don't respect many of them. Its pretty naive to think they don't care. A great many professional athletes and coaches have, at one time or another, been variously praised, skewered and had their talent, drive, viability or intelligence questioned. Every season, most athletes and coaches use the media as a bountiful source of motivation. If your reputation was unjustly besmirched by folks in the media and you were to say that that you (or your family of supporters) wouldn't care what the media thinks (or more importantly, writes) I'd say you were either a liar or adopting a deluded perspective. A small dose of reality would soon change your perspective.
I guess my point was that, as fans, you would be happier if you stop looking for media love.....as a Pats fan, I know that sometimes you just gotta say "Fuggit", and forget the talking heads and media, and just root for your team....that's all.
So says the Pats fan when the year after their first SB win all I had to listen to were angry Pats fans not getting their recommended dosage of respect from the media. :grin: I agree with you... who really cares what they think. I know I don't.
You know I value your opinion, B, but it was my understanding that this was one of the advantages of going to the so-called "2-minute offense"...in addition To not allowing the defense to substitute. Are you telling me that, for example, on second down and 4, the defense is called before the offense gets into formation? If that's the case, then the defensive signals are flashed without knowing who is lining up where, or whether it is a standard pro or shotgun?
The Jets have always been hated in the media and always will. This is the Giants town and we know it. That is the fight, the Jets are always fighting for respect, even when they do good, they rarely get it. And as Jets fans we always seem to take it on the chin. I have actually been in fights in my early years for people making fun of my favorite team. I just don't get riled up about it anymore, life is too short for my week to be decided on what the Jets do each week.
The question in the daily Metro rag I pickup on the subway in the morning asked 3 people in Boston whether they thought the Jets would be seeking revenge against the Pats for the spygate incident. Shouldn't that be the other way around??? I am not sure how doing the right thing for your team becomes a bad thing and having clearly cheated and broken the rules becomes the good. Only in a bizzaro world where the New England is on top in practically all sports. :rofl2:
I think the argument is over the word "cheating", as opposed to a "rules violation". No doubt, BB gave the league the finger by putting his guy right there conspicuously on the sideline after the memo was sent. I think he underestimated the penalty involved....but nonetheless, the penalty was levelled and paid.
There used to be a code that when a team was winning by 35+ points in the 4th quarter they punted on 4th down. Buy I guess NE realized they could break a lot of records beating inferior teams by as much as possible.
I don't think the penalty was severe enough and obviously they viewed your "rule violation" a tad harsher than you. Don't let the NFL fool you if there had been no gambling involved the game would have been forfieted. I have legit sources on that. I can't 100% garuntee that but higher ups I know in the gaming industry told me they were contacted by the NFL on how much chaos it would have created had the game been overturned. I think New England's champion writer Bill Simmons even mentioned that.
I think that's a valid point. It's an infraction just like Holding or a Facemask penalty. To equate what the Patriots did to a player using steroids is a bit unfair. Most of us admit that the videotaping had little to no impact on the outcome of the first game we played them. Just the same, they did break the rules and they were punished for it. That should have been the end of the story. All this stuff about the Pats being "cheaters" and the Jets being "snitches" is just childish media hype.