That BB is a cheater? No. However, the DEPTH and the YEARS of the cheating with full knowledge by Rog how bad it was is yes surprising. And yes devastating to the NFL.

 

Think about teams who narrowly lost to these mf'ers and did so in key games including playoffs and SB.

 

The narrative that paralleled the Patriots' rise -- a team mostly void of superstars, built not to blow out opponents but to win the game's handful of decisive plays -- only increased rivals' suspicions. After all, the Patriots had won three Super Bowls by a total of nine points. Although Belichick admitted to Kraft that the taping had helped them only 1 percent of the time ("Then you're a real schmuck," Kraft told him), the spying very well could have affected a game, opponents say. "Why would they go to such great lengths for so long to do it and hide it if it didn't work?" a longtime former executive says. "It made no sense."

 

A Jerry Sandusky-type scandal won't bring down the Patriots at this point.

It shouldn't be too surprising, if the cheating leads to results you better believe he's going to keep it up until he gets kicked out of the league for it. It's a tough position for the league because the Pats are one of the most popular teams in the league which translates to dollars, but arguably one of the least respectable teams which hurts the leagues credibility overall. Teams that struggle to sell tickets like hosting he Pats because those games are often their biggest sellers, but is that enough to look past their cheating? If the last 15 years are any indication then the answer is yes. Popular teams like the Packers, Cowboys, Steelers, Broncos, etc would get the same treatment I'm sure. It would be interesting to see what the league would do if an unpopular, unsuccessful team like the Jaguars got busted for this?

I think the sophisticated nature of the cheating may explain one aspect of the Belichick era that seldom gets discussed. That is, despite the fact that he is one of the most successful coaches in NFL history, that virtually none of his assistants have had success elsewhere. Look at Walsh who was an offensive innovator and really developed the modern offense - he had multiple assistants who were successful elsewhere. Holmgren's assistants were then successful. It was because they were coaches who recognized strong football minds and then put them in a situation where they could develop professionally. Belichick's assistants from his time in New England have all flopped in other jobs (Crenel, Weis, McDaniels, Mangini). It could be it's harder to be successful if you don't know what's coming from the other side.

More coming out of Pandora's box....

 

Mike Martz was “shocked” by apparent changes to statement he gave to the NFL

Posted by Mike Florio on September 8, 2015, 10:41 AM EDT

As we try to digest this new ESPN Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus, I can sympathize with a three-foot snake that’s trying to swallow the leg of an elephant. Buried in the story is a nugget that could prompt someone to try to grab by the tail the tiger that is the NFL.

 

At some point after the Boston Herald reported in early 2008 that the Patriots had taped the Rams’ walk-through practice before Super Bowl XXXVI, a “panicked” Commissioner Roger Goodell asked former Rams coach Mike Martz to provide a statement “saying that he was satisfied with the NFL’s Spygate investigation and was certain the Patriots had not cheated and asking everyone to move on.”

 

So Martz provided a statement to the league. And ESPN showed the statement to Martz when interviewing him for the Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus. And Martz didn’t recognize portions of it.

 

“It shocked me,” Martz told ESPN. “It appears embellished quite a bit — some lines I know I didn’t write. Who changed it? I don’t know.”

 

And that was the end of it, as far as the ESPN Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus is concerned. There was no statement from the league office denying any changes to the statement. There was no apparent effort to procure the original statement, if there was one.

 

If Martz is right, that’s a huge deal. If the NFL changed in any way a statement from Martz that was used to placate Senator Arlen Specter and to block a Congressional investigation, this is the kind of thing that could turn the NFL into FIFA.

Will Ron Wolf be under consideration to fill the vacant role of Commissioner?

Go back to the  Packers / Patriots game last year and  the sincere respect  BB showed MM

There is a reason BB shows that level of respect toward MM.

I wish we could go back to that level of play across the league.  Alas, I guess that plan is moot.

Mike Martz's Actual Statement before the NFL edited.

 

"I'm shocked that an organization as proud as the New England Patriots would resort to this level of cheating.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Patriots, having taped our walk through, were much better prepared for all the TE reverses to the TE and our many H Back screens that were the hallmark of my awesome playcalling."

 

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcspor...mbat-patriots-spying

 

More info about how teams go out of their way to combat Pats cheating ways

 

EDIT - link fail

Not quite the same wow factor as the ESPN article today, but SI has a big piece which talks about how other teams take extra precautions when playing the Patriots. Obviously, there is a concerted effort by someone to leak damaging information.

 

http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/09/...-belichick-tom-brady

 

Some snippets:

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Teams usually take 53 players to the game and announce, 90 minutes before kickoff, which seven are inactive. But sometimes, at Saturday-night meetings, Belichick tells his staff which players on the opposing team were not on the flight to New England, a source with knowledge of the meetings tells SI. It’s not clear how Belichick knows. But he does.

This gives the Patriots a few extra hours to adjust to any roster changes. There is no rule against this, though some would argue that it’s unseemly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In 2010 the Broncos were caught filming a 49ers walkthrough in London. Denver’s coach at the time was Josh McDaniels, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator from ’06 to ’08. The Broncos’ video operations director, Steve Scarnecchia, had worked from ’01 to ’05 as a video assistant for New England, where his father, Dante, was a longtime offensive line coach.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, left accompanied by NFL lead counsel Jeff Pash

Sure looks extremely bad to me.

Transcript of the Goodell's resignation speech:

"Today I resign quit as commisioner of the NFL.  Frank(ly) - or whoever, I don't care who runs the league asylum from here on out.  Thanks a for the millions.  Bye."

       
       

http://deadspin.com/patriots-f...espn-repo-1729311526

I read about 5 minutes of the ESPN article and wow, this is all pretty damning.  a few thoughts:

 

-Totally makes sense why Goodell swept this under the rug.  This was big, made bigger b/c the Pats won 3 of 4 Super Bowls, the Pats are a flagship team in a big market (sorry, just the facts)and Kraft was a big time owner (heads the TV committee, or something like that).  This isn't something you want to get out.  

-Makes sense why Goodell was so pissed about deflategate.  I have no doubt he was irate that he cut the Pats so much slack and pretty much joined the cover up, and he finds out their still cheating.  It'b be like a judge illegally sweeping a drug charge under the table only to have a DUI come up a few years later - hard not to absolutely pissed and throw the book at them.  

-Interesting timing....no way Goodell leaks this as it makes him look even worse.  I really wonder how this all got out, or if OTL just did an incredible job of reporting (OTL is the most un-ESPN part of ESPN - they actually do good journalism).  

-Goodell needs to be fired.  I just don't get how the owners put up with this.  Yeah they're all making money but do they like this publicity?  At what point is the embarrassment enough?  

 

What a clusterf**k.  This is becoming almost too much to believe.  

This is why a simple coverup makes no sense.  Goodell could have chosen to keep it quiet, like the first substance use offense for a player, but had sanctions and monitoring in place.  You can keep it quiet but you can't turn a blind eye.  For the good of the sport something needed to be done. 

 

I think Goodell keeps his job as long as the TV $$ remains high. The current TV deals (for Fox, NBC, CBS) run through the 2022 season, ESPN deal is through 2021. Now, if advertisers start pulling out from games that could raise the pressure on the owners via their TV counterparts.

 

 

Somebody will take care of this quietly

 

In an unprecedented move, the Green Bay Packers carpet bombed every known and suspected home for New England Patriot insurgents. 

 

Goodell will never be fired by the owners as long as the cash cow that is the NFL is still churning out money.  I tend to think of it this way in that I bet behind the scenese the powers that be in the NFL and the owners are smiling with all of the attention.  Why?  because people are going to so fed up with all of the spygate, deflate gates, etc. they will even be MORE hungry just to watch some football.  And it even might draw in the more casual fan to watch football.  Interest is greater, ratings higher, and revenue is higher. 

 

All I know is that I am one of those fans who is just fed up and just wanted to watch some football and get back to what is important.  HATING the Bears.

Hungry5, I agree that Goodell won't be fired.  I just have to believe that at some point, the owners will have had enough and oust him.  The question is, what is enough?  Would Goodell actually have to kill someone for the owners to fire him?  

31 billionaires bring 31 egos to the table. At some point these guys will be convinced that their product is what's bringing in the cash flow, not Goodell. 

Goodell is the designated fall guy

At what point in time would you fire the guy who takes all of the schit on your behalf while you lounge on your yacht, blissfully immune to all of it ?

 

When they talk about Protecting the Shield, they are referring to Goodell

He's their Shield.

IL, the owners already believe that. Agree with Satori's point.

 

IMO most of the owners' views about having this moron as Commissioner haven't reached firing level yet since none of his missteps have affected the bottom line.

 

Indeed having a wounded Commish ain't bad from an owner's perspective. Even harder for him to tell them what to do. Witness Danny Snyder flaunting the racist nickname and conducting utterly transparent attempts to bribe small, targeted Native American groups. Nary a word, cajol, or push from the protector of the shield.

 

Goodell's hold card is that he has demonstrated absolute venality on the one issue that truly threatens the long term viability of the game -- concussions. Goodell orchestrated the coverup and continues to execute it, NFL HQ lies and and tries to censor media reporting attempts, his legal team pulled off the settlement with the retired players, and the humina-humina rhetoric about funding research and player safety continues. Put in a new Commissioner, especially one outside the NFL HQ orbit, and that could change.

 

Roger Goodell is an idiot, but a useful one to most owners.

There will be a point where the owners will fire Goodell. When the PR is so bad that the blowback starts hitting them and then he will fall on his sword for them.  He's a puppet, they can find some other schmuck who will do what they say just like Rog. It will be "a bold move that will signal a shift in NFL culture and blah blah blah..." Then stories will leak about how dysfunctional the league was under Goodell and how things are different...the same stuff we hear every time a coach or GM is fired and the new savior arrives. Goodell is expendable.

Another problem may be that Goodell knows where all the bodies are buried. Who knows what else has been covered up?

Heard this on the radio on the way to work:  The rest of the owners were royally pissed off about Spygate, since the Patriots cheated them out of what could have been their glory, literally, and even more pissed off about the slap on the wrist they got over it.  So Gooddell body slams the Patriots on Deflate-gate even though the evidence was thin, as a make-up call to the other owners for Spygate.  (And loses on appeal.)

 

So I'd guess Goodell keeping his job is not about profiting or blackmail, it's still about getting back at the organization everyone hates, and in the the owners' minds, Gooddell's their best shot to do that.  He still owes them.  I mean he tried this time, and presumably still will in the future.

 

So it's about what it should be about:  revenge on the Cheatriots.  (Screw that entire organization.)

 

Any word on what Myles White thinks about this?

He's wondering: Ed Williams? Really?

More like: that guy's a moderator?

What I'm interested in is Myles White's opinion is on the constant unfortunate rumors that Micah Hyde tells racist jokes.

Ah. Now I get it.

 

Myles White, the new and unimproved Micah Hyde

Myles White, the new and unimproved Tori Gurley.

White was way better than Gurley, people just wanted Gurley cuz he was tall and muscly!!! Chubby chasers.

 

And if that's true then who's Micah Hyde?

 

Can't keep up and don't care.  Here's a picture of our base camp on my upcoming boys' trip: 1 week for the Mule deer and Bear opener in X9A Zone:  Tioga Lake, Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Lakes are chock full of trout.  Coolers with adult beverages.  (After that, some stupid all-inclusive place in Cancun I have to go on with the girlfriend, oh well.)

 

No I guess it is the Mayan Riviera.  This fn place. (You Gurley-men would probably prefer it.) Going to miss a Packer game for this.

 

I'd take the girl to the lake and go with the boys to hunt for beaver in Mexico

 

[FYI and in case PETA is reading, my buddy has the deer tag.  I have a bear tag but there's like zero chance I actually shoot a bear.] 

are you a dentist by any chance?

Myles White and I are meeting up here for some hardcore history and some creamy Jeezus snacks.

 

 

 

 

Holy crap! Only in Florida. 

 

Had to Google it.  Be sure to check out the daily crucifixion. (They don't use real nails.)

 

 

Fudge 'em all.

Kraft and Goodell are pricks, and deserve every bit of strife and turmoil that comes their way. The next owners' meeting should be interesting...

Ditto for Belichick. His own **** has/will stain his legacy, and what could be better?

 

No matter how factual any of this proves to be, the perception of the Patriots being cheaters will always remain, IMHO. And, again, it couldn't happen to a more deserving team.

 

 

The mold continues to grow....

 

QUOTE by Al Harris the night of 11/19/2006 after the Patriots beat the Packers 35-0.

http://sportsbiznews.blogspot....-oh-yes-spygate.html

 

“It’s almost like they knew what we were doing, you know?” he said. “You have to tip your hat to them. They ran plays designed for us. They ran plays that made us check out of some things. I don’t know who calls their plays, but Belichick is pretty good. Honestly, he’s pretty good.”

 

That was the first M3 vs Bellichick showdown.

2 weeks later Mangini came to Lambeau and beat the Pack 38-10.

 

F&%K THOSE CHEATERS!!!

Great post Bartman!

 

**** those ****ing ****s.

 

CHEATERS!

 

I was at that game and it was ugly.  Favre went down with an elbow injury and Rodgers came in and played the rest of the game.  Rodgers ended up breaking his foot and was out for the season.  I thought to myself  "This guy sucks".  Boy was I wrong. Now that I look back at that game it shows that Rodgers is a pretty tough SOB playing on a broken foot the whole game. 

Thanks Bartmandude!  I was at that game too.  Worst sporting event I ever witnessed. It was uncanny: every time we ran a blitz, the ball went to the open spot.  Every time we tried anything on offense, there were 2 defenders waiting, and not because they beat their guy, just waiting (for the screen or draw or flat pass or whatever). We could see it all from our seats and kept saying the same thing: "It's like they know our plays!"

 

My personal impact-of-Spygate story:  I was at the game with my brother, his kids and our old man.  The weather was so terrible and the game so unwatchable (there was never a single competitive play, let alone a score), we just turned it into a family party.  My brother was in rare form and made sure we all had a blast in the freezing cold, even though the game just sucked.  At the time, I chalked the good moods up to it being all of our vacations and we actually came back to GB from deer hunting up North for the game.

 

Turns out, the whole time my brother was hiding from us that his cancer was back after being in remission for over a year.  He didn't tell anyone until after I flew back to California, and he died 67 days later, on January 25, 2007. He was 49.

 

So when I think of Spygate, I have an intensely positive memory of my brother entertaining us all in crappy weather at Lambeau during the worst game ever,  and the memory is as good as they get (although one last "Lambeau high 5" would have been nice).

 

The reason I'd like to see Bellicheat banned?  The young German guy I met on the commuter flight flying in that weekend.  First time in the U.S., he told me he saved up for a whole year to come to an NFL game, specifically a Green Bay Packers game.  The guy was by himself and just thrilled to be flying into Green Bay.  We sat in the back of the plane and talked football and drank Miller Genuine Drafts.  I bought the first round, and he kept staring at the can like he was memorizing everything (I posted this in the I-was-at-the-game thread).

 

For that guy, who probably told everyone American Football sucked, Bellicheat should get his ass beat and be banned for life.  (Okay just banned for life.)