T Nation

Pats Cheated Since 2000

#1

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Arlen Specter said on Wednesday that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told him that the New England Patriots had been spying on rival teams since 2000 when Bill Belichick took over as head coach.

Specter said he discussed the scandal involving the illegal videotaping of rival sideline signals and other issues with Goodell at a meeting that lasted nearly two hours.

After the meeting Specter told reporters he learned "that the Patriots have taped since the year 2000 when coach Belichick took over."

"There's no doubt it had an impact on the games," Specter added. "It is hard to tell what games were involved with the destruction of the notes and the tapes.

"No really valid reason was given for the destruction of the notes and the tapes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080214/sp_nm/nfl_specter_dc_1

This is an example of why Congress should have some oversight of these sports. The NFL would have been happy to bury all this information.

#2

Yeah, but obviously the Giants cheated and taped the Pats in order to win the Superbowl.

So now it's all a nice, clean slate and we can move on...

#3

I was going to say how nice it was to see a rare game where the Pats didn't know what their opponents were going to do.

Belechik should be banned for life.

#4

I think it is funny that the best Pats team is the one that didn't win the Super bowl.

#5

So be the rules or war fellas. I bet no-one on either of the teams have used performance enhancing drugs either.

Hypocrisy.

Zap, shut your hole.

You're a fan of martial law I suppose?

Good game.

#6

Sorry, I don't like blatant cheating fucking up a great game.

#7

Arlan Specter needs to have a red hot poker shoved up his ass.

I hate the Patriots, but does this shit really need Congress stepping in?

#8

Since the NFL tried to cover it up by destroying the evidence apparently someone has to step in.

The NFL's behavior has been shameful. Goodell claimed he was going to clean up the league and instead he destroyed the evidence that the "best" team of the decade has been cheating.

#9

C'MON ! The whole season was fixed ! You think the Giants could really win the Super Bowl ??!!?! It's all to get Eli as marketable as Peyton so the NFL can make more dough ray me !

#10

Every team cheats, if that's what you want to call it, to some degree. It's called trying to gain the competitive advantage.

If the Patriots had gone 13-3, and left in the first round of the playoffs - would everyone have their panties this knotted up? Somehow I doubt it.

#11

Agreed. I feel like the US has more important problems right now than what's going on in professional sports. This is the same way I feel about steroid use. People can make all sorts of claims about how steroids are unhealthy and should be banned, but if you look at the actual hearings from the late 80's through '90 or '91 it becomes apparent that Congress was more concerned with the image of sports and preventing "cheating."

Football is a game. That's all. Specter just wants a little attention.

#12

I agree. It doesn't need anyone stepping in. Professional sports is an oxymoron. You don't make money playing with a football, you make money when people pay to watch you do it. These games are part of the entertainment industry. It's all about the money, fairness went out the window when the first paycheck was signed. You can pretend all you want, but you're just living in a fantasy. I'll just enjoy the games and get back to my regularly scheduled life when they're over.

And don't bother with the "what about the children, these players are role models" argument. Little kids know how to cheat just fine. Constantly harping on all this crap in the media is doing more harm than the indiscretions of the players/coaches/etc.

I'm also not saying we should throw out all the rule books and allow a free-for-all. I'm just getting tired of everyone screaming "Cheater!" every time the competition outperforms them or gets a lucky break.

#13

Where do you draw the line? When the three time champion is caught cheating and the league covers it up and destroys evidence I think they have gone too far.

Goodell publicly stated there was no evidence that the Pats cheated before this year and then when questioned by Specter he changed his tune and said they have been cheating since 2000.

I think Specter has done a fine job uncovering this without turning it into a circus like the MLB steroid hearings.

Goodell and Belichek should be fired. I am glad someone is trying to protect the integrity of the game.

#14

Goodell should have told Specter to go to hell.

Specter has no business playing enforcer. Unless the NFL asks for his help, he should just shut up and color. He's worthless.

#15

EVERYTHING IS FIXED IF YOU DIG DEEP ENOUGH.

The NFL, NHL, NBA, NCCAP, THE GOVERNMENT, EVEN CAPTAIN PLANET TOOK BRIBES FROM OIL COMPANIES!!!

Figure a way to deal with the fact that everything in this world these days is tainted; and move the f*ck on.

Maybe people like the OP should spend their time doing more then posting retarded posts and either helping other people here better themselves; or lifting to better THEMself.

I know this is the "off topic" forum; but seriously....if your going to talk about things in society being fixed; why start with a football team? unless you don't have the intellegence and foresight to step back and see the bigger picture.

Feel free to flame my post as much as you'd want now...I'm done with it.

#16

That'd be fun to watch too.

#17

And Specter could have taken the NFL's antitrust exemption with him. We could also quit subsidizing public stadiums, or prevent the nfl from broadcasting over the air.

The government has a huge interest in making sure that the game stays fair, and the nfl needs the government if it wants to keep functioning as well as it has the last 20 years.

#18

No flaming necessary. You can take care of that yourself.

#19

Absolutely.

What if the Super Bowl was fixed? Should that be ignored? Where does it end?

#20

Don't hate.