"During at least one game, the January 27, 2002 AFC Championship game, Walsh was specifically instructed not to wear anything displaying a Patriots logo. Walsh indicated he turned the Patriots sweatshirt he was wearing at the time inside-out. Walsh was also given a generic credential instead of one that identified him as team personnel."Look, the Pats cheated. Over the course of a few years, they illegally taped other team's defensive signals, including those of our 2001-2002 Steelers. And yet, no one has even suggested revoking those three Super Bowls they won? Well, part of me would like to go put a big, fat asterisk on one of those Lombardi's. But I'm not gonna do that. Are you gonna do that?
- Arlen Specter
What I think I am going to do, is just try and ignore the media frenzy and look forward to a bright 2008 NFL season. I mean at this point, we're actually making the Pats look better. Think about it, if Matt Walsh never met with Roger Goodell, we wouldn't know that the Pats never actually taped the supposed walk through back in 2001. More importantly, Robert Kraft would not have been given a prime opportunity to play victim.
If the NFL ever really meant to punish the Patriots, it would have done so the first time. Clearly the fact that the Patriots got what in my mind amounts to a slap on the wrist, while the NFL destroyed all the evidence, shows you how serious they were...
I don't know why. I'm not Roger Goodell. And while I think the best thing for us all to do is try and ignore it, I can't help but think that the way the whole thing was handled was bush league. The lower of their 1st round draft picks? $250,000? You think that was hitting them where it hurts? For such a calculated and prolonged violation like this, I find it pretty ludicrous that Bill Belichick himself was not suspended for at least eight games.
So, whatever. Bottom line is, what's done is done. No sense crying over spilled milk. And at the end of the day, the result is the same. The Pats cheated. They won Super Bowls. They were outted. And paid a minimal price. What else can we say? What else could we do?
What do you all make of this Spygate nonsense? Is Arlen Specter pushing it a little too far? Or is no one taking this seriously enough?
And remember, Bill Belichick is watching...always...
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Senator Specter's Memo On Spygate [KDKA]
Specter Urges NFL to Continue Patriots Investigation [Post-Gazette]
Specter Wants Mitchell-like Investigation of Patriots Taping [Trib]
Specter Wants Mitchell-like Investigation [Associated Press]
12 comments:
I mean really, it's over already. I don't care anymore, and that's sayin a lot because I hate the Cheatriots almost more than I love the Steelers.
For the life of me, I can't figure out what Specter is trying to accomplish here, but he's really embarrassing himself.
How in Gawd's name do all these Steeler fans pretend not to care? No one can convince me that, deep down inside, every one of us in SteelerNation are rooting for the Patricheats to be truly and justly punished for the cheating THEY ADMITTED CONDUCTING!!!
I have no idea why anyone who loves the Black-n-Gold is buying the BS from the Rooneys about them "not caring" about Spygate! BS- i call it. They care. In the immortal words of Faith No More: "WE CARE A LOT!"
It's admirable that so many people are trying to follow the lead of the Lil Chief, but don't start lying to ourselves and each other; we all KNOW the Cheatriots stole those seasons. We've known it all along.
Why not accept THE TRUTH, and move on it now that someone's actually paying attention?
Spygate ain't over yet. Not by a long shot...
Mark my words:
Belichump, Graft, and the rest of those Not-So-Slim-Shady shits in Beantown are going down for this. It'll be the biggest scandal and case of cheating, fraud, deception, and corporate coverup in American sports history when it's all played out.
I mean it. I'm sick of my beloved Steelers being abused for their good ethics and class. And I expect fairness out of the NFL.
Call me crazy...
I'm gonaa bust a brain-vessel if this crap continues to be blown off. We're like a buncha lil' kids crying because we just found out there ain't no Santa, Easter Bunny, and that the NFL allows big-market teams to cheat and covers up for them and their big-selling merch.
Come on, people.
Damn.
I do not believe that the federal government should be involved in the NFL's affairs. That being said, if Sen. Specter is not satisfied with everything that is Spygate, then it's going roll on for quite awhile.
Tobiathan, If you really want to get fired up take a look at the post on Fox Sports about embracing the dark side.
I'm not sure why Specter is involved in this matter in the first place, but it IS fishy why Goodell destroyed the tapes so quickly. I'm not sure what Specter can do from this point. I would love to see the Patriots punished by banning them from the league or allowing James Harrison to cagefight to the death with Belichick, but these things are not going to happen.
Is everyone convinced that Matt Walsh was the only videographer for the Pats? Im not, there has to or had to have been more tapes out there.
I do not like to make excuses myself, so I'm not going to make excuses for the Steelers. If the videotaping gave the Patriots an edge, sure I'm going to be p-oed, but the players have to rise above any excuses and make the plays necessary to win the game. Videotaping does not effect the way the ball bounces or if you have Kordell Stewart running the offense.
If we all remember back to the game, Tom Brady got hurt and Drew Bledsoe beat the Steelers. Dude, Drew Bledsoe vs. Kordell Stewart...seriously! Bettis could not get out of his own backfield (as usual in playoff situations) 9 carries and 8 total yards. Kordell had to carry the offense (LOL!). The Steelers special teams let up a punt return and a blocked field goal, which was returned for a touchdown. Can you believe special teams were a problem for the Steelers? Any time you allow two special teams touchdowns, you usually lose.
Did the Patriots have prior videos on how to expose the Steelers' field goal blocking schemes/kick return coverages? Would this video help Belichick prepare for Big Ben? I dont know.
Every time I think about this issue I feel like I go in cirlces and end up in the same place.
I hate the Patriots, i really do, but I think that Spygate needs to be finished. I wish the Pats would lose their 1st round picks for the next few years and we'd inherit them but that's not happening. They cheated, but I think it's a widespread thing. Not as detailed as the Pats did it, but everyone cheats. This is over, and frankly I'm glad because I'm sick of hearing about it.
I hate the Patriots, but still, I'm entirely sick of this story. They cheated, got caught, and were publicly shamed; it's not like there's anything else that really needs to be done or can be done now. A public display of all the facts would have been nice, but whatever.
Quite frankly, I'd rather that Steelers Nation didn't start acting like those whiny Seahawks fans who still can't get over the fact that they lost the Super Bowl.
Sounds like most of you guys feel me on this one.
I'm not necessarily saying it's a waste of precious government time and resources (see Mitchell Report) like some might. I just think there isn't much more that can be DONE.
Saying this and that is all well and good, but what will be DONE about it? The answer is nothing. And so maybe that's what Arlen Specter should do.
All that said, I applaud him for taking a stand up until Walsh met with Goodell. He certainly knows what his constituents care about...and I say that with a completely straight face...
And still i'm amazed at how readily most people, even my Black-nGold-Brethren(and Sistren?), take up the position held by league and team officials. Doesn't anyone really want to find out all of the truth?
I think that the Patriots need to either be totally cleared of all doubt of wrongdoing, or totally destroyed for the damage all this has done to the integrity of the game. And neither of those things is happening.
It's like everybody has agreed that it's useless to even discuss so they stick their proverbial heads in the sand. And THAT pisses me off. If the fuckers cheated WE NEED TO KNOW. If they didn't: well, we need to know that too.
It stuns me that the one issue that ought to get everyone's undivided attention seems to be the one thing no one wants to deal with. Talk about the elephant in the room. Jeebus.
It's obvious that there is both wrongdoing and a coverup. We all know it, admit it or not. Why isn't all of NFL fandpom(the people who spend their hard0-earned money to support this farce) up ib arms about this?
Are we all fully cowed? Have we all been castrated, emasculated, and thouroughly taught to ignore poor ethics and wrongness in favor of "winning"?
This ain't the America i wanted to live in.
Seriously.
Belichek and Kraft have already won; why even fight?
Right?
I never thought Arlen Specter would be the only voice of justice in ANY situation.
It truly is the end of the world.
The Fourth Horseman cometh...
They cheated. We all know it. And yet we all turn away.
We're just sheeple.
-WARNING: NONE OF THIS IS DIRECTED AT ANYONE PERSONALLY!-
And how can i take the NFL seriously, knowing that nothing will be done about the worst infractions because it might "look bad"? Are SB's still real?
Do games count anymore? Are officials really calling the games as they see them, or are they being called to cover spreads? Are certain players protected and given special treatment while others are run out of the game? Do some franchises get to do whatever they want as long as they sell lots of merch? Is it OK to cheat now?
Do we all just pretend that a team didn't MAGICALLY win three Stooperbowls by a total of 3 effing points?
Yup. Everybody drink the Kool-Aid. Everything's fine in Disneymerica!
Put yer blinders on good and straight, yinz! Don't wanna have to see any dirt, er ya might have ta clean it up! If we ignore things, they ALWAYS GET BETTER!
I'm sure Billy Boy and the Pristine Beantown Truthtellers will never, ever cheat NO MO'!
Yep.
The Patriots and the NFL say:
Here's a big, sloppy poop sammich, America: eat 'er up!
And we do :-)
Believe it or not i'm not frothing at the mouth or anything. I'm just genuinely stunned at how little reaction anyone has shown to the fact that a team and coach have admitted cheating their way to four SBs. It couldn't be any more obvious. Not to anyone with half a brain.
But, everybody deals with the truth differently. Like Jack said in "A Few Good Men":
"You can't HANDLE the truth!"
And apparently neither can i....
DISCLAIMER: The preceding few rants are purely loose personal opinion and in no way represent an attack on any one person or this website. Please do not be *too* offended by any part of these statements, and do not hold Cotter or OFTOT responsible for my(tobiathan's) unsane ramble-osity.
LETTING GO OF IT. . . .
I'm not sure how serious the people that want to "let go" of Spygate actually are. It seems that if you really want Spygate to be over with, then stop reading and posting about it.
I'm completely perplexed at how Patriots fans do the same thing. They say "it's time we let this go" but can't keep their mouth shut when someone else hasn't let go.
It seems to me that the reluctance of so many people on all sides to truly let go of this story is a good indicator as to how big of a deal it really is. (in sports news, that is. not life in general).
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My problem with Spygate has always been this. . . The public never got the whole truth. Goodell never really explained much until he felt forced to. And finally, Belichick lied about how much he cheated.
Isn't it possible that Belichick (who illegally videotaped for almost a decade) is breaking other rules? What else could he be misinterpreting? What is he lying about? His character certainly doesn't make me think that he's all of a sudden going to play by the rules.
If his punishment for 8 years of cheating was arguably light (i.e. no suspension), how am I supposed to think he "learned his lesson"?
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