What rules would you break if you were a coach and the reward could be millions of dollars with a risk of minimal punishment?
Would you stare into an opposing dugout to steal signs?
Would you tell your pitcher to throw at a batter?
Would you tell your offensive linemen to chop block an imposing defensive lineman to ensure your quarterback?s safety?
How about film the opposing coaching staff to steal signals that could create an offensive advantage?
How far would you go, really?
I don?t blame New England coach Bill Belichick for violating NFL rules by videotaping defensive signals from the Jets coaches in the teams? regular-season opener earlier this month.This is a sport where last year, a coach who led his team to a record of 8-8 was rewarded with a contract extension and another coach whose team went 8-8 considered the season a disappointment.
Just win, baby ? even if you have to break the rules to do it. Just ask Belichick, who gave the “Patriot Act” a different meaning ? and pretty much got away with it.
It?s open season, now. Don?t tell me the Patriots and Belichick were punished. If that?s punishment, then I?d expect cameras to be rolling the rest of the season.
Sure, Belichick got fined $500,000 by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this past Friday.
This past weekend, it was reported Patriots Owner Robert Kraft gave the best director in the NFL a contract extension, which he did not deny during an interview on national television Sunday night.
The Patriots got fined $250,000 and could lose as many as two draft picks, but probably just a first-rounder if they make the playoffs, which means they will be selecting in the bottom-third of the first-round.
Who cares. Players taken late in the first round are not guaranteed to become stars ? unless of course, they are drafted by the Ravens.
That?s punishment? You know how quickly an NFL team can make $250,000? Simple: Raise the price of popcorn and peanuts by a dollar.
If the Patriots win the Super Bowl ? and judging by the way they hammered the Chargers on Sunday they are clearly a favorite ? New England?s “VideoGate” should win the Oscar for Best Picture.
Belichick probably isn?t the only coach doing this, but he is the most brazen. Look at what the NFL is telling the public: Wade Wilson, an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, was suspended five games and fined $100,000 ? nearly a third of his salary ? after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Now that?s what I call brain power.
My goodness, Roger: The man is a diabetic, not a former player trying to make a comeback to be the Cowboys? third-string quarterback.
You are telling me Belichick?s videotape didn?t give New England competitive advantage.
If Belichick knew the Jets? symbol for a cornerback blitz, he?d be smart enough to tell Tom Brady to throw a long pass to Randy Moss.
That?s not an advantage? Wouldn?t you just love to see Belichick?s homevideo collection?
Do you think he has hits such as “The 2001 St. Louis Rams,” “The 2003 Carolina Panthers” and “The 2004 Philadelphia Eagles?”
It wouldn?t be surprise me if he wore them under that same baggy sweatshirt he wears on the sidelines.
If it wasn?t to his advantage, why did he do it? Was he looking for fashion tips?
How far does this go?
The Patriots? three Super Bowl victories were each by three points.
Don?t tell me one play does not make a difference.
For the record, the Patriots were undefeated in their last eight overtime games ? an NFL record.
Are they really that good, or did they get to hoist the Lombardi Trophy with a little help from little Billy?s friends? Funny, Belichick didn?t win like this in Cleveland.
If I were Goodell, after I made New England forfeit its victory over the Jets and declare New York the winner, here is what I?d do to Belichick: Ban him for a year and let him apply for reinstatement in a year. He cheated. He compromised the integrity of the game. Isn?t that what Major League Baseball determined Pete Rose did?
The only lesson Goodell taught us was that in the NFL, it may not be all right to cheat, but if it happens, it happens. Belichick won?t have to miss a game, his past won?t be called into question and his legacy will not be tarnished.
When Goodell announced the punishment, he wrote a letter to the team that reportedly read, in part: “This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid long-standing rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field.”
Now, read that sentence closely.
Closer.
Aren?t those the same kinds of thoughts some baseball fans have about Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire …
? Jon Gallo is the Sports Editor for The Examiner.
