Belichick Voted Coach of the Year

[GrnBay007]

So every time you speed, you should turn yourself in to the police. I know he won an award but cmon. This isn't the Pulizter here.

speeding = cheating in the NFL (and then getting rewarded for it)

[Carolina_Packer]

I've tried to stay out of this, but I just cant.

In baseball there are people trying to steal signals during the game all the time. Watch a hitters eyes look back and down while getting into his stance. There is waaaaay too much being made about this video taping.

If you think that no one has ever cheated fine, but thats just not reality. The Pats just happened to get caught. 16-0 has never been done and it had little to do with attempting to lip-read a defensive coordinator IMO.

Baseball and hockey have their own form of justice on the field or in the rink. If you are caught stealing signs or relaying signs, the next time you are up to bad, you are going to get drilled. In hockey, if you touch my goalie, it's go time, drop the gloves, we're both taking minors and playing some 4 on 4. It's just understood. Football doesn't have that brand of justice, really.

You know how less can be made of the issue, Z? A better, more appropriate punishment that hits hard, and doesn't leave fans wondering why the league took it easy on BB and the team, while sending a message to the rest of the league. Make them forfeit the Jets game, and make BB be suspended for a few games. If it's in the rule book that you can't do this, and BB is such a smart guy, then he knew what he was doing, which makes it even less forgiveable. Just because you can get away with doing something, doesn't mean it's right, just ask Bill Clinton. He admitted as much in his book a few year's ago, right after his presidency.

If you are so talented, why cheat to try and win? Can't your normal gamesmanship, preparation and execution do enough for you? It's like Richard Nixon in 1972. I don't know what his poll numbers were against McGovern at the time, but I gotta believe he had a pretty comfortable lead in the summer of 1972 when he ordered the break-in. If you know you have a good enough chance to win on your own merits and effort, then why cheat? It just tarnishes your image.

[Zool]

I was taking it to an extreme. I'm trying to point out that cheating in the NFL happens all the time. Every play. Holding is cheating. Roughing the passer is cheating. If you think no Packers have ever used HGH you're fooling yourself.

Its just not a big deal to me. Its a sport for entertainment. I have a hard time getting worked up over it I guess.

[MJZiggy]

I tend to look at it as this is a sport that a lot of kids are addicted to. They watch, follow and learn. In baseball they're trying to steal signals, but you don't see the third base coach with a video camera trying to get a better shot of the catcher...

The Pats got caught, more than once and tried to play it off. This season should be toast for them as far as getting rewards and honors go. Maybe it wasn't a big deal to you but millions of kids just saw the known cheater get the biggest honor the coach can get for it. (besides winning the SB)

[GrnBay007]

I tend to look at it as this is a sport that a lot of kids are addicted to. They watch, follow and learn. In baseball they're trying to steal signals, but you don't see the third base coach with a video camera trying to get a better shot of the catcher...

The Pats got caught, more than once and tried to play it off. This season should be toast for them as far as getting rewards and honors go. Maybe it wasn't a big deal to you but millions of kids just saw the known cheater get the biggest honor the coach can get for it. (besides winning the SB)

Exactly!!!

The message that was sent....or rather failed to be sent was absolutely pathetic when you think in terms of our YOUTH.

[Tony Oday]

Our youth are screwed anyway hehe jk I hope not for my sons sake

BB is a cheat and they will not make the super bowl...write that down.

[Zool]

That I would agree with, but I teach mine specifically not to look up to anything on TV.

[Tony Oday]

That I would agree with, but I teach mine specifically not to look up to anything on TV.

lol I agree

[The Leaper]

In baseball there are people trying to steal signals during the game all the time. Watch a hitters eyes look back and down while getting into his stance. There is waaaaay too much being made about this video taping.

The last time I checked, there was no written rule in baseball about stealing signs. Some aspects of that are viewed as a part of the game, others are viewed as being lowbrow. It depends on the circumstances.

There WAS a written rule regarding the kind of video taping that the Patriots got caught doing. There was no gray area. There was a clear rule that the Patriots violated...even AFTER the Commissioner sent a letter to every team prior to the season regarding video taping, explicitly telling teams to knock it off.

I don't see the comparison in the two situations. I do agree that what the Patriots did probably was not all that influential in winning or losing, but the bottom line was that they were in violation of a clear WRITTEN rule adopted by the league in the spirit of fairness. Guys who steal signs in baseball are not guilty of this.

[FritzDontBlitz]

My older brother and I were having a friendly argument/discussion the other day about Belichick and Spygate, and he defended the position that there was too much made of the whole thing and Belichick was punished well enough. I strongly disagreed with him, and called him a Belichick apologist. We were watching the Giants/Patriots game and I was rooting for the Pats to lose because I didn't want to see the 'Cheat go undefeated. He said it was fun to watch them play, and while I can't disagree that they are a great team, it doesn't change the taste in my mouth over what someone would do against the rules to try and win. I think the NFL wanted everyone to think that they came hard after BB, but really the punishment was light. Robert Kraft probably paid his 500K fine out of some other business he has and he told his accountant to try and deduct it or write it off the books, and as for the losing the draft pick, yeah, that's tough, but thanks to the over-exuberant 49'ers thinking this was their year and giving away their 2008 first round pick (#7 as it's turning out), to get the Patriots 2007 #28 pick, the Patriots have an even better first round pick to more than make up for the loss, plus the Patriots smartly used the 4th rounder that the 49'ers also included in the draft day deal last year to give to Oakland for Randy Moss before TT could give his 4th to Al Davis. How did BB and NE suffer? It's ridiculous to insist that they suffered for what they did.

They should have had to forfeit that game against the Jets, which would have tarnished the perfect record, and BB should have been suspended 4 games and fined as well. Hell, Wade Wilson, the Dallas QB's coach was suspended at least that many games for taking HGH under a doctor's orders, not even enhancing anything, while BB openly goes against the rules, cheats, never shows contrition and gets a light punishment. Then the league destroys the evidence as quickly as it can and levies the punishment because they want the issue to go away very quickly and not hurt the league's image, and the image of one of the best teams. It stinks.

[/soapbox]

This is still my favorite thing after the scandal....

A very interesting take on this thing. Reminds me of when LB Shawn Merriman was suspended 4 games for violating the league's substance abuse policy - but then was allowed to attend the Pro Bowl the very same year. It also begs the question: if Barry Bonds deserves an asterisk for the home run record, why aren't any asterisk arguments being offered up by the sportswriters about 16-0 or the coach of the year awards?

[woodbuck27]

And they say cheaters never win. What a great example for the younger fans!!

mj? What's the name of that fruit that they use to make wine with?

ahhhh. . . that and the word sour come to mind. Yup 16-0 should get you voted HC of the year. Especially when the best any other team without Randy Moss did was 13-3.

His team is 1-8 favourites to win the Super Bowl. He prepares his team for any eventuality in a matchup.

He has the common sense to go out and grab a gift in Randy Moss when it's presented. To really boost the teams real chance to get to and win the Super Bowl. Suppose that Ted Thompson went to school on that one mj?

Much forgivness for Teddy. Afterall he's just. . . a GM 'in training'. What can we really expect?

Well actually. . . half a brain comes to mind.

So there is further proof that. . . that man Belichick is an opportunist, as he knew how 'on the cheap' he could play Ted Thompson. Belichick must have been scratching his head after that one.

Wondering if it was something like this during the 2007 Draft??:

'' What the heck - one of the Greatest WR's in NFL History for a late 4th rounder. . .Hahahahaha . . . What's the water like up in Green Bay? Well he certainly went for a long piss!! ''. . . Bill Belichick

[Cheesehead Craig]

[woodbuck27]

If he is ours we go to and win the Super Bowl or not but our chances are really enhanced. That's the one that slipped under the radar of TT's foresight.

He and everyone here should be reminded of what a dumbass move that was to allow NE to have Randy Moss so DAM cheap. Forget the real chance that having that talent would have given us as really serious contenders, and NOT that we're right out of it either as we have a shot.

Allowing NE to get Randy Moss so cheap is just sick!!!!

Oooooo. . . is this one of those deja vous moments? I think it is.

[MJZiggy]

We weren't discussing Randy Moss, we were discussing whether someone who was caught cheating at the beginning of the year should be bestowed with the highest honor he could get in the year that he was caught cheating in an attempt to get ahead (thereby increasing his odds of winning said award). So by your last post is your stance that the cheater should be rewarded?

[woodbuck27]

We weren't discussing Randy Moss, we were discussing whether someone who was caught cheating at the beginning of the year should be bestowed with the highest honor he could get in the year that he was caught cheating in an attempt to get ahead (thereby increasing his odds of winning said award). So by your last post is your stance that the cheater should be rewarded?

Belichick did a whole lot more that wasn't cheating mj. He did a lot of solid coaching, preparing and managing of his team. Again !

The man who took the heat for cheating against the Jets in game one got caught and was penalized along with the organization mj. It's done!

How long does he have to pay for that lack of good judgement mj when he's paid the price already?

How long before you forgive him mj? See how I am then with TT? Some things just too tough for us simple mortals to find forgiveness for.

When it's now obvious all those who count in deciding he deserved the HONOR of Coach of the year must have to vote him through.

Now the part about Randy Moss and Bill Belichick will be written about and dicussed for decades mj, as the acquisition of Moss is simply put HUGE in making the Pat's obviously the choice to win the Super Bowl.

Randy Moss is the difference maker. We've witnessed that for most of his awesome career havn't we mj? Just a flat out GREAT wide receiver that can dominate a game like few WR's ever have been capable of.