As I said, they were caught the first game this season, therefore everything else this season has been done on the level. If teams don't change their signals, that's their problem. And again, the only rule violated is WHERE they taped, not taping in general. Nobody punished the Dolphins last year when they admitted they had purchased tapes of the Patriots and then won in a rout.
Your point is irrelevant. It is illegal to tape defensive signals. That's the reason the Patriots were held accountable. There's no two ways about it.
This is grasping at straws. They've been clean for 8/9 games this season but they're still dirty because taping opponents from the sidelines is the ONLY reason they signed free agents? How about responsible management of the salary cap over the last few seasons that put them in the position to make these moves when they needed to?
No, it's not grasping at straws at all. I didn't say that it's the only reason they've signed free agents. I said that it has helped them sign free agents. I don't think anything else needs to be said, because that's true.
And, by the way, that one game is enough. The whole point is that they cheated, and Belichick was obviously the one who was behind the whole thing. And there's no doubt is most football fans minds that the Patriots have taped during many games in the past.
You don't like him, that's fine. Most of the coaches and other people involved in the "classless" incidents have said that's Bill and they have no problem with it. Sorry he offends you.
I didn't say anything about whether I like him or not. I said he's showing himself to be classless. And unlike Belichick, most other coaches in the NFL have enough respect for their peers, deserved or not, to avoid throwing other coaches under the bus, even though it's widely known that Belichick is a jerk.
In the Dolphins game they put the backups in to start the 4th quarter and promptly gave up an interception for a score. Do you really think they should have to play with their backups for the entire 4th quarter and risk similar results? The Redskins game was a blowout one way or the other. It was 38-0 after the 3rd quarter. Brady played one series and the backup quarterback was in for the final TD.
Against the Dolphins, it wasn't putting Brady back in. It was putting him back in and throwing the ball four times for 59 yards and a[nother] touchdown. Against the Redskins, it was throwing the ball on fourth down for touchdowns and the like. They ran the score up against both teams, no doubt about it.
You see it how you want to see it.
Do you realize that you just defended the Patriots late-game scoring, and then turn around and accuse me of being biased? I gave specific examples of how the Colts did NOT rub it in when they had the chance to. I can give more. The whole point is that, even if the Colts did run the score up on opponents in 2004 (which they didn't; I watched almost every game), it doesn't excuse the Patriots actions against the Dolphins and Redskins.
Because unlike a game situation where you play what is given to you the commercial is scripted. And so Peyton could say, "Hey, I'd never run up the score like this, I won't do the ad." But I doubt he'd take that position, its entirely fan and media generated. Very few players have taken a position on this running up the score matter and the majority that have have indicated they would run the plays the coach told them to.
I don't understand. Peyton has a contract with DirecTV to do their commercials. He can breach his contract because a couple Patriot fans might think that he is advocating running up the score in a Sunday Ticket commercial, or he can just do the stupid commercial. I don't see any real correlation. Talk about grasping at straws.
You see it how you want to see it. Frankly, most people are just jealous of what the Pats have put together. I don't think we'll ever agree so feel free to take the last word from here.
Hell, I'm very jealous of what the Patriots have put together this season. They're having a great year. It doesn't have anything to do with how I'm losing respect for them as a great team, though. It doesn't change the fact that they got caught cheating red-handed, and it isn't a basis to levy false accusations against the Colts - again - in order to deflect some of the heat off of themselves. I don't have to sit up and proclaim the Colts the most classy and respectful organization in football in order for the Patriots to be under-handed and sleazy. The Patriots have given themselves that reputation with their unsportsmanlike late-game scores, their cheating scandal, and their head coach and star QB showing less than ideal amounts of respect for their colleagues and others associated with their events.
My whole point is that the Patriots have been caught cheating, and since then, their whole focus, fans included, has been to deflect as much attention as possible to other teams and players: "this team does this," "every team does that", etc. The Patriots have earned all the negative attention they are receiving right now, and that's why I now root against them every week. Like I said, I would have voted for Brady to win MVP last season; it's not just pure hatred for the Patriots due to being a Colts fan. I am just now losing the respect that I've had for them for several years, and it's due to the way they've been handling themselves over the past couple of seasons when they haven't been at the top of the League.
Yeah, we won't ever agree about this, but I'm not just being a Patriot-hater. I'm expressing what many fans and analysts have expressed about the Patriots over the past couple of seasons.
