Different regime. Safe to say that if the Merriman antics happened this yr, there would be a total different set of punishment levied down.

Kraft pays that fine its easy. Either as an end of season bonus, or in his next contract. Kraft is not stupid, there are so many ways to get around it with him not actually "paying" the fine.

Don't they have two #1s next year though?

Yes, they do, its san fransico's.

Well...since I think making the playoffs is a safe bet, then they are back to square one. Can't count the fines because that is...how do you say it...
POCKET CHANGE to them

The actual check will come from Coach Bill but it will also circle back to him
within the year. The whole thing is a joke and mark my words Coach Bill already knows who else has crossed this line and there will be more "announcement" of new violations that will come from "a source close to the NFL" etc etc

If everyone is doing it is it really a big deal? I mean they were videotaping the other teams signs, not poisioning the gatorade. I guess I may be stupid but I assumed that they were all doing this anyway.

Yes its a big deal. Just because a good deal of people do it does not make it right. Videotaping signs can be a huge deal. If you know what defense they are calling in, you have a massive advantage. It matters not who else or how many have done it. It's illegal to do it and they were caught, they deserve whatever they get.

From what I understand the league covered this specific violation in their yearly training camp tour to review new rules, violations, league policies etc. just a few weeks before the start of the season. I guess it pissed them off that he just thumbed his nose at them.

Dancing in the end zone and wearing loose socks are illegal in the NFL too.

I still think the whole thing is overblown. I dont think there is a massive advantage. There is only so many things a defense can do. Most of what they do is to react to what the offense does. I suppose Indy is cheating too since Peyton seems to change plays about every play.

I wish I could say that the reason the Patriots beat the Rams was because they cheated (although there were something that they didn't show on camera - the receivers were blantantly being held) but it was Get sMartz.
and the completely fabricated tuck rule

$750,000 in fines and loss of a 1st round draft pick.

i agree.

Yeah,but what do you ya do about the fact he is so stupid, though? ...ONE NIGHT,VIN SCULLY said he expected Pierre to be a much better bunter than he is.Atleast Furcal can do that.He squeezed a run in tonight that way.Furcal routinely get hits late in games,because he bunts to the shortstop.If he gets it by the pitcher and the 3rd baseman(and he does,) then there is no way the shortstop can throw him out.We have the dumbest centerfielder/rightfielder combo in all of baseball.KEMP simply can't remember to look at a 3rd base coach.For some reason,he thinks it's up to the runner to decide whether to try to score from 1st or 2nd....2 nice games to get to 1 1/2 games out of the wildcard.Now is when they have usually "let down" routinely this year,and given up games in stupid ways.They can't seem to maintain their intensity(like I said,2 of them are cork-head stupid.)They gotta dump Grady if they don't make the post.Too much young talent to let that Grady be chief.Wouldn't mind getting Joe Girardi next year.Broxton got over the two losses he caused last weekend.All it took was the 2 for $2.22 deal they came out with at Der Weinerschneitzel( a chilly-cheese dog + a chilly cheeseburger ...for 222.)....Hog Heaven.

They are all doing it and it seems a bit nuts that one of Bill's former coaches set him up like this. Having said that the penalty seems excessive but as a Pats fan that shouldn't surprise.

At least the antisoundbite wasn't hit with this penalty.....

http://sports.aol.com/story/_a/mclar...13151409990023

Here's the problem: They all say it had little to no impact on Sunday's game, so why was Belicheat doing it? You know he will not explain what they were doing and why. But we are all supposed to believe that it didn't help, much?
If the Commisioner is truly interested in the integrity of the game, he should have forced a full explanation from Belichicken.
Basically, it's "we have no comment, but take my word for it that it was no big deal". Well, I have a big problem taking Belichump's word for it, especially when he's not talking.

Thank you - that was fun

can the same be said about horse trainers drugging horses?

people are nut cases because they disagree with you on the penalty? Obviously you are a Pats fan. How can you say it did not affect the outcome of the game? A Jets player was quoted as saying, before this came out, that it was like the Pats knew what the Jets were going to do on every play. I wonder how.

That's probably because Tom Brady can read a defence, and Pennington can't. This is my last post on this.
:D

you may very well be right. Problem is, there is no way of really knowing. IMO if the Pats forfeit, there is not much incentive to try cheating like this again as they know they lose if they get caught.