NFL: Patriots could be facing significant penalties

[Mr. Scot]

Per Jason LaCanfora (Link)

The New England Patriots are facing steep penalties for their admitted illegal taping of the Bengals sideline last week, league sources said, which is likely to include the loss of at least one draft pick and heavy fines. There is the possibility of a suspension for a member of upper management and/or ownership as well, sources said, pending the results of the NFL's full investigation into the matter.

The Patriots are repeat offenders for violating the league's game-day operations regulations in the past -- twice being stripped of first-round picks for either illegally doctoring footballs or illegally taping an opponent -- which will also factor into the ultimate discipline in this case, the sources said. The NFL takes these matters very seriously and has regularly taken away draft picks and used fines and suspensions for similar infractions, whether it be illegal use of cell phones on game day (Browns) or pumping in fake crowd noise (Falcons).

The league has applied a linear approach to these matters, and that will not be changing in this instance. Executives from numerous NFL teams have voiced their private displeasure with the Patriots' repeated involvement in game-day violations, and the NFL does not need direct evidence of intent in order to punish the team, as the Patriots have already admitted in their statement that they are aware their camera crew broke NFL rules last week by having cameras fixed on the field from the Cleveland press box.

...

The league will want to know why the Patriots only asked for permission of the Browns to send a crew to the press box last week -- for the purposes of doing a video feature story on a New England scout -- but did not notify the Bengals and the league as well. There are questions about who in the Patriots organization was aware of the video shoot, who approved it and why the crew there was not able to follow clearly-defined regulations of what can and cannot be recorded. As has been in the case in other matters in the past, even if top officials claim they were not aware of the improper actions, it ultimately falls under an owner's responsibility.  

Bengals representatives stepped in to question the Patriots crew in the press box, sources said, and immediately notified NFL football operations personnel as well. The Bengals have a copy of the roughly eight-minute tape, which sources said head coach Zac Taylor showed to his staff this week so that all would be aware of exactly what the Patriots may have had access to and to make any necessary changes to their signals or protocol ahead of their meeting with New England Sunday.

Bengals team officials are predictably livid over the incident and other teams are watching closely as well to see what degree of discipline is levied. There was considerable chatter among teams about the incident during last week's owner's meetings.

[Sgt Schultz]

Off with their heads!

In truth, I'll believe it when I see it.  The NFL has become the WWE under Goodell, and this is just the latest version of the villain sneaking a chain saw into the ring.

[Mr. Scot]

I'd have to agree I'm kind of skeptical until I see it happen.

[Tbe]

 

[thefuzz]

If you want the Pats to stop cheating, you have to actually hurt them.

 

Ban Bill from the team for the rest of the season and post season.

Make him have to beg to be reinstated in the offseason.

That's the only way the cheating will stop.

[mc52beast]

Evidently the punishment dished out by the League in the past hasn’t deterred them in the least. Until you start hitting them where it hurts they’ll keep doing it...

And that means take Bill off the sideline , don’t let him have any contact with the team at all.

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, Tbe said:

 

I love how the Bengals guy sounds in this clip 

it's pretty clear he's looking at the guy like "You don't seriously think you're going to get away with this do you?"

[TheRumGone]

2 minutes ago, thefuzz said:

If you want the Pats to stop cheating, you have to actually hurt them.

 

Ban Bill from the team for the rest of the season and post season.

Make him have to beg to be reinstated in the offseason.

That's the only way the cheating will stop.

It won’t happen but BB should be banned for life.

[top dawg]

Sounds suspicious. I'm going to have to hear more before coming to a judgment.

Do the crime, do the time! Sometimes it's worth it, I guess. 

[Tbe]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

I love how the Bengals guy sounds in this clip 

it's pretty clear he's looking at the guy like "You don't seriously think you're going to get away with this do you?"

The dude was shooting signals and the players subbing in for an entire quarter! You don’t need that kind of footage for a stupid web series. 

[CBDellinger]

its so fugging absurd... the pats are the epitome of "if you aint cheatin, you aint tryin"...

[SmokinwithWilly]

Terry Bradshaw doesn't sound very intelligent saying that after paying a 500k fine, he can't see BB doing this again. How much money does he think BB has made from winning 6 SBs, and having been to 3 others? This is all a joke at this point. Unless the NFL does something serious, like strip 2 years worth of draft picks and suspend BB indefinitely, it's not going to stop. Under Goodell, the NFL has really gone down hill. He's obviously more about building the brand than securing the integrity of the sport. 

[Mr. Scot]

8 minutes ago, CBDellinger said:

its so fugging absurd... the pats are the epitome of "if you aint cheatin, you aint tryin"...

I'd say they're trying very hard.

[CBDellinger]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

I'd say they're trying very hard.

maximum effort!