betED.com - The View from the Couch - by Gavin McDougald!
September 12th , 2007 - It's the only thing.
Cheaters never prosper. That?s mostly true - in everything except for sports.
Cheaters in sports are rewarded with both fame and fortune for being the best cheaters they can be. That?s because cheating is part of sports. As the old saying goes, "if you aren't cheating, then you aren't trying."
The best athletes and coaches see how far the rules can be bent to maximize their individual and team success. Bent rules=cheating. In baseball groundskeepers water the basepaths to slow opponents' runners, vary the length of the grass and adjust the dirt in front of home plate to favor their team. NASCAR teams mess with their carburetors, teak their engines, use oversized gas tanks and extended fuel lines to overcome the mandated ?level playing field.? It is said that in every single play in a football game, holding can be called.
If that is so, then in every single play in football, there is cheating.
It?s part of the game. So why all the communal outrage about the New England Patriots in general and head coach Bill Belichick in particular after their lopsided win over the New York Jets?
Isn?t what they did, trying to steal the opposing team?s signals, just part of the game?
Well, there?s cheating - and then there is cheating.
NFL security confiscated a video camera and tape from a Patriots employee ?The video tape coach?-- during New England's 38-14 victory Sunday. According to the league, after they reviewed the tapes, the guy was shooting the Jets? coaches while they were calling their defensive sets.
Who needs homefield advantage when you have a videographer you can take on the road? And this ain?t like it?s the first time either. Last November, the Green Bay Packers caught a guy with Patriots staff credentials who was carrying a video camera on the sidelines at Lambeau Field.
Probably Vince Lombardi would have approved, since to him, winning was the only thing.
Beyond that, there also are questions regarding the Patriots' use of radio frequencies during the game. Could they have been using a police scanner to tune in to Chad Pennington?s play calls?
That would explain the pasting he took at the hands of the Pats. Sacked numerous times, it was almost like they knew where he would be most of the time. Finally in the third quarter they sacked him so bad his right leg buckled kinda sickeningly knocking him out of that game, and probably the next one as well.
There?s cheating and then there is this. Belichick already mea culpaed saying, ?I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players.?
What will the new sheriff in town, Commissioner Roger ?Another scandal? It must be Wednesday? Goodell do with this one? With his league already reeling from chronic image problems, he must have had hoped that the season kicking off would overshadow all the demons the league had to deal with in the off-season.
But now there is this: This year?s Super Bowl favorites, the league?s poster boy team which is run by this generation?s ?Football Genius? was caught red handed and red faced with their hand in the cookie jar.
These guys aren?t Michael Vick. They are actually good!
If Belichick is indeed caught cheating, the commish will only have one practical alternative. Suspend him like he would any other member of the NFL who was caught cheating.
Make him sit for the league minimum four games and an additional four for each additional charge.
Which could get interesting because you know somewhere someone would have the videotape to prove it.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Bet on the NFL here!
September 12th , 2007 - It's the only thing.
Cheaters never prosper. That?s mostly true - in everything except for sports.
Cheaters in sports are rewarded with both fame and fortune for being the best cheaters they can be. That?s because cheating is part of sports. As the old saying goes, "if you aren't cheating, then you aren't trying."
The best athletes and coaches see how far the rules can be bent to maximize their individual and team success. Bent rules=cheating. In baseball groundskeepers water the basepaths to slow opponents' runners, vary the length of the grass and adjust the dirt in front of home plate to favor their team. NASCAR teams mess with their carburetors, teak their engines, use oversized gas tanks and extended fuel lines to overcome the mandated ?level playing field.? It is said that in every single play in a football game, holding can be called.
If that is so, then in every single play in football, there is cheating.
It?s part of the game. So why all the communal outrage about the New England Patriots in general and head coach Bill Belichick in particular after their lopsided win over the New York Jets?
Isn?t what they did, trying to steal the opposing team?s signals, just part of the game?
Well, there?s cheating - and then there is cheating.
NFL security confiscated a video camera and tape from a Patriots employee ?The video tape coach?-- during New England's 38-14 victory Sunday. According to the league, after they reviewed the tapes, the guy was shooting the Jets? coaches while they were calling their defensive sets.
Who needs homefield advantage when you have a videographer you can take on the road? And this ain?t like it?s the first time either. Last November, the Green Bay Packers caught a guy with Patriots staff credentials who was carrying a video camera on the sidelines at Lambeau Field.
Probably Vince Lombardi would have approved, since to him, winning was the only thing.
Beyond that, there also are questions regarding the Patriots' use of radio frequencies during the game. Could they have been using a police scanner to tune in to Chad Pennington?s play calls?
That would explain the pasting he took at the hands of the Pats. Sacked numerous times, it was almost like they knew where he would be most of the time. Finally in the third quarter they sacked him so bad his right leg buckled kinda sickeningly knocking him out of that game, and probably the next one as well.
There?s cheating and then there is this. Belichick already mea culpaed saying, ?I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players.?
What will the new sheriff in town, Commissioner Roger ?Another scandal? It must be Wednesday? Goodell do with this one? With his league already reeling from chronic image problems, he must have had hoped that the season kicking off would overshadow all the demons the league had to deal with in the off-season.
But now there is this: This year?s Super Bowl favorites, the league?s poster boy team which is run by this generation?s ?Football Genius? was caught red handed and red faced with their hand in the cookie jar.
These guys aren?t Michael Vick. They are actually good!
If Belichick is indeed caught cheating, the commish will only have one practical alternative. Suspend him like he would any other member of the NFL who was caught cheating.
Make him sit for the league minimum four games and an additional four for each additional charge.
Which could get interesting because you know somewhere someone would have the videotape to prove it.
Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch
Bet on the NFL here!
