"Cheating" in the NFL

[DaBurglar]

For all of you football fans and followers of the game, who insist that the New England Patriots (the GREATEST single dynasty in the history of the game, spanning 15 years and counting) are diabolical cheaters who would never have accomplished what they have if....IF they had not cheated, I implore you, in the name of fairness and reasonable thinking, to READ this article.....it CLEARLY shows (by none other than JERRY RICE, the greatest wide receiver in history) that so-called "cheating" extends far beyond and far back in history than the current New England Patriots:http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... lated/Very thought provoking indeed......

[edog743]

I read the article you are attempting to compare an individual to a history of cheating by a team. IMO it is a very feeble attempt to cloud the issue.

[olds442jetaway]

Whatever the final ruling is on this latest issue, I think both the Pats and the Seahawks have placed a cloud over themselves that may take some time to disappear. Seahawks for that horrible play call and Pats for deflategate and prior stuff. Most people have short memories though and just like in elections, only remember what is said or done about 3 weeks before election time. Such is the way of the US population in general and politicians always take advantage of it. Edited to ad. As dumb as the Seahawks play may have been, Belichick made as it turned out a great call to not call a timeout in the final moments of play. The pressure was all on the Seahawks at that point.

[Eduardo]

I'm not sure the play call was too bad, but I'm not sure Wilson should have thrown it. Split second decision, hard to say I guess. Could have just as easily won the game. But it was a great play but the Pats defender to get a jump on that ball. What a fun game.

[DaBurglar]

I read the article you are attempting to compare an individual to a history of cheating by a team. IMO it is a very feeble attempt to cloud the issue.????   ARE YOU SERIOUS??   That is ALL you concluded after reading that article???How am I "clouding the issue"??   the article is EXACTLY about the topic we are discussing?   And I was not attempting to do anything, I was providing ANOTHER source regarding the issue of "cheating".....and clearly you missed the whole point of the article.    ANd lastly, there is no "HISTORY" of cheating on this team's part....in 2007 they were fined for violating the rule regarding filming other teams practices, and ONCE AGAIN, if you bother to research that issue, this practice was being done by MANY teams for a LONG TIME, going back to the late 1960s when video cameras became widespread......it was simply the PATRIOTS who were unfortunate enough to finally be made an example of, and the reason was their success winning three super bowls in four years (and they were ratted out by an ex coach who is now out of football after failed attempts to make it as head coach with two different teams, Eric Mangini.)And deflategate STILL has not been PROVEN that the patriots did anything other than play with softer balls, which had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.   People who gripe about that are simply resentful of their success.But since you missed the point of the article, it states that MANY people on MANY teams for MANY years "cheated in a variety of ways", it spoke of people BESIDES Jerry Rice.    AND THE cheating that Jerry Rice (and lester Hayes and many others) actually did, of using STICKUM was FAR more serious than anything the Patriots have been accused of....!

[Eduardo]

Holy cow burger, you need to settle down.

[notes1]

so, your team cheating is ok, if others are doing it. and, if your team cheats it is ok if you determine, it made no difference in the game's outcome. does the same hold true for a casino who rigs a machine? everybody else is doing it and  the player would have lost anyway.  

[DaBurglar]

so, your team cheating is ok, if others are doing it. and, if your team cheats it is ok if you determine, it made no difference in the game's outcome. does the same hold true for a casino who rigs a machine? everybody else is doing it and  the player would have lost anyway.  NO it is not ok!!!!!!   Gahhhhh  are you also serious????I never said it was "OK"  what the patriots were fined for doing in 2007......it obviously was not ok!   But what I am saying is that IF everyone wants to jump all over them and denigrate their legacy, then they need to ALSO take into consideration the fact that MANY other teams did this type of behavior going back decades.........they just were never turned in or made an example out of.........all the supposed "GREAT" teams of the late 60s, 70s and 80s employed questionable tactics and practices which included "SPYING" and taping opponents (Dallas especially with their whole "machine" style approach to football in the 70s....they were HUGE employers of "questionable" practices, and were notorious for giving their players MANY forms of chemical, i.e. DRUGS, "help"....watch NORTH DALLAS FORTY if you need a clue!)       Why is not everyone up in arms over Jerry Rice's admission of using stickum?    OBVIOUSLY many other players used this as well, and OBVIOUSLY using stickum gives a wide receiver like Jerry Rice a HUGE advantage......therefore, it is a MUCH more serious (and wide spread and IMPORTANT) violation of rules and an example of real "CHEATING"!!!!!

[DaBurglar]

Instead of criticizing tom brady, and trying to chip away at his obvious greatness,   read this article!http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/tom- ... f-nfl-qbs/

[notes1]

ok DB, i was not serious. you need to take a chill pill, before you explode.  i have both enjoyed and played sports my entire llfe, but, really, you get yourself worked up into such a lather anytime someone does not agree with your postion. the truth is there are some folks who will cheat at anything to gain an edge. the only other post i made on this thread was, the while i am a bills fan, and i am tired of brady, i would gladly welcome him to my team. i do find it ironic that you are able to accept some questionable deeds if it benefits your postion, while wanting to call for an fbi investigation for something you are opposed to.  relax, take a deep breadth...... isn't that better.