What Was Belichick Thinking?

Bill Belichick, head of the New England Patriots, has been caught in one of the most controversial cheating scandals that football has ever known. This past Sunday, against the New York Jets, the Patriots were caught videotaping the Jets’ defensive signals. Not only were they incredibly obvious about it, just standing at the end of the field, but they were at The Meadowlands in New York. When the Jets’ realized something was going on, they alerted league and stadium security, and they were indeed videotaping the Jets’ defensive signals. Now, everyone in the league, including the officials and everyone in their little offices, realize that the teams watch the coaches on the sidelines to try and pick up signals. That’s why the home team always has their backs to the press box, pretty much. What the Patriots did is extremely rare, according to one NFC personnel director, because it is against the rules. This is the first time that an AFC personnel director has EVER heard of something like this happening. “The accusation far outweighs what is actually happening,” says one NFC general manager, adding “Now the arrogance of thinking you could get away with it? That’s the beauty of this….It’s the height of arrogance.”



One assistant coach claims that the legal stealing of plays is just “good coaching”, but when you start using video equipment to steal signs, you’re off the reservation. Another reason that most coaches have never tried anything like this before is due to the fact that it may not be worth the risk of getting caught, of attaining the first punishment for something like this. Like Belichick, for example, was fined $500,000, the Patriots were ordered to pay another $250,000, and they had to forfeit draft picks for spying on an opponent’s defensive signals. Now what surprises me the most is, the Patriots had already beaten down the Jets in first round of the playoffs just last year. Why is Belichick so threatened to the point of videotaping the opponents’ defensive signals? Why can’t he just have his assistants do what all other teams do, that being visually watching them and watching for the signals?

Now, league commissioner Roger Goodell only considered suspending Belichick, but then thought better of it, and decided to come up with something much more longer lasting. He fined Belichick with the largest fine in league history, $500,000, which is roughly 12% of Belichick’s 2007 salary. And on top of that, the Patriots were forced to forfeit their first round draft pick for this next season, and possibly will have to give up more, but this is still unknown. I leave you with just one question, was it really worth it? Was trying to get a little bit of an edge on the opponent really worth possibly making your team lose a top incomer next year, and ruin your reputation?