Brady suspended 4 games; NE loses a 1st, 4th, and $1M

[Spider-Dan]

So how many games of a Tom Brady suspension would you say a 1st and 4th round pick are equal to?

Originally, I said a 4 game suspension would be a slap on the wrist, but a first-round pick is definitely nothing of the sort.  Is a 1st equal to 4 games?  8 games?  The 4th is probably equal to 1 game, at most.

[Dave Gray]

I have looked on several other forums and people want to boil this down to a few points:

- 4 of games for deflating balls when [terrible other incident] only got [X] games?
- deflating balls wouldn't have made a difference
- Every pro-athlete tries to find an edge

1. These things don't happen in a vacuum.  The Patriots have had multiple scandals for cheating over the last few years.
2. The punishment doesn't ONLY include deflating balls.  It also includes lying to cover it up during an official investigation.
3. The NFL has to lay the hammer down after being lenient with a lot of these other things.  Also, the NFL can't play favorites with Brady.  He's the white, clean-cut QB -- he needs to face the same wrath as these thuggy dudes or the NFL will hear it.
4. It doesn't matter if the cheating worked.  It was the intent to harm the integrity of the league and the cover-up associated with it.
5. It doesn't matter if everyone does it.  The rules are clear and Brady got caught.

[Rich]

So how many games of a Tom Brady suspension would you say a 1st and 4th round pick are equal to?

Originally, I said a 4 game suspension would be a slap on the wrist, but a first-round pick is definitely nothing of the sort.  Is a 1st equal to 4 games?  8 games?  The 4th is probably equal to 1 game, at most.

A 1st is also a slap on the wrist for the Patriots since they are always drafting around the 29th pick or later.

[Brian Fein]

The Patriots have been championship calibur for 15 years.  FIFTEEN.  Name me one other franchise in NFL history that was a Super Bowl contender for 15 consecutive seasons. 

70's Steelers?
90's Cowboys?
90's Bills?
80's 49ers?

All great dynasty teams but I don't think any lasted 15 years.

I don't see how you maintain that level of performance for that long without doing some underhanded manipulation of competitive advantage.  In today's NFL, I don't see how that's possible.  I think it was just a matter of time before they got caught.  They are probably doing 20 things every Sunday that violate league rules.  This is just the one they got caught doing.

[Rich]

I think it was just a matter of time before they got caught.

They already got caught once. Did you forget Spygate?

Every single Patriot Superbowl Championship has an asterisk next to it.

[Spider-Dan]

The Patriots have been championship calibur for 15 years.  FIFTEEN.  Name me one other franchise in NFL history that was a Super Bowl contender for 15 consecutive seasons. 

70's Steelers?
90's Cowboys?
90's Bills?
80's 49ers?

All great dynasty teams but I don't think any lasted 15 years.

I don't see how you maintain that level of performance for that long without doing some underhanded manipulation of competitive advantage.

The 49ers won their first title in 1980 1981 and their last one in 1994.  From 1981 to 1998 they failed to win the NFC West 4 times ('82, '85, '91, '96).
On a related note, they were also found to have cheated (paying players under the table to evade the salary cap).

[SCFinfan]

What about Bellicheat? I know he has something to do with it as well.

I would be satisfied if Belichick had received a bit of punishment as well. It's his team. He needs to know what's going on. If he doesn't, that's an issue.

[Brian Fein]

They already got caught once. Did you forget Spygate?

Every single Patriot Superbowl Championship has an asterisk next to it.

Nope, definitely remember that, and the wrist-slapping they got as a result.  The "penalty" was a joke.  This is their SECOND offense.  There could be a 3rd, 4th, and 5th offense also, if someone started really digging.

I would be satisfied if Belichick had received a bit of punishment as well. It's his team. He needs to know what's going on. If he doesn't, that's an issue.

I recall the justification for suspending Sean Payton for "bountygate" had to do with "you're the coach, you should have a better handle on your team."  He was suspended for a year.

Not sure why that same logic doesn't apply in this case as well.

[Rich]

The big difference is that Bountygate is a player safety issue.

[SCFinfan]

Not sure why that same logic doesn't apply in this case as well.

Exactly.

[Spider-Dan]

The big difference is that Bountygate is a player safety issue.

Tell me why bounties merit suspensions and PEDs merit suspensions but tampering with equipment to provide yourself an advantage is not so serious.

This is like saying that steroids are evil but corked bats are fine.

[MaineDolFan]

Understanding this is a board filled with "string up the Patriot loser cheater" thinkers...Here is where I have slight issue with the penalty, kinda:

1:  The evidence is flawed (at least it's worded in a way to present that it's flawed - perhaps to protect themselves from lawsuit).  However there is no "smoking gun."

2:  This has never been an issue before.  Has anyone ever heard the league make an issue about game balls?  Ever?  Suddenly this is an issue.

3:  I REALLY don't like that this feels like a sting, it feels like the NFL - and other teams, worked against the Patriots.  Again, on an issue which has never been an issue before.  You can't speak to the "integrity" of the game, and operate in this manner.  It works both ways.  Issue an edict, have teams violate the edict, issue a warning - and then, if needed, do investigations for teams which breaks the rules.

4:  This is done by every team, on every level.  Brad Johnson is on record stating he paid someone $7,500.00 moments before Tampa Bay's only SB win to doctor up the balls exactly the way he wanted them.  Aaron Rodgers has stated he doctors his.  The Vikings were caught keeping game balls next to a heater during a cold, raining game.  This is common place, but the NFL decided this is where they wanted to make their "stand."

It feels like they (the NFL) wanted to make an example out of NE due to the perception of NE being "the biggest cheaters out there" (they aren't, Denver is, sorry*).  So, for me, I kinda have a problem with this.

*http://yourteamcheats.com/

I think a fine for both the player and organization fits, along with two lower level draft picks.  Now everyone knows, don't mess with the game balls.  Do it *again* and this type of punishment "fits the crime."  But this time?  

Nope.

If the NFL will over-reach on this, they will over-reach on everything.  Don't think your team, or Miami, is immune.  

My two cents.  Isn't worth much.

[Rich]

Tell me why bounties merit suspensions and PEDs merit suspensions but tampering with equipment to provide yourself an advantage is not so serious.

I couldn't tell you that because I never made that argument.

[Spider-Dan]

1:  The evidence is flawed (at least it's worded in a way to present that it's flawed - perhaps to protect themselves from lawsuit).  However there is no "smoking gun."

The smoking gun is the deflated balls that were not deflated when the official certified them before the game.

2:  This has never been an issue before.  Has anyone ever heard the league make an issue about game balls?  Ever?  Suddenly this is an issue.

Taping the sidelines was never an issue before.  Player bounties were never an issue before.  Domestic violence was never a league issue before.

4:  This is done by every team, on every level.  Brad Johnson is on record stating he paid someone $7,500.00 moments before Tampa Bay's only SB win to doctor up the balls exactly the way he wanted them.  Aaron Rodgers has stated he doctors his.  The Vikings were caught keeping game balls next to a heater during a cold, raining game.

The "everyone else does it too!" argument never works.  And a major component of the violation is that Brady and the equipment managers clearly knew what they were doing was against the rules, which is why they were doing it in secret and trying to cover it up after the fact.  This is not comparable to placing balls next to a heater in the open during a game.

If the NFL will over-reach on this, they will over-reach on everything.  Don't think your team, or Miami, is immune.

They've been overreaching ever since Goodell was hired, which was why Sean Payton got a year for something he wasn't even directly involved in.  But now that it's Diamond Tom Brady and the Magical Patriots, suddenly We Must Practice Clemency!

The Patriots got enough clemency when the league office burned the Spygate tapes.  They did need to be made an example of.

[Cathal]

Maine, you really think the NFL went on a witch-hunt or performed a sting operation against the Patriots? The Patriots?