So now we learn that several "ambulance chasing" lawyer types (including local guy Eric Deters) are suing the New England Patriots on behalf of former St. Louis Rams players and fans for damages resulting from the allegations that the Pats secretly filmed the Rams walk through at their Super Bowl appearnace that the Pats won 20-17. You'll recall it was the first of Vinatieri's Super Bowl winning FG and was a huge upset. Now it's been revealed that the Pats may have had an edge in that game.
The lawsuit on merit doesn't irritate me (I think the lawyers are more or less advantageous scumbags though). People should be mad over this. The Pats were "punished" for getting caught spying on the Jets this year. Roger Goddell fined Belichick $500,000 and took away their first round draft pick (#31) for this year. But that was allegedly for their indiscretions this year.
The lawsuit aside, that the NFL should further punish the Patriots for this Super Bowl Spygate incident. What the Pats did was unfair and was not in the spirit of of the game. I don't think anyone can say that it gave the Pats the upset victory, but they did have an advantage.
The first thing Goddell should do is take away the Patriots other first round pick this year (which is a nice and sweet #7 pick that they got through a trade). The reason is, that losing the #31 pick is no punishment whatsoever. Losing this high pick would be more severe. However, the commissioner should also levy a suspension and steep fine to Belichick and owner Bob Kraft. Suspend Belichick for four games, fine him a million bucks, and fine Kraft a million bucks.
Spygate is probably more overblown than people make it out to be as far as the advantage it yields for the Pats game planning, but it does just absolutely violate the fairness of the game. Goddell loves to make examples of people (see Thurman, Odell) so why not send the message, loud and clear, that this won't be tolerated.
Isssue the statement that any other incidents like this, by the Pats or any other team, will be severely punished. That should put this story to bed. The hyena lawyers can still sue whoever they want for whatever they want. I could care less about that. But it makes me sick to know that the Pats still get that top draft pick and come out of this like a rose with nothing but a slap on the wrist. It's time to get out the paddle, Roger.
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