http://my.hsj.org http://my.hsj.org en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 19 May 2013 18:59:13 GMT 15 By Jason F.
Cheating is an act of dishonesty or unfairness in order to gain an advantage. In 2007 the New England Patriots portrayed an act of cheating that is the highest offense or act of cheating ever recorded in NFL history. Spygate was the name given to the certain situation because it explained the 2007 New England Patriots videotaping controversy. This type of situation had no been dealt with or even heard of before so it took some time for the NFL commissioner Rodger Goddell to decide on a reasonable punishment for this newfound cirtumstance. The Spygate scandal refers to an incident in the 2007 NFL season when the New England Patriots were disciplined by the NFL for videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals during a September 9, 2007 game from a sideline location, an act deemed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to be in violation of league rules. After an investigation, the NFL fined Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 for his role in the incident, fined the Patriots $250,000, and docked the team their original first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. The penalty was the harshest one instituted in the NFL’s 87-year-old history. Although there was no evidence of additional scandals, there were sources that stated the franchise might have been recording signs and practices through the 2000-2002 seasons. The franchise definitely deserved the punishment they were issued. This was the first recorded Spygate scandal and the highest form of cheating in Goddell’s eyes. Bountygate was discussed earlier this year as a large turning point in the game, taking a part of the game (tackling) and giving a payout to defensive players that could take out an opposing offensive player. This scandal was mostly affiliated with the New Orleans Saints from 2009-2011. The Saints were fined less than the Patriots, but the scandal was worse. The bounty scandal displays a part of the game and exaggerating it in order to gain an unfair benefit. For this to work though the player has to physically take the offensive player out of the game. This is a lesser form of cheating because of the fact that tackling is still a part of the game and the players are supposed to tackle as hard as possible. Spygate was a worse because it is legitimate form of cheating that the Patriots could take advantage of every game. If you go over the injury list, you have to see who was injured by a Saints defensive player and if the bounty scandal really had a large part in their continued success. Spygate showed how the league would really crack down and not accept cheating because the administration decided to lay the harshest punishment on Bill Belichick and the rest of the franchise. It was the worst offense and deserved the harshest punishment. The videotaping scandal was the most unforgiving and unforgettable because it gave a huge unfair advantage every single game. Their advantage brought them to the super bowl, which would have been questionable if they did not cheat. ]]> Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:35:24 GMT