Then I stumbled across the Backbay Poopdeck, and found a novel explanation. I think you'll be amazed at just how smart Belichick is (according to this blogger).
The same blogger also has an article called "Running Up The Score" in which he conclusively proves that "in reality, Brady has only put 7 unnecessary points on the board." Good stuff.
--pws
from http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/TORCH511
Spygate: Revisited
Oct 31, 2007 | 5:20AM | report this
Here we are coming up on week 9 in the NFL, the half-way point of the season and the biggest question raised all season, which came about on week one mind you, has still gone unanswered.
Why did he do it?
For those of you who he been asleep for the last 2 months, I am of course talking about Spygate. During the week one opener between the Patriots and the Jets, at the Meadowlands, the Patriots were caught using a video camera on the sideline to record the defensive signals. Upon review, Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Bill Bellicheck $500,000 and confiscated Bill's video library (more on that later). Since then the media has been on an all out crusade to demonize Bill Bellicheck and the New England Patriots. The NFL fanbase has crucified them as cheaters.
So why did Bill Belichick do it? For 6 seasons with the New England Patriots he was touted as a genius, a mastermind and the class of the NFL. He took 6th round backup quarterback to the Superbowl and upset the Greatest Show on Turf. And in his 7th season amassed an all star team like no other NFL team before it. Why on earth would someone with a resume like Bill Belichick resort to cheating?
Simple, he didn't.
For a moment, if you can, put everything you have heard THIS season about Bill Belichick aside. Put it on the shelf for now, you can go back to hating him after the article.
Search deep inside you heart. The idea of Bellichick cheating and doing it so obviously just seams a bit unrealistic. A Coach repeatedly referred to as a mastermind the prior six seasons resorting to cheap grade school tactics. It just does not fit at all. Not to mention that the performance of the Patriots did not match the performance of a team that would in fact be cheating. Even if you had time to analyze the tape at halftime, the Patriots should have played better in the second half consistently. Not the case. Lets look at the 2006 season for example:
- Week 1 - 1st half = 7 - 2nd half = 12 - Difference = 5
- Week 3 - 1st half = 0 - 2nd half = 7 - Difference = 7
- Week 4 - 1st half = 14 - 2nd half = 24 - Difference = 10
- Week 10 - 1st half = 6 - 2nd half = 8 - Difference = 2
- Week 13 - 1st half = 13 - 2nd half = 15 - Difference = 2
- Week 16 - 1st half = 10 - 2nd half = 14 - Difference = 4
- Week 17 - 1st half = 19 - 2nd half = 21 - Difference = 2
The Patriots were better in the 2nd half in 7 of 16 games, not an over-whelming number of a team that is cheating in that manner. The average difference between 1st half and 2nd half points is less than 5 for those 7 weeks, less than a touchdown. For a team that cheats, they certainly were not doing a good job of it.
Fast forward to this season's performance. Now that the league is under a microscope and the Goodell is on the hunt for it, if the Patriots had been cheating, they should be struggling, when instead offensively they are dominating. I already know what you all are thinking so I will save you the trouble. The Patriots added some key offensive players and basically have an all-star dream team. In the preseason the media had already anointed them with the championship and to this point they have lived up to that hype. So even if Belichick had been cheating, now with one of the greatest NFL teams to ever be assembled, what reason is there to cheat?
Going back to the 2006 season, week 10 in the loss to the New York Jets. During that game, a cameraman for the Jets was kicked off the field for videotaping the defensive signals (sound familiar). During that game, the Jets miraculously came from behind in the second half to beat the Patriots, who had beaten the Jets in week 2 of the season at the meadowlands. Things that make you go Hmmm. Belichick and Mangini have no love for each other. Mangini leaving for a rival organization as he did, taking his playbook with him could not have sat well with Belichick and there has been a feud ever since.
So here is the theory. Belichick takes a camera over to the Meadowlands and pulls the same stunt that Mangini had done before, knowing he will get caught, hence why he would be so blatantly obvious about it. The NFL would have to look into it and put a microscope on all teams and put an end to some of the acknowledged widespread cheating practiced by some teams (Miami turning up the AC on hot days, Indy piping in crowd noise… we have all heard the stories).
Far fetched you say? I'm obviously not so sure. Goodell's goons come to Foxboro and cart of… something, video tapes. Exactly what I am not sure, no one is. In fact, you do not hear anything more of what was on those tapes. Why? That one is easy, because there is nothing on those tapes. There is zero further evidence to support the Patriots cheating because, they never did to begin with and the ongoing investigation is dropped like a lead balloon. If as millions of fans believe that Belichick had been cheating for the past 6 years, you would think there would be something. Robert Kraft, a fan as much as an owner would never stand for that kind of behavior either. Had Belichick been indeed cheating, there is no way Kraft would have resigned him this year following Spygate. Kraft stood beside Belichick proudly because there was no reason no to.
So I stand beside Belichick and the New England Patriots as well. Proud of my team and what they have been able to accomplish over the last 6 and a half seasons.
You can all go back to hating now
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