Ruler To The Wrists?

When news broke last night that Pats head coach Bill Belichick was handed a $500,000 fine (league maximum, by the way) and the loss of a draft choice, I must admit that I wasn't too satisfied. With Kige Ramsey exclaiming that the Patriots should be "fined big," I definitely jumped on board his radio flyer.

When I read further into the details that the pick would be a first-rounder if New England made the playoffs, I became a little more comfortable.

Not Mike Wilbon. The PTI All-Star's Friday morning piece took a swing at the same ball nearly every columnist in America has already whacked around, but this one's a bit different as he seems to call out Commissioner Roger Goodell.

No single pro football player, even one pumped up on steroids, has the impact on a football game that a coach does.

Goodell should have sat Belichick for a game, should have flexed like he has with the players and dished out a punishment that would serve as a deterrent. This isn't, and it's disappointing in the context of his get-tough commissionership.

After Carson Palmer voiced his opinion on the matters a day ago, it seems that at least a one-game suspension would be handed down, but it wasn't the case.

The question now is, if a fine is all that is handed down for breaking the videotaping policy, will it stop other teams from trying? If the probablility of getting caught coupled with the punishment are not as bad as the upside of the taping, what stops the lesser teams from trying? Sure, they may lose a lower draft pick than the Patriots, but if you get a few games out of it, the draft pick becomes lesser value with each "W."

I do see Wilbon's point. And Joey Porter's for that matter.

"People take a supplement that has a little more than caffeine in it and they call that cheating and suspend you for four games for that? But these guys are videotaping our signals from the sideline? New England went from not being a good team to being a powerhouse. Now I have a question."

Now, I'm not saying that the Patriots have won all their games based on this perceived taping - where Joey gets a bit extreme - but his questions are justified.

While we'll never really know what sort of advantage was gained with the illegal taping, we do know that it will all be solved by a signed check and the loss of the 32nd best player in the draft this coming season.

Crime Deserves More Punishment [Washington Post]
Belichick Apologies, But... [Newsday]