Things were going way too well for New England Patriot fans: three Super Bowl wins in the past six years; almost making it to the Super Bowl last season; and an off-season full of great, free-agent pickups. We all heard the predictions from all over the media; the New England Patriots would probably win yet another Super Bowl. I know I waited with added anticipation for another fun season with our beloved Pats.
Week one arrived. Playing against one of our new rivals, the Hew York Jets. One of our past coaches now running the show in New York. “Bring them on, we are more than ready!” was the mutual battle cry in New England. And we were. Our team went out, met all of everyone’s high expectations, and easily defeated the Jets 38-14. All of our new guys played great, our beloved Tom Brady had a great game, and all was well in Patriot Nation. Or so we thought.
The news came along that someone on the Patriots sideline was video taping the Jets defensive coaches sending in signals to their team. My first reaction was, so what? Doesn’t every team try to steal signals in every sport? Isn’t that part of today’s modern technology? What is the big deal? Why is it so much of a news story? Again, every team does that stuff, or do they? And then I watched T.V. last night. All of a sudden, a so what story had made it into the major headlines, in all parts of the media. “Wait a minute, I thought, “Maybe this is bigger than I thought.” As I woke up this morning, I realized that it was a lot bigger than I thought.
One major sports outlet already had their opinions up and running. Maybe the team should be put on probation, and not be allowed in the playoffs. How long has this been going on? Did it cost teams championships? Did it cost coaches their jobs? The only thing I haven’t heard is that video taping of signals is somehow linked to terrorism. I don’t say that in a disrespectful way, mind you, it’s just that I am already amazed at how big this thing has become. And I shudder to think what is about to follow.
The opinion of this humble fan is very simple. First, I’m very sure that the Patriots are not the only team, out of 32 teams, that have video taped signals. I’m quite sure every other team has tried to steal signals, play books, cheerleader routines, and any other competitive edge they might be able to get their hand on. Are the Patriots coaches that stupid? Does the team, full of great athletes, need that edge to win? And most of all, are they really the only team doing these things? I think not to all of those questions. My own big question is, did the league target the Patriots only, or have they patrolled every teams’ sidelines equally?
What should the league do to the Patriots? First, if the head coach knew what was happening on his sideline, then suspend him for a week. I’m not opposed to taking a draft choice away. But before anyone throws the team out of the league, think about this hard and long. Is your team trying to steal signals? Did your favorite coach ever do anything to try to get a better edge against his opponent? Of course they have. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they somehow got caught. Hold on Pats fans, the roller coaster ride is about to go down a big hill, I hope it comes to an end very quickly. It won’t, as we all know, until the United States Senate holds its own hearings into what was really on those video tapes.
