How bummed out is Ron Borges right now? Finally he has a reason to do the ultimate hatchet-job on Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots and how their titles are all tainted. Ands now, in his moment of glory, where is he? He is far from the spotlight of Boston Sports.
I have read numerous times that Borges was one of the writers who were firmly entrenched in the Drew Bledsoe fan club. If someone searches around a Boston Globe archive, it should be easy to find some of his more salacious anti-Belichick rants. I, for one, do not have the stomach in these trying times in Foxboro to dig up the dirt on one my favorite boxing writers.
Some of my favorite punishments proposed by those who revel in Patriots misery as we here in the Northeast revel in the misery of the New York Yankees:
Suspend Bill Belichick / Ban Bill Belichick for life
Take away some draft picks / Take away all draft picks
Fine the Patriots organization big $$$ / Kick the team out of the league
Decrease the salary cap number for 2008 / Do not allow the team to sign free agents or make any draft picks
Fine Belichick/the organization up to a million dollars / Bankrupt Belichick and force him into debtors prison
As can be seen by the examples above, everyone has an opinion whether they are logical, non-sensical, idiotic, or occasionally intelligent. With the Boston Herald screaming BELI-CHEAT on the cover on Thursday, this is definitely an issue that no one is going to sweep under the rug anytime soon.
At this time, rumors seem to indicate the Patriots will lose their first round pick (and still keep the one they received from San Francisco for the #28 pick last year) as well as Belichick likely being suspended and fined.
What I really want to know, if how far down the organizational chart this cameraman was, when was this video being analyzed, and how much did Belichick really know about what was going on with the video. It seems to me, the Patriots would be smart enough to have the recording going to a closed-circuit TV or streaming on a secure site rather than fooling around with videotapes. That part alone makes me question how dirty Belichick’s hands were.
Look, I do not like that the Patriots got caught cheating (twice if you count Rodney Harrison getting busted for HGH while recovering from his injuries), but that just helps dispel the myth that they were smarter, better-run, and more gifted than anyone else. The Patriots won by being disciplined and working harder. That will not change with or without signal stealing accusations. Somehow, I do not see this information giving them too much of an advantage, and to the teams who were too slow to figure out that they were tipping off plays, well get smarter or more paranoid.
I think of how laughable it is considering all the hoopla last season about the Dolphins stealing audible calls from the Patriots by watching them on network TV. Uhh, time to switch up the calls Mr. Offensive Coordinator. EVERYONE is looking for that edge. Look at all the videotape digested by the pitchers, catchers, hitters, and coaches in baseball. Pitchers are found to be tipping pitches by where they hold their glove and other non-verbal clues. Cameras and microphones are everywhere in the NFL. Nothing is ever going to stop teams for looking for an edge. What is next, banning Polaroid pictures on the sidelines?
One point I have seen thrown around is the nobility of the boy-genius Eric Mangini. If Mangini was really the saint he is being portrayed as for blowing the whistle, then what took so long for him to blow the whistle? He should have stepped forward last season, or even when he was an assistant for the Patriots.
I think the funniest thing to come out is all the Eagles players whining about losing the Super Bowl two years ago. No, it had nothing to do with your quarterback puking his guts out on the turf and being battered and bruised by the unrelenting Patriots pass-rush. It HAD to be cheating. Well, everyone who has lost to the Patriots the last few years (which is everyone except recently the Colts) has their built-in excuses. What will be interesting will be seeing what the excuse is this season when the Patriots win.
Bottom-line, signal-stealing notwithstanding, the Patriots have always been built around their defense and the players on the field. Teams still have to defend Tom Brady and Randy Moss and stop Lawrence Maroney and put together a number of sustained drives against the Patriots defense.
ADDENDUM: Reports Friday AM say Belichick got fined $500k, the team $250k, and the loss of their number one pick, unless they miss the playoffs and then they lose a second and third round pick. Quick hit: Looks bad, but not too severe discipline.
I have read numerous times that Borges was one of the writers who were firmly entrenched in the Drew Bledsoe fan club. If someone searches around a Boston Globe archive, it should be easy to find some of his more salacious anti-Belichick rants. I, for one, do not have the stomach in these trying times in Foxboro to dig up the dirt on one my favorite boxing writers.
Some of my favorite punishments proposed by those who revel in Patriots misery as we here in the Northeast revel in the misery of the New York Yankees:
Suspend Bill Belichick / Ban Bill Belichick for life
Take away some draft picks / Take away all draft picks
Fine the Patriots organization big $$$ / Kick the team out of the league
Decrease the salary cap number for 2008 / Do not allow the team to sign free agents or make any draft picks
Fine Belichick/the organization up to a million dollars / Bankrupt Belichick and force him into debtors prison
As can be seen by the examples above, everyone has an opinion whether they are logical, non-sensical, idiotic, or occasionally intelligent. With the Boston Herald screaming BELI-CHEAT on the cover on Thursday, this is definitely an issue that no one is going to sweep under the rug anytime soon.
At this time, rumors seem to indicate the Patriots will lose their first round pick (and still keep the one they received from San Francisco for the #28 pick last year) as well as Belichick likely being suspended and fined.
What I really want to know, if how far down the organizational chart this cameraman was, when was this video being analyzed, and how much did Belichick really know about what was going on with the video. It seems to me, the Patriots would be smart enough to have the recording going to a closed-circuit TV or streaming on a secure site rather than fooling around with videotapes. That part alone makes me question how dirty Belichick’s hands were.
Look, I do not like that the Patriots got caught cheating (twice if you count Rodney Harrison getting busted for HGH while recovering from his injuries), but that just helps dispel the myth that they were smarter, better-run, and more gifted than anyone else. The Patriots won by being disciplined and working harder. That will not change with or without signal stealing accusations. Somehow, I do not see this information giving them too much of an advantage, and to the teams who were too slow to figure out that they were tipping off plays, well get smarter or more paranoid.
I think of how laughable it is considering all the hoopla last season about the Dolphins stealing audible calls from the Patriots by watching them on network TV. Uhh, time to switch up the calls Mr. Offensive Coordinator. EVERYONE is looking for that edge. Look at all the videotape digested by the pitchers, catchers, hitters, and coaches in baseball. Pitchers are found to be tipping pitches by where they hold their glove and other non-verbal clues. Cameras and microphones are everywhere in the NFL. Nothing is ever going to stop teams for looking for an edge. What is next, banning Polaroid pictures on the sidelines?
One point I have seen thrown around is the nobility of the boy-genius Eric Mangini. If Mangini was really the saint he is being portrayed as for blowing the whistle, then what took so long for him to blow the whistle? He should have stepped forward last season, or even when he was an assistant for the Patriots.
I think the funniest thing to come out is all the Eagles players whining about losing the Super Bowl two years ago. No, it had nothing to do with your quarterback puking his guts out on the turf and being battered and bruised by the unrelenting Patriots pass-rush. It HAD to be cheating. Well, everyone who has lost to the Patriots the last few years (which is everyone except recently the Colts) has their built-in excuses. What will be interesting will be seeing what the excuse is this season when the Patriots win.
Bottom-line, signal-stealing notwithstanding, the Patriots have always been built around their defense and the players on the field. Teams still have to defend Tom Brady and Randy Moss and stop Lawrence Maroney and put together a number of sustained drives against the Patriots defense.
ADDENDUM: Reports Friday AM say Belichick got fined $500k, the team $250k, and the loss of their number one pick, unless they miss the playoffs and then they lose a second and third round pick. Quick hit: Looks bad, but not too severe discipline.
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