Soundoff - Dear Patriots: It's Going to Hurt

Dear Patriots: It's Going to Hurt

There is really no telling what type of punishment Roger Goodell is going to hand down to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots after they were caught videotaping the defensive signals of the New York Jets. There really isn't very much precedent for this type of thing.

But we do know that Roger Goodell is not afraid of handing out harsh punishments, and he's willing to make an example when he feels it is needed. Personally, I'm not a big fan of 'examples' -- if the system works, it will work, if it doesn't, no amount of examples will make it work. Of course, I'm not the commish, so my feelings on examples are irrelevant.

And it is Goodell's willingness to make an example that should have the Patriots organization and fans worried. Here are a list of things that could happen:

Forfeiture of top draft picks next year or over the next few years.
A suspension for Bill Belichick.
A lowered salary cap next year or over the next few years.
Disqualification for postseason play for this year, or over the next few years.

Of those four punishments, I think disqualification for postseason play is very unlikely. While disqualifying teams for bowls is a staple in college, it just isn't right for the NFL, and it is something I think all teams would disagree with. Winning the superbowl in the year when one of the best teams is suspended from the playoffs is about like winning it during a player boycott.

I wouldn't be surprised at any of the other three, or even a mixture of them. Forfeiting draft picks is the most likely, but it might not seem harsh enough. After all, teams draft first round busts all the time. If you want to punish a team by lowering their talent level, I think forfeiture of draft picks and lowering the salary cap is the only way to go -- otherwise they'll just look to free agency.

A suspension of Bill Belichick would also be unsurprising. And, if the commish is willing to suspend Wade Wilson for five games for taking a steroid to improve the quality of his life while living with diabetes, what is he going to hand out for an infraction that actually effects the game?

I think it is anyone's guess. He might even dish out a relatively light punishment. A lot will depend on just how incriminating the evidence on the video tape is, but it doesn't help the Patriots that they have been accused of this before.

And, if I were a Patriots fan, I wouldn't be expecting it is going to be a wrist slap. This commissioner is not known for wrist slaps.

Posted by Dan on 09/12/07