Patriots Hit With Fines, Loss of Draft Picks

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had a busy day today. I’ll get right to the specifics. For the New England Patriots‘ illegal videotaping incident I initially mentioned a couple days ago, Commissioner Goodell fined head coach Bill Belichick half a million dollars (the league max under their Constitution and By-Laws); he fined the team $250,000; and depending on where the Pats finish the season, they will lose a draft pick or multiple draft picks. (If they make the playoffs, they lose a first round pick. Otherwise they will lose second and third round picks.)

I know a lot of people were hoping for some kind of suspension, but the Commissioner felt the punishment delivered today was enough. In a letter to the Patriots he said, in-part:

“This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid longstanding rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field ….. I specifically considered whether to impose a suspension on Coach Belichick. I have determined not to do so, largely because I believe that the discipline I am imposing of a maximum fine and forfeiture of a first-round draft choice, or multiple draft choices, is in fact more significant and long-lasting, and therefore more effective, than a suspension.”

I agree. It was the biggest fine ever for a coach and the first time in NFL history a first-round draft pick has been confiscated as a penalty. That’s a lot of money no matter how much money you make. And the loss of high draft picks can be devastating, although the Pats are scheduled to select two first-rounders in 2008. But once again, it points to this Commissioner working hard to make things right and clean up a league that we’re finding had a lot of cleaning up to do.

Coach Belichick then issued his own apology, saying:

“As the Commissioner acknowledged, our use of sideline video had no impact on the outcome of last week’s game. We have never used sideline video to obtain a competitive advantage while the game was in progress. Part of my job as head coach is to ensure that our football operations are conducted in compliance of the league rules and all accepted interpretations of them. My interpretation of a rule in the Constitution and Bylaws was incorrect. With tonight’s resolution, I will not be offering any further comments on this matter. We are moving on with our preparations for Sunday’s game.”

The biggest question that remains unanswered is how long this has been going on. Both the NFL and Coach Belichick stressed that the camera was seized before the end of the first quarter of last weekend’s game against the Jets so it really had no impact on that game. But the Philadelphia Eagles would like to know how long the Patriots have been spying on their opposition. They were on the losing end of a 24-21 Super Bowl XXXIX game to the Patriots back in 2005.