What Teams Do You Root For?

[Rik]

Well, I'm a Pats fan so I obviously think the spygate thing was completely overblown. Fact is, the Pats have been more successful post-spygate than pre-spygate:

DeSean Jackson's big night; Spygate effect; Sal Alosi punishment - Peter King - SI.com

Belichick is arguably the best coach of his generation and wasn't doing anything that just about every other team in the league did. Other coaches have admitted as much. It makes a good excuse for people to hate them for being so successful however, which is why people can't let it go...particularly people whose teams lost to the Pats during their decade of dominance.

 

[John S]

Rik - Besides Belichick proteges, what other coaches have admitted to cheating? I don't remember any.
The cheating incident was NOT overblown. He SHOULD have been kicked out of the league forever.

 

[Benevolous]

Rik - Besides Belichick proteges, what other coaches have admitted to cheating? I don't remember any.
The cheating incident was NOT overblown. He SHOULD have been kicked out of the league forever.

I find that really funny, given your statements in the thread about guns.

Are you really saying that Jesus wouldn't want you to forgive him? What happened to your insistence that we should always turn the other cheek?

And for that matter, why are you into sports, anyway, given all of the violence that occurs in sports?

 

[John S]

In sports, there is NOTHING worse than cheating.
You can't compare football to killing people.

 

[Benevolous]

In sports, there is NOTHING worse than cheating.
You can't compare football to killing people.

I didn't. I asked you if you are really saying that Jesus wouldn't want you to forgive him? What happened to your insistence that we should always turn the other cheek?

And for that matter, why are you into sports, anyway, given all of the violence that occurs in sports?

 

[Rik]

Rik - Besides Belichick proteges, what other coaches have admitted to cheating? I don't remember any.
The cheating incident was NOT overblown. He SHOULD have been kicked out of the league forever.

Jimmy Johnson for one, and he mentions a couple others:

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Rap Sheet» Blog Archive » Jimmy Johnson thinks Spygate is overblown

Lost in all the hyperbole about spygate was the fact that "stealing signals" is not illegal, it was where they were filming from that was the issue:

Spygate: An Inconvient Truth - CBSSports.com

As far as him being kicked out of the league forever, give me a break.

 

[John S]

Rik - Filming other teams practices is enough to warrant expulsion.
You're a Patriots fan. Of course, you are going to defend this stuff.

 

[Rik]

Interestingly, the Dolphins "stole" the Pats' defensive signals in a game in 2006 and used them to beat the Pats 21-0, a game when they sacked Brady 4 times and held him to a mere 78 yards passing:

Brady says audio clips not cause of Patriots loss in Miami - USATODAY.com

An NFL spokesman dismissed it by saying "That's just football":

Dolphins Stealing Pats Signals ‘Just Football’ » OTB Sports

Teams are always trying to steal signs and signals off other teams. As the NFL said, that’s just football.

How about the Denver Broncos getting fined for knowingly cheating the salary cap (twice!)? I'd say that's at least as egregious as anything Belichick did. Should Mike Shanahan be banned for life as well?

Broncos Penalized Again for Salary Cap Violations (washingtonpost.com)

How about steroids...wouldn't you say that using steroids gives players an unfair advantage and anyone caught using should also be banned for life?

Here's an interesting article about spying in the NFL from 1967:

Lee Grosscup - Spying in Pro Football - SPORT magazine - thesportgallery.com

I can't defend him and none of this is meant to justify what Belichick did, it's simply meant to put it in a bit of perspective. He broke a rule and he got fined. In fact, he received the harshest fine EVER meted out by the NFL but some people will never let it go because let's face it, spygate gives them a convenient excuse for their team losing to the Patriots (which is why Colts, Steelers and Chargers fans usually cry the loudest).

 

[Rik]

Rik - Filming other teams practices is enough to warrant expulsion.
You're a Patriots fan. Of course, you are going to defend this stuff.

Show me proof that they ever filmed another team's practice. They were fined for filming during games.

 

[TomCS]

I am a fan of the New York Giants.

 

[Deleteriousnonsense]

I am a Seahawks fan. We have the dubious distinction this year of being the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record. We will win the Superbowl or my name isn't Pete Carroll.

 

[John S]

Tom - You must have just LOVED the Eagles comeback against them - or should I say the Giants collapse. They went from winning the division to not even making the playoffs.
Are you over it yet?

Rik - Like I said, you're a Patriots fan. You will find excuses for all of their bad behavior.

 

[Rik]

Rik - Like I said, you're a Patriots fan. You will find excuses for all of their bad behavior.

I can't defend him and none of this is meant to justify what Belichick did, it's simply meant to put it in a bit of perspective. He broke a rule and he got fined. In fact, he received the harshest fine EVER meted out by the NFL but some people will never let it go

...

 

[TomCS]

Tom - You must have just LOVED the Eagles comeback against them - or should I say the Giants collapse. They went from winning the division to not even making the playoffs.
Are you over it yet?

Rik - Like I said, you're a Patriots fan. You will find excuses for all of their bad behavior.

That game will take the entire off-season to get over. I let losses like that devestate me for a long time. I've been rooting for the Giants since 1978, the year of "The Fumble." Just about all of my bad Giants memories seem to involve the Eagles.

 

[John S]

Tom - Not only were we thrilled by the Eagles miraculous comeback over the Giants but the Phillies, to our amazement, beat the Yankees in the "battle" for Cliff Lee. A Philly paper even ran the headline "Merry Cliff-mas". Or are you a Mets fan?
Now, there is the possibility that there won't even be a football season next year.

 

[awakened777]

NFL-Bears.
NBA-Bulls, Lakers since(98)
NCAA: Boise State and Notre Dame.

 

[John S]

Hopefully, the Eagles will meet the Bears next Sunday.
If your from East Texas, why don't you root for the Cowboys, Texans, or Saints in football, the Mavs in the NBA, or whatever?

 

[BrandonMarshall]

I was a Dolphins fan but now I hate them for retaining tony morono and I will root for them to lose until the end of times. Screw you Dolphins you pathetic franchise!!!!

 

[TomCS]

I'm a Yankees fan, I heard Lee didn't come here because his wife was treated badly by the crowd at Yankee Stadium during the playoff game. I don't know how true or false that is.

 

[Rik]

Eagles

Ah, you're an Eagles fan, that explains a lot.

I'm curious to hear your take on Michael Vick...