New England Patriots: ESPN's Sal Paolantonio - Time to Move on From Spygate

based reporter and loves the Eagles?  Does he think the Patriots taping, and not the Patriots’ players, was the reason his Eagles lost to New England in the Super Bowl in 2005?

Maybe he is just such a believer in integrity in football he can't help himself - I'm sure, he along with other all too vocal Patriot-haters like former Bronco Mark Schlereth, were this upset when Denver repeatedly broke the rules to win two Super Bowls.

Or is it much more typical of reporters these days?  Is it personal?

I listen to sports reporters like Paolantonio not because they know so much more about sports than I do.  It is because through years of hard work they have developed better contacts and relationships with people on the inside.  These contacts allow Paolantonio, and others like him, to provide insight at a level I could never reach. 

Without access and contacts though, Paolantonio can't really offer anything worth listening to.  

Do the Patriots' not return Sal's calls?  Do they limit his access, thus making it more difficult to do his job trying to cover one of the top teams in the sport (more specifically, does Belichick do these things?).  It is easier to find out about troop movements from the Pentago then it is to learn anything from the Patriots.

I don't have any precise evidence of this type of bias on Sal's part, but based on what I know about journalism from following this story, maybe I should write, "an unnamed source told me Sal Paolantonio is writing biased and absurd articles against the Patriots because Bill Belichick refused to speak to Sal following New England's 2006 pre-season victory over the Redskins."

While I am at it, two things I wish would happen on a related note—one, Arlen Specter to find something else to worry about.  If only there were other major issues going on that a United States Senator could get involved in.  If only.

And second, can Roger Goodell grow a pair?  He wants to be the get-tough commissioner, be more like the authoritative David Stern and less like the weaselly Bud Selig.  I have news for the commish—right now, he is more like Selig. 

He needs to defend his league.  He has allowed Arlen Specter and the Paolantonios of the world to keep this story alive.  He allowed Specter, days before the sport's biggest event, to take the spotlight off the field. 

He has allowed Specter to bully him now for months.  And he continues to do this, by placating Specter and giving Walsh the time of day, even though Walsh after months of lying and misleading doesn't deserve it. 

I compare this to Stern—who in one press conference, put to rest the entire Tim Donaghy scandal.  Taping coaching signals compared to an official compromised in a betting scandal—which is worse and which story has received more attention? 

If Goodell really was a tough commissioner, he would say this to Arlen Specter—"This is an NFL matter.  It was handled by the NFL.  I issued a decision that is the final decision.  As far as the league is concerned, the matter is over and done with.  A rule was broken. A penalty was issued.  This is for the NFL to handle not the United States Senate." 

I truly am sick of the Spygate story.  For the millionth time I will write, the Patriots cheated, they were wrong, they were severely punished.  I want to move on. 

For months the story was we need to find out what is on the tapes that Walsh has.  When we did, and the answer was nothing, I thought that would be the end.

But as long as reporters like Sal Paolantonio are going to continue to write articles, and dream up theories to keep the story alive and defame the Patriots, I am going to continue to write articles explaining why they are wrong and am going to continue to defend the Pats.  

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