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a has shifted their focus to Belichick's "early exit" in the last second of Super Bowl XLII. Numerous questions still loom about him, but it's reassuring to know the media has their priorities straight. Is Belichick's so-called arrogance and pigskin I.Q. just a shield to cover up blatant cheating? Are we missing the big picture and ignoring other NFL cheating issues? Is the media's microscope so intently fixed on him that the accusations are vastly blown out of proportion?
Most importantly, what's keeping the Patriots organization from marketing his hoodies? They are sitting on a retail gold mine.
"Beli-cheat's" lack of cooperation with the media has officially come back to haunt him—the silent treatment in post-game press conferences, the shoving of hovering cameramen, and the plethora of unuseable quotes such as, "We played good."
As Spygate details begin to unfold, the annual Mangini and Belichick family BBQ will become increasingly more uncomfortable.
Roger Goodell Every commissioner has their "welcome-to-the-league" moment.
Apparently, Goodell decided to get his kick to the groin out of the way early.
Now, however, it's likely that Goodell was more than familiar with NFL coaches gaining a "competitive advantage" in games.
Sound familiar, Bud Selig?
Goodell was crowned NFL commish in August of 2006, taking over for the retired Paul Tagliabue. He was chosen over four finalists for the position after singing an enchanting version of "When a Man Loves a Woman," by Michael Bolton. Simon Cowell referred to the performance as "absolutely memorable."
The commish was called out early in 2008 for imposing a limited punishment on the New England Patriots cheating scandal.
Limited? Really? The largest fine ever given to a coach, plus an additional team fine and loss of a draft pick isn't sufficient?
What did the critics want? A stripping of Super Bowl titles based on limited evidence and witnesses with questionable credibility? How about forcing Belichick to thoroughly answer redundant post-game questions at gunpoint?
Goodell may be caught between a rock and a hard place. His apparent destruction of the Patriots illegal tapes leaves him in hot water with the critics.
It's crucial for Goodell to do the exact opposite of his counterparts in order to avoid dragging the NFL through the mud. Stern—who has been a model commish up until last year—endured a brutal corruption scandal of his own. Although, in his defense, Stern's hands were likely tied.
Selig, on the other hand, staggered blindly through his stint as commish, ignoring all signs of obvious juicing.
A boiling cup of coffee has been thrown in Goodell's lap and now he must wash away the stains.
Arlen SpecterEasily the nerdiest person to be associated with the sport of football since Corey Haim in the movie, Lucas.
Specter took a page out of George Mitchell's book and decided politics and sports somehow mix. Perhaps his perpetual investigation of the Kennedy Assassination grew tiring.
Goodell received a letter from Specter concerning the destruction of the Spygate tapes. The explanation he received was that the tapes contained nothing earth-shattering and were no longer needed.
Oops, Goodell pulled an Enron.
But get this: Comcast has an ongoing battle with the NFL over fees related to the NFL network. Specter has received a hefty amount of campaign contributions from Comcast and those affiliated.
In most schools of thought that's called a "conflict of interest."
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John McClory
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