Bill Belichick's Disgrace: The Liver Takes on Videogate

I’ve never cared one way or the other for the New England Patriots—but I loathe Bill Belichick like no one other than Phil Jackson.

And I love being proven right—especially when it comes to that douchebag Belicheat, er Belichick.

Videogate was about as big a surprise to me as Britney Spears being pilled out at the VMAs Sunday night.

The Patriots pulled the same stunt last year at Lambeau Field—with the same cameraman. Apparently, it’s common knowledge in the NFL that they've been stealing signals for some time now...and jamming radio frequencies too.
 
What is this, the Cold War?

And seriously, Tricky Bill—I don’t want to hear that you had nothing to do with it. You RUN that organization. People don’t take a piss without checking with you first.

My question is this, Bill Nixon: Why did you have to steal signals from the Jets? It's the NFL version of Watergate—the Pats could’ve beaten the Jets without cheating, just like Nixon could’ve beaten McGovern with his eyes closed.

I fully expected Roger Goodell, who had done a fantastic job of cleaning up the league, to bring down the hammer on New England—stripping the Patriots of at least their next two first-round draft picks, suspending Belichick for at least two or three games, and fining owner Bob Kraft a million dollars.

Too bad Goodell wilted.

Remember, this wasn’t a first-time offense. This was a repeat violation by a smug, cold, arrogant bastard who thinks he invented the game of football.
 
Since Videogate broke, several credible NFL sources have revealed that the Pats have a history of cheating dating back to at least 2000.

Current lions coach and ex-Bucs D assistant Rod Marinelli, for one, reported that when the Bucs beat the Pats in 2000, Pats O coordinator Charlie Weis told Bucs D coordinator Monte Kiffin, ”We knew all your calls, and you still stopped us.”  
 
We all know cheating happens in sports. But hi-tech electronic surveillance and jammed radio signals?

That’s a clear breach of fair play.
 
So what was Goodell's response?

The equivalent of releasing Bonasera’s daughter’s attackers on the day of their crime.

First, the Patriots will lose their 2008 first round draft choice. Ooohh. That’ll hurt em. Especially since they have ANOTHER first-round draft pick, from the 49ers, that's going to be better than the one that they lose lose.

Second, Belichick gets a $500,000, fine and the Patriots are fined $250,000. That's it. No suspensions. Now I know why for justice, I must go to Don Corleone.

Roger Goodell has lost a lot of respect in NFL circles. And if I’m Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Wade Wilson, and Tank Johnson, I’m two things, in the words of Lowell Bergman...PISSED OFF AND CURIOUS.
 
There's clearly a double standard at work here—this is bullshit of the highest order. It’s easy to go after players, but when Goodell had the chance to put his foot down on a franchise, he cowered like Jeremy Davies in Saving Private Ryan.
 
In any event, Pats owner Bob Kraft can ditch the arrogance now. His team has been marked as a gang of cheaters, and their three Super Bowls are as meaningless as a pile of day-old shit.

Both Kraft and Belichick should be ashamed of themselves. I may be a Cowboys fan, and the Cowboys may be pretty arrogant in their own right...but at least Jerry Jones never took a Super Bowl trophy oversees to promote world fucking peace.

I hope every team the Patriots play this year—including the Cowboys—pulls a Warden Hazen and "inflicts as much physical punishment on the prisoners as humanly possible."

It’s too bad that their coach can’t be on the field with them. He deserves the worst worst of all.