The ruling from Commissioner Goodell regarding Tapegate has come down: Belichick was fined $500,000, the Patriots organization was fined $250,000, and the Patriots will lose either a 1st round draft pick or their 2nd and 3rd round draft picks in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Shortly after the ruling came down, Belichick issued a statement about the ruling:
Text of the statement from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick after he was fined $500,000 for stealing an opponent's signals:
I accept full responsibility for the actions that led to tonight's ruling. Once again, I apologize to the Kraft family and every person directly or indirectly associated with the New England Patriots for the embarrassment, distraction and penalty my mistake caused. I also apologize to Patriots fans and would like to thank them for their support during the past few days and throughout my career.
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.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press)
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80251b7e&template=with-video&confirm=true
Goodell's statement regarding Tapegate sheds a little light on why he chose to take such action against Belichick and the Patriots rather than other possibilities people have been suggesting:
“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,” Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to the Patriots."I specifically considered whether to impose a suspension on Coach Belichick," Goodell also wrote. "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."
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2007/09/final_ruling.html
The draft pick thing is semi confusing to me. If they don't make the playoffs, do they take the 2nd round pick and their third round pick as well as the third round pick they acquired from Oakland? The Globes Mike Reiss sheds a little light on it:
The Patriots will lose their 2008 first-round draft choice if they make the playoffs, or their second- and third-round draft choices if they don't make the playoffs.
But as part of trades the Patriots made during the 2007 draft, the team had already acquired some extra draft choices -- the San Francisco 49ers' 2008 first-round draft pick, and the Oakland Raiders' 2008 third-round draft pick.
So as of right now, the Patriots have a total of nine draft picks in 2008 -- two apiece in the first and third rounds, and one each in the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.
The picks to be surrendered would be the Patriots' own, not the picks they acquired in trades.
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2007/09/2008_draft_pick.html
From the sounds of what Reiss is reporting the Pats will lose either one pick (their own first rounder, which should be in the high 20s), or their own 2nd round pick (again, high 20s) and their own 3rd rounder, but not the one they got from Oakland.
John Clayton is saying it's not enough, but I disagree. It doesn't cripple a franchise, it doesn't create a massive competitive unbalance throughout the entire league by bumping every other team up in the draft. It hurts them on multiple fronts: front office, head coach, and in the draft. Clayton is making it sound like the Patriots had a buffer and planned that if they got caught it didn't matter because they were stacking picks. Whether you believe Belichick or not, a misinterpretation of a rule and an decent explanation to the Commissioner is the reason why the ruling is what it is.
One the one hand, I agree that the Patriots perceivably got off a bit easy; but overall, I think the punishment fit the crime. It makes sense and is something as a huge Patriots fan I can support.
