Okay, let's say the Patriots end up winning the Superbowl this seasn...?

Now, don't get me wrong: New England probably did deserve to be punished by the commissioner for getting caught videotaping New York's defensive staff as it signaled plays in to its players. But a first-round draft pick? Methinks the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

Is this really worse, for instance, than Mike Tice scalping Super Bowl tickets? Or a Detroit assistant coach getting caught naked at a drive-in? It's common knowledge (trust me) that teams look at defensive signals through binoculars, and have been doing so for years. That the Pats took another step, and started taping them, is a clear violation of an NFL edict. But make no mistake: they're not the only people trying to learn their opponents' signals. That's a practice as tried and true as eye black.

So is the fact that they used videotape so heinous that we should have 31 first-round draft picks in the '08 draft, instead of 32? Let me put it this way: There's no way on Earth the commissioner takes away the Patriots' first-rounder if they hadn't had two (one from San Francisco, and their own). But because the Pats did have two, Roger Goodell could "make an example" of them, and show his critics that he's not the butt-boy of Bob Kraft, one of Goodell's biggest supporters on his way to winning the commissioner's job. The world will keep spinning on its axis, but this heavy-handed punishment does not fit the crime.

all those are off field problems and were delt with more harshly than this incident so yes the nfl will suffer the cheatriots in their hunger for wins have cheated and givin the nfl its biggest black eye to date, it turns my stomach and makes me sick the cheatriots have made a mockery of the nfl but the commishners soft punishment of the patsies makes me think more than ever the nfl is fixed

it depends alot on how they continue to play for the rest of the season and who they play in the super bowl.if they go undefeated no one will care and if you think about it why would it taint the season because the "cheating" only took place for less that 1 quarter of the first game against a sorry team...so the taping wont affect their season at all.

If the Patriots win the Super Bowl ( and they will) it will show that cheating had nothing to do with their winning games. If you think the Pats are the only team that does this sort of thing, then you don't know a thing about sports.

remember jimmy johnson said it is not useful at all madden said the same thing and the steelers coach said all the teams he ahs been with do it and plus as reported it was less then 1 quarter of football explian the rest of the season

The Mystery of the green dot

man patriots r going 2 take it all the way. with or without video taping plays. they smashed the charger last night

The Patriots deserve to go to the Super Bowl and get owned.

Yeah it won't matter either way if they win or not......They have a good chance too, that is unless my Houston Texans can stop them!!!!!!

the partiots are cheaters and should be suspended from the season and the coach should be banned from coaching and wouldnt be that great without them cheating so they wont even make it to the superbowl cheating scum