Do you feel we all ( non patriots fans were cheated)?

You do realise that stealing defensive signals is legal, right?

I am a DIE HARD EAGLES FAN. And yes I feel that all the teams were cheated, they broke the rules and it gave them an unfair advantage. Even though the Patriots said they thought taping defensive signals was ok and had they realized it was wrong they would not have done it, cheating is cheating. I watched there playoff and super bowl games and yes the Patriots are a very good team but you could tell they knew what was coming. I am not saying they would not have won as many games as they did but they would not have dominated like they have. And I look at it this way, yes they beat us in the super bowl, and even with all there cheating they could only beat us by 3. Imagine if they had played fair.

Yes, but I think Patriot fans should feel cheated more than anyone else. Many people who answered your question say that stealing signals is legal. Yes, that is true. However, it is illegal to steal signals by videotaping the opponent. There is a big difference. This is especially worrisome for division games because it could help more so in the second game against the division foe. According to Specter, Goodell told him the Patriots were videotaping since 2000. I always thought of the Patriots as a smart, talented team with a brilliant head coach. Now I have my doubts.

YES

1. Taping signals is cheating. Thats why they got punished. Thats why its news.

2. It obviously does give an advantage. Why would they risk getting caught if there wasnt a benefit for it? Theres obviously a benefit or they wouldnt do it. Defenses and offenses are so advanced these days that the slightest advantage like knowing a simple snap count can decide who wins that play. If a reciever knows the defenses coverage there is a distinct advantage. If the corner knows the wr. route, he has a distinct advantge. Any advantage will set the tone for who will win that play.

3. Yes other teams probably do it. But guess what, THEY GOT CAUGHT!!!! If they didnt want to be punished if they didnt want to have there integrity or skill questioned they should of either not done it or not get caught!!!!! Thats the name of the game........

If you get caught doin 80 in a 65 mile an hour zone do you complain to the officer, "But everybody speeds". NO you should have slowed down when you came near the police. The other people speedin has nothing to do with you. Just like the other people cheating has nothing to do with the Pats getting caught.

Yes, because Belichick admitted taping signals since 2000 when he became coach. How can you misinterpret a ruling that you cannot tape signals?? Is it a coincidence that shortly after he became coach they started winning super bowls?

No doubt they have acquired great players over the years; but you gotta admit taping gave them extra advantages to beat those teams when they needed to (i.e., my team, the Steelers, in 2002 and 2005 in the AFC Championship games). Makes you surely wonder how they could easily outsmart the other teams and win since Belicheat took over. Makes total sense to me!

I think any teams close to making a Superbowl that lost out due to the Patriots was cheated. The Patriots didnt deserve to get as far as they may have during those seasons if they had to cheat to get there.

No. I'm only concern with the future. As long as Patriots doesn't try any of the craps again, I like to see my Chargers play them more often.

Edit:

Jack D, how did you determine that the effect is minimal? You don't know what you are talking about. If the Pats wasn't going to gain anything by cheating then why did the Pats cheat?

Funny thing about this question is if the Yankees were caught cheating all the red sox fans would be up in arms. Patriots do it and its 'okay'

Dude, I'm a Raiders fan, this season I was going for chargers after Raiders did not make it, get off of this patriots cheated bull crap I'm tried of hearing it. Every team has cheated before, there just the ones who got caught. They can know the plays, but it takes a bad tailed defense to stop it. Thats football, get over it.

Are you assuming that Patriots were the only team that violated NFL sideline procedure rules and videotaped opponents coaches ? Stealing signals is gamesmanship not cheating....

I hope that you aren't dumb enough to think that the video tape forced Andy Reid to mis manage the clock in the 4th qtr of S-Bowl 38 and made Donavan McNabb throw up....

Stealing signals isn't against the rules and lots of teams have stolen signals in various ways for a LONG time.