John Snyder's Errant Thoughts

Roger Goodell's Blunder

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is the custodian of a multi-billion dollar sports league, whose only long-term asset is its ability to coax eyeballs into watching beer ads on Sundays.  The willingness of those eyeballs is directly related to the perception that the game that occurs between the commercials is legitimate.

And by all accounts, it is legitimate.

So why on Earth would Goodell go out of his way to create the mis-impression that something is seriously awry?  Because he has forgotten his role and indulged in a Clint Eastwood fantasy.

When the Patriots were caught videotaping the Jets defensive signals a week ago, Goodell had to decide how to respond.  Here are the facts that were before him:

• the infraction had no effect on the outcome of the game;
• it is a common and legal practice for teams to observe the other team's defensive signals;
• while the NFL had recently circulated a memo reminding teams that utilizing videotaping equipment on the sideline was against the rules, the "no-taping-on-the-sidelines" rule had been in place for some time but had never been seriously enforced;
• had the Patriots videotaped from the stands instead of the sidelines, the practice would have been equally effective (or ineffective), and perfectly legal;
• because teams know that their signals are routinely observed, it has become Coaching 101 to implement measures to make signals difficult to decode, and in light of this, no one can articulate a cogent explanation for how videotaping signals could ever have a material effect on the outcome of a game;
• NFL teams routinely undertake myriad activities, from reviewing videotape, reviewing broadcast footage, talking with players who used to play for other teams, sending scouts to games, talking with other teams' opponents, rummaging through trash bins -- all of which are legal -- for the purpose of gaining an insight into what an opposing team is likely to do in a given game situation;
• the Patriots claimed, after the Jets game, that they believed in good faith that their conduct was within the rule, and this claim is strongly supported by the fact that the Patriots' taping was conducted openly, with no effort to conceal it, against a former Patriots assistant coach who had every reason to be aware that the taping was occuring.

I will concede, as I believe fair-minded people must, that the Patriots' belief in the legality of their conduct was probably wrong.  The fact remains that, on the Monday following the Jets-Patriots game, when the public learned of the taping, they didn't know what to make of it.  Likely, 95 percent of fans didn't know that there was a rule against videotaping from the sidelines (most had probably never even contemplated whether or not it was legal).

Public opinion was therefore quite malleable in the beginning.  Was this a nit-picking infraction?  Was it the end of the world?  Everyone looked to Goodell for guidance.

Goodell responded by playing into the hysterical notion that the Patriots' conduct was an epic affront to the integrity of pro football, imposing unprecedented sanctions against Belichick and the Patriots.  Then, almost as an afterthought, Goodell demanded that the Patriots turn over all previously recorded tapes and notes made from such tapes.  Now, Goodell has painted himself into a corner.  He is likely to learn that the Patriots have taped in the past (based on the same incorrect interpretation of the relevant rule). 

If this turns out to be the case, Goodell faces the following set of bad choices:  (1) declare that he will not further sanction the Patriots for past misconduct (and suffer the accusation from 31 other teams that he is being soft on the Patriots), or (2) further punish the Patriots (and face the valid accusation that it is acting unfairly by not also rummaging through the other 31 teams' archives for contraband).

If we go back in time, this could have been handled much more deftly.  In the first place, the guiding principle should have been that the Patriots' sanction must be measured in proportion to the unfair advantage that they were proved to have obtained, perhaps augmented by an additional sanction to account for the willfulness of the violation.

In this instance, the NFL has conceded that the videotaping had no effect on the outcome of the Jets-Patriots game -- in effect, a concession that there was no advantage.  Moreover, the fact that the videotaping was conducted in the open suggests that there was no willful disobedience.

Instead of focusing on the "unfair advantage" and "willfulness" factors, Roger Goodell seems to have panicked and rendered a premature, excessive, and reactionary decision.  The decision seems to be informed by the following unprincipled and macho reasoning:  (1) the Patriots broke a rule; (2) my name is Roger Goodell, the new sheriff in town, and I'm a tough guy; (3) I'm going to hammer the Patriots so that everyone knows not to mess with me.  The Clint Eastwood theory of jurisprudence.

The problem is that Goodell's hands are now tied.  Even though people are now pretending that the videotaping was the worst thing that has ever happened, in a few weeks, when everyone has cooled off, all that will be remembered was that the Patriots and Belichick got fined $750,000 and lost a first round pick for a technical rule violation that accomplished nothing that could not have been accomplished legally, and that resulted in no unfair advantage.

Measured against this standard, where does Goodell go when a team violates a rule that actually does have a material competitive benefit to a team?  All of a team's draft picks?  For five years?  Disband the club?

Worse, Goodell's rash decision has succeeded in persuading an ambivalent public that something is seriously amiss with the NFL, that the infraction has a serious moral dimension, and that a top-to-bottom review of the entire league is required here.  By playing the tough guy, Goodell has actually called into question the legitimacy of the product that he is charged with ensuring remains above question.

Video-Gate

In the wake of the Patriots' dominating 38-14 win over the San Diego Chargers, it seems that the furor over Bill Belichick's video-taping of the New York Jets' defensive signals last week is continuing and growing.  Just when it seemed that the affair was running its course -- culminating in an unprecedented fine and loss of the Patriots' first round draft pick -- the media is looking for new ways to rehash and expand the story.

Now we hear reports of three additional bits of information. 

• First, the Jets apparently complained about the same sort of videotaping last year.  Apparently, nothing was done about it.
• Second, we learn that the Jets are urging a continuation of the investigation into the Patriots use of technology for picking up the audio from the game.
• Third, it seems that the NFL is demanding that the Patriots produce all videotapes and notes contained in the Patriots' "library" of information that they supposedly maintain.

In an interview before last night's San Diego game, Roger Goodell disclosed that he would consider further sanctions in the event he learned of additional sanctions.  He did not say whether the current sanctions (e.g., the fines and draft pick) are meant to cover all past misconduct (so long as the Patriots voluntarily disclose it), or whether it only covers the videotaping during the Jets game.

Until last week, it seems that the league rule against videotaping on the sideline was most honored in the breach.  The effect of the league's memo to teams was to put everyone on notice that, effective this year, the league will be serious about enforcing these rules.  Gone are the days of the league turning a blind eye.

Having given specific notice that the league will be rigidly enforcing the rules against videotaping, it is perfectly fair for the league to impose stiff sanctions on teams that violate the rules from this point forward.  However, notwithstanding the fact that videotaping may have violated the letter of the rules even in 2001-2006, as a practical matter it seems that it tacitly accepted (as evidenced by the fact that a similar complaint by the Jets last year was not acted upon).

It would not be fair for the league to apply the new, strict standards to conduct that occurred before teams were put on notice that videotaping would not be tolerated.  It would be equally unfair for the Patriots to be selectively singled out for punishment for pre-2007 violations when other teams may have committed the same historical violations.

In this spirit, it is interesting to note that while Belichick was punished for the taping that occurred during the Jets game, no other coaches were similarly punished.  I would like to know if Goodell determined whether other coaches knew about, and acquiesced in, the videotaping, and if they were, why the assistant coaches were not also punished.

Lest we forget, Eric Mangini was the defensive coordinator for the Patriots a couple years ago, and if the Patriots were videotaping during this time period, Mangini likely knew about it, condoned it, and acquiesced in it.

Perhaps it's too much to hope for, but it would be poetic justice if the investigation into the Patriots' prior misconduct ended up revealing that Mangini himself had engaged in the very same misconduct.

When one approaches the league commissioner seeking a remedy from big brother, he should make sure he comes with clean hands.

Hating on Nikolai Bonds

There is always the debate over what a fan should do when he catches a historic home run. Should he sell it? Should he hand it back to the player? Should he give it to the Hall of Fame? Padres pitcher Trevor Hoffman said that he hoped the ball would land in the bullpen so that he could sell the ball and give the money to his bullpen catcher, who is apparently battling cancer.

Well, so Barry Bonds hit his 755th career home run, tying Hank Aaron. Commissioner Bud Selig was on hand, did not applaud, and when the ball sailed out, the TV cut to Bud, who looked like he had just witnessed an execution.

So after the home run, which was caught by a fan, ESPN was in the stands. They reported that Barry's son Nikolai, who is 17 years old and apparently Russian, approached the ESPN reporter and asked what ESPN knew about the guy who caught the ball. The reporter knew nothing.

"Because," Nikolai said, "we hope the guy who caught it just gives it to us, so we can sell it and give the money to Trevor Hoffman's bullpen catcher."

I'm sure the guy who actually caught the ball is having a great laugh at that one.

First of all, yuck that Barry sent Nikolai to make that request. Barry has a history of hiding behind his kid. Second, if Barry wants to help the bullpen catcher, he should just open his wallet and give some of the $100 million that he already has. What does he need to sell a baseball for? Third, do you believe for a minute that he wouldn't actually take the ball, sell it to himself for like $50,000, give that to the bullpen catcher, and in true Bonds fashion screw not only a loyal baseball fan but also a cancer patient?

Sorry, but there isn't a single person in the world who would be more satisfying to jam for money than Barry Bonds, a truly miserable, dishonest character.

Good luck getting that ball back, Barroid.

Jake Brown -- Total Man!

Nothing to say other than check out this video [Damn!  Dead link] on YouTube. That has got to be the most amazing fall, and incredibly, the guy walked away. If you don't think it's much of a drop, watch what happens to his shoes when when lands.

Jake: not sure how many of your 9 lives you have left, but yesterday you burned through about five of them.

By the way, what is up with the commentator who sees him slam to the ground, 90% chance he's dead, and can only remark, "can't believe he made the 720!" Dude! A little perspective?

Update: He's supposed to get out of the hospital tomorrow. Jake, bro, that was absolutely incredible.

Ted Johnson

The New York Times has a sad story about Ted Johnson today.  According to the story, Johnson, the former middle linebacker for the New England Patriots, now suffers from Alzheimer's disease as a result of multiple concussions he sustained starting in August 2002.  The first concussion occurred in a preseason game against the Giants.  Shortly thereafter, in practice, Coach Belichick essentially forced Johnson to practice with full contact in order to "find out if you can play."  After that, mini-concussions became commonplace for Johnson, and the result has been devastating for Johnson's health and for his personal life.

Although Johnson has paid a huge price for his football career, he says that he's not contemplating a lawsuit against the Patriots or the NFL.  Given the situation, I wouldn't blame him one bit if he did sue the New England Patriots.  However, because the negligence occurred in August 2002, and because Massachusetts has a three-year statute of limitations for such actions, unless he could show that the statute should be tolled on the basis of the discovery rule (the concept that the statute doesn't start running until you find out about the injury) or some related concept, Johnson is probably out of luck in any event.

This is been a bad three weeks for the Patriots.  First they got criticized for taunting the San Diego Chargers after that game.  Then they blew a 21-3 lead against the Colts.  Then Coach Belichick got subpoenaed in a divorce proceeding involving a woman to whom he sent FedEx packages stuffed with cash.  And now, on a much more serious note, this story becomes national news.

For almost a decade now, the Patriots has been the model sports franchise, at least in the public perception.  Bob Kraft has been the model owner.  Bill Belichick has been the model coach.  The Patriots' players have been the epitome of class.  Has this all been just an illusion, a PR coup?  Or is it another example of the media building something up only to tear it down?

Regarding the Johnson situation, one thing that keeps coming back to mind is the time when Tedy Bruschi came back after suffering a stroke.  Kraft was asked whether he would make Bruschi sign a waiver.  Kraft said "no, that's not the way we do things around here."  He got a lot of credit for being a humane owner in a league full of mercenaries.  It will be interesting to see what Kraft does about the situation.

Belichick subpoena

Well, at least one person seems to have seen Bill Belichick out of his gray hooded sweatshirt. 

New England's favorite mad genius has some legal headaches.  Apparently, he is being called to testify at a deposition in a divorce proceeding.  Some boxes full of cash sent by Belichick to Sharon Shenocca have turned up, and her husband, who is divorcing her, is mighty curious why Billy boy is sending money to his wife.  He's also curious why she traveled to the Super Bowl in Houston as a guest of Belichick.

Now, I love the guy.  He's probably the greatest coach in the history of the NFL.  But I must say, when you go to such efforts to be devoid of personality and surly to the media, there is bound to be some schadenfreude when this kind of thing happens.  Some people might even make jokes.

I, for one, would like to know how the same guy who can disguise the blitz packages that fool Peyton Manning could not disguise his own package...of money. 

Anyway, Bill, you might as well just go fess up.  Trust me, nobody will give a damn one year from now when the Patriots are gearing up for the Super Bowl.

Heartbreaker

The Colts beat the Patriots, 38-34.  The Pats were had the game won for 59 minutes and just could not finish the game.  Everyone will do their retrospective recrimination.  Here are my critical moments leading to this heartbreaking loss:

• Patriots' losses to the Jets (at home) and Dolphins.  Had the Pats found a way to win either of these regular season games, the Pats would have been 13-3 in the regular season.  The Pats would have been the #3 seed in the AFC.  The Colts would have been the ones who had to play San Diego, and the AFC Championship would have been at Gillette Stadium.  The Colts on the road in the cold are not the same team.
• During this game, with the Pats ahead 21-3 and marching, a completion to Watson was called back on a Troy Brown offensive pass interference penalty that had no effect on the play.  The next play was an illegal shift penalty, then a sack.  But for that Troy Brown penalty, the Pats would likely have gone up 28-3 and the Colts would have been completely deflated.
• With about 3 minutes left in the game and the Pats up 34-31, Heath Evans gets called for 12 men in the huddle.  The Pats move the ball 11 yards and have to punt.  One -- just one -- first down and the Pats probably win the game.

End of the day, Peyton Manning won the game because he's a great quarterback.  He made some unbelieveable passes in the clutch.  The Colts will beat the Bears, get a ring, and Manning will never have to deal with accusations of being "Mr. October" again.

Time for Pats fans to start talking off-season acquisitions.  But this game really hurts because the Pats were one minute away from another Super Bowl and they let it slip away.

Another Super Bowl?

I posted before that the New England-San Diego matchup was this year's Super Bowl.  I just cannot see any of the remaining teams beating New England.

The reason no one ever picks the Patriots is that even now, after three championships, the pundits still look at all the flash and do not put enough stock in good coaching and smart players who do not fold under pressure.

Belichick plays chess, not checkers.  It would not shock me to learn that during the Indy-New England regular season matchup, the Patriots did not show Indy their entire arsenal because they knew they would meet Indy again in the playoffs.  (After the Indy game, my reaction was that New England got outcoached.  Since New England never gets outcoached, I'm going with my conspiracy theory.)

This is starting to feel like the 2001 season.  This is going to be fun.

P-A-T-S!!!

Patriots win!

What an amazing game!  It was a classic New England victory, with the Patriots coming up with the clutch play when they needed it.  Matt Light shut down Shawne Merriman.  Troy Brown made an unbelievable strip on an intercepted pass to save the game.  On their last gasp, Brady was fearless, making a 49-yard pass to Reche Caldwell.  Rookie Gostkowski made two clutch kicks.  LaDainian Tomlinson got some yards, but was contained down the stretch.

On to Indianapolis.  Now the Pats travel to Indy to add another chapter to Manning's playoff misery!   

In case anyone is wondering, "Martyball" is alive and well.  Hey Marty:  when you had eight seconds left and were forced to try a 54-yard field goal, did you wish you had that extra timeout you wasted on that hopeless review of Troy Brown's strip?  All of that talk about Marty focusing on "game management," and when the moment came for Marty to manage the game, he choked. 

Belichick outcoached Marty in a big way.  In the first half, it was clear that the Chargers had faster, stronger, more talented players.  But the Pats outplayed them in the clutch.  Colvin made a huge interception.  Watson broke up an interception.  Matt Light made a clutch fumble recovery.  And Belichick came up with the perfect game plan against a more talented team.

(In the post-game interview, LaDainian Tomlinson blasted the Patriots for doing Shawne Merriman's trademark dance in the middle of the Chargers' lawn after the game.  LT said of the Patriots, "they have no class...and maybe it comes from their head coach."  Boo hoo.  Scoreboard, baby!)

B-More D-Bacle

The Colts beat the Ravens, 15-6.  So much for my prediction.  (My blog is called "Errant Thoughts" for a reason.)  But in the post-game interview, they asked Peyton Manning what he thought about the claims that the Colts are soft.  Manning replied, "that talk's got to stop...I don't know what else we can do."

How about a Super Bowl, pretty boy Peyton?  (How about more than one TD pass in two games, Petunia Manning?)

Still, I will eat some crow.  I predicted a 27-21 win by the Ravens.  I was wrong.  I thought Patricia Manning & Co. would score three TDs.  They scored none.

I put too much faith in the Ravens' offense, and probably overestimated the Colts' offense as well.  Let's hope for another Patriots-Colts showdown in the AFC championship.

The hero of the game was Adam Vinatieri, with five FGs.  Pats fans still have to love Adam.  He won two Super Bowls with last second FGs, and when the Pats wouldn't grossly overpay him, he further helped that Pats by eating up an inordinate amount of the Colts' cap room.  You Pats fans who booed him should be ashamed of yourselves.  Two words:  Snow Bowl.