CHEATERS!

This is pretty much a straight cut and paste job from a message board I just posted on, but for posterity's sake, I'll slap it here, too. Of course, the topic of the day is how underhanded and shameful the Patriots are.

It's actually a pretty big offense. Video-taping the opposition's defensive signals, reviewing the cameras and photographs related to those signals after each play (which all teams can do, except for the part where they've stolen signals), then memorizing those signals to get a leg up and know what the opposition is doing at all times. Really, it is no different than if Tim Donaghy was on the Jets' sideline. I really don't see any difference at all. There's actually a written NFL rule against such a thing. The Patriots are expected to be docked draft picks, which is fine, but I really think Belichick should be suspended for at least one game, as well as fined, if only because there needs to be some sort of immediate penalty against Belichick & Co. Especially since we already know that the Patriots are a crafty enough organization that they'll be able to reacquire draft picks from some sucker team for practically nothing. Or why not perhaps take away the Pats' cameras altogether for a game and see how they deal with that? Imagine trying to make adjustments on both sides of the ball against the freaking Chargers, of all teams, with no camera? It'd be a hopeless effort.

The integrity of competition is thrown into disrepute with this indiscretion. That's bad. Very bad. I wonder how much denial Bill Simmons is mired in.