Spy-gate

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by Riverman, Feb 23, 2008.

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  1. Riverman

    Riverman That may be.... Tip Jar Donor

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    You guys are joking I realize- but if that perception were to gain momentum there could be disastrous financial results for the NFL and those downstream of the revenue it creates.

    IMO, that is what drives league officials and Goodell to do everything they possibly can to thwart any suggestion that there is anything other than fair play in the league. I personally think Goodell has very poor judgement in what he believes the scope of his power as commissioner allows him to do. Yes- he miscalculated in Spy-gate. I hope he (and the league) get what they deserve. I don't want to just "bury" the story and move on.
     
  2. SEC 330 BIPOLAR

    SEC 330 BIPOLAR jive turkey

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    dg1979us, I think it is in the national interest to keep the league free from corruption and scandal. It's America's game and that's special in a way. I don't think the Senator was in any fashion acting out of the way with his inquiry. He may have acted at the urging of his constituents for all I know. In these uncertain times we live in it's just good for the morale of the country for such things to be looked after. The NFL is probaly second only to Jesus with American Idol following a close third in terms of uniting people. You know, the economy is ****, unemployment is rising.. people who have jobs can't get there for the cost of gasoline... the nation is at war.. on two fronts and crime and violence are prevelant. I think America deserves a level playing field in professional sports. It's one of the few things that can actually be controlled.
     
  3. dg1979us

    dg1979us Pro Bowler

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    All of the reasons you mentioned, are exactly why I dont feel that this should be a government issue. It's trivial. If the owners who have a financial interest in the game, and the fans, who spend money on the game, cant demand it gets investigated and worked out, then why should the government? Especially when, like you mentioned, there are a lot of real life things going on in the world right now. Kind of hard to really get into since we cant delve into politics, but we will just agree to disagree. We obviously just have a different interpretation of what role the government should play in society, and we cant really get into that on this board, so we should probably just leave it at agreeing to disagree.
     
  4. Alex1939

    Alex1939 Space Invaders Champion

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  5. SEC 330 BIPOLAR

    SEC 330 BIPOLAR jive turkey

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    '79

    Well actually you can delve into that on this mb just not in this particular forum. There is a forum reserved for mature topics with very little moderation for those who make an conscious effort to view by request..

    Have you thought about what this means to organized gambling? I mean the kind that is 100% legal. If it turned out Pro Football was no more legitimate than Pro Wrestling wouldn't people be outraged that the potential existed for certain parties who controlled the odds to make a tremendous fortune? With known outcomes or even knowledge of unfair advantage gambling houses could turn more than their even bid odds profits. What if something led back to The NFL's New York office that indicated those in high position and authority in the NFL knew what was going on and was on the bribe payroll? I'm not a lawyer but I'm quite sure that if that were the case that many federal statues would be broken. Besides, I'm not suggesting that Congress call a joint session and debate legislation. It's just that I see no harm in one public official acting on behalf of the calls he's receiving in his office...

    Also, let us not forget that the NFL is symbolic of America. It's not trivial. If it was trivial we would not have USAF jets flying over prior to kickoff... nearly simultaneously each Sunday afternoon. Do you have any idea what kind of money those sorties must cost the average American taxpayer? :greedy: Yep. That's right. Those flyovers are your tax dollars at work. What of those seats reserved for the Armed Services personnel? The NFL has become a stage for our military whether we like it or not. I mean what I said about the morale of the country and all that. It would look really bad if it turned out that our precious gridiron was no more real than a figment of Tennessee Williams imagination if you know what I'm saying. So, no... don't give me any of that weak b.s. about not being able to mention Uncle Sam or Jesus.
     
  6. Riverman

    Riverman That may be.... Tip Jar Donor

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    The talking heads are going full throttle to dismiss the significance of the signal stealing. In all honesty, the points they make are valid- the advantage is only as good as the execution. However, the advantage is very real. There can be no denying by anyone that knowing the defensive signals positively contributed to the Patriots winning more games.

    This whole situation could have been avoided if Goodell had a sitdown with Arlon Specter that was satisfactory to a U.S. Senator. But Goodell chose to conduct his "kangaroo court" investigation (no offense Gunny :) ) rather than offer full disclosure to a friggin U.S. Senator. Just another example IMO, of where Goodell's giant ego interferes with what is in the best interest of the league.

    The government has always been involved in regulating business in America. The reason their involvement is valid in Spy-gate IMO is due the extreme monetary effects the loss of public faith in the product (and past effects).

    The appearance of a lack of FULL disclosure damages the public's faith that there is fair play in the NFL. League officials that "blow off" the public's representative as distinguished as a U.S. Senator do NOT instill confidence that the league's intention is to maintain what is IN THE PUBLIC'S best interest, but rather it suggests the league is interested in methods that maintain what is IN THE LEAGUE'S best interest.
     
  7. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    I have no doubt the Pats have been doing this as long as Belichick has been head coach. You don't continuously do something you know illegal without there being a huge benefit in doing it.
     
  8. dg1979us

    dg1979us Pro Bowler

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    The league is not anywhere near the level of pro wrestling for one. Two, Goodell did issue a punishment and had it stopped. Maybe you didnt agree with the punishment, but the Patriots were given unprecedented fines and the loss of a first round pick.

    And yes, its trivial, its entertainment. The jets flying over is cool, but yes, it is a waste of tax payers dollars. The troops at games is nothing more than a gesture of kindness and a show of appreciation by the teams and the league and has nothing to do with the government.

    And I am by no means saying there shouldnt be an investigation. I am saying, the owners should demand the investigation, not the government. And where does it stop? When the Colts or Titans are accused of pumping noise into the stadium, should Spector investigate that? If not, why not? Cheating is cheating. If a team is alleged to have worn spikes that arent regulation, should congress get involved?

    And lastly, lets please not act like Spector is doing this for any reason other than himself. One of his biggest donors is Comcast, which is based out of Pennsylvania. Comcast and the league have been at odds over the price of the NFL network, and also Sunday ticket given exclusively to direct TV. If you really wanna know why Spector is doing this, that is your answer. Its about campaign donations, nothing more, nothing less.
     
  9. Riverman

    Riverman That may be.... Tip Jar Donor

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    I have no doubt that Specter's involvement is political in nature- but it is a inaccurate to state that he is only interested in the issue as a "payback" to his donating constituency. I apparently don't have Specter's donation data as you do- but I would venture to say that Comcast has donated to MANY federal public officials currently in office. Where are they if this is nothing more or less than campaign contributions?

    I'll come back to 2 major points because I think that is the crux of this issue from a PR standpoint.

    1. Why destroy the tapes if there is nothing to them?
    2. This escalation could have been avoided if Goodell had fully disclosed the issue with Specter from the start. He has continued to operate a "shell game" when it comes to providing the information the Senator requested.
     
  10. dg1979us

    dg1979us Pro Bowler

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    "Comcast has paid Spector at least $153,600 in “donations” going back to 1989. I say at least because Spector’s biggest source of campaign contributions has been law/lobbying firm Blank Rome –COMCAST’S LOBBYING FIRM –who has given him $358, 483 – not to mention having raised millions more at fundraisers for this “honest” politician."


    http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/n...ce-tom-brady-to-testify-before-the-us-senate/


    And yes, Goodell handled it poorly. On that we agree. But IMO the owners should be the people holding him accountable, not Arlen Spector.
     
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