New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was hit with a $500,000 fine late last week for videotaping the New York Jets' defensive signals in their season opener. The team was also fined an additional $250,000 and will lose its first round draft pick next year if (or better, when) they make the playoffs.
Unreil.
As a Patriots fan I am shocked and terrified. I did some serious soul-searching when I heard the news, trying to piece together what this would mean for my cherished Pats. My conclusions were pretty dire.
First I came to the horrible realization that Bill Belichick will have slightly less money. Just as I imagined it, a downtrodden Belichick arrived at Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers in a ratty old sweatshirt and a dirty pair of warm-up pants. Clearly distracted, Belichick was unable to even smile in the third quarter after wide receiver Randy Moss scored his second touchdown of the game, giving the Pats a meager 31-7 lead. With all of his financial hardships weighing heavy on his mind, Belichick figures to be half the coach he has been in the past.
Next, I thought of the $250,000 the team would be losing. Commissioner Roger Goodell may have gone a bit too far here. Tedy Bruschi, Randall Gay, Mike Vrabel and many other key players are entering free agency in 2008. This massive fine will clearly affect the Patriots tradition of rewarding important, veteran players with lucrative contracts. How are the Patriots supposed to compete when they cannot hold onto their players?
Lastly, New England will forfeit one of their two first-round draft choices (the second they received from San Francisco in a draft day deal) if they reach the playoffs. New England needs all the help it can get in this department, as the Pats are notoriously bad drafters. With only one first-round draft pick in 2008, the future of the franchise is in jeopardy. I mean, a lot of diehard Patriots fans may point to Tom Brady (sixth round), Deion Branch (second round), Asante Samuel (fourth round) and Randall Gay (undrafted free agent) and say this isn't a huge deal. Those people are wrong.
All this brings us to Sunday. The Patriots hit the field to take on AFC rival San Diego and, unable to cheat, figure to be stomped. I'm freaking out of course, because this very game could signal the end of a great run of football here in New England. San Diego is home to LaDanian Tomlinson, the consensus number-one pick in everyone's fantasy draft, and the prolific Charger offense. On the other side of the ball, the Patriots would be forced to deal with Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman, a fellow cheater and standout linebacker. Imagine my surprise then, when the Patriots, instead of struggling, looked as solid as they've been in years.
New England's defense held Tomlinson to only 43 yards on 18 carries and intercepted quarterback Phillip Rivers twice. The Chargers managed only 201 total yards, falling behind 24-0. More importantly, the Patriots offense, even without cheating, was fantastic. In his typical fashion, Tom Brady hit seven different receivers, the last one a completion, under heavy pressure ... to five years in the future, to his unborn son. Amazing. Laurence Maroney had no idea what defensive scheme his opponents would be running, but somehow averaged five yards a carry, as did his good friend Sammy Morris.
In Week 1, the Patriots cheated and beat the New York Jets 38-14. In week 2, the Patriots stopped cheating and beat the San Diego Chargers 38-14. I am going to be bold here, and also daring. The Patriots will end the season undefeated, having won all their games 38-14. Bill Belichick will bring the remaining portion of his 2007 salary to the post-Super Bowl festivities, in one-dollar bills.
You get the idea.
Shane Reil '09: 38. World: 14.
