Yeah.

I can’t stand the Patriots & you can and this conversation has gotten beyond stupid so I say if only for the other reader’s sake we call it a truce and just move on.

Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants
Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
Romeo Crennel, Cleveland Browns
Eric Mangini, New York Jets
Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins
Al Groh, University of Virginia
Charlie Weis, University of Notre Dame

(there are others, and offshoots like Nick Saban who worked for Belichick in Cleveland). I’m not making blanket accusations here, but it seems like the ‘big three’ who turned the competitive advantage of taping signals into HUGE paydays are first and foremost Charlie Weiss, then Romeo Crennel, and Eric Mangini (who absolutely knew what was happening and is the one who eventually squawked on Belichick).

Perhaps the reason the NFL wants this to go away isn’t so much that it’s SO widespread among EVERY team, but that it’s so widespread amongst these disciples of Bill Parcells who is still a LUMINARY figure in the sport. I’m very surprised never to find this even hinted at in the media – and I suppose it’s because Parcells is such a sacred cow.

How hard is it to believe that Belichick wasn’t the innovator of this system? How hard is it to believe that other coaches (people like Herm Edwards, Tony Dungy and Mike Martz) refuse to really put the dagger in when talking about the scandal, because there’s not only a code amongst these guys – but that few people want to be the ones who bring down living legends… ?

The Royals are still my favorite baseball team for god’s sake, and their big accomplishment last season was that they didn’t lose 100 games.

I’m simply not closed minded enough to think that I can only cheer for one team.

(And about the insults, comment number 45 was pure insult and instigation. Pretty childish if you ask me.)