Bill Billichick Caught Back Thru 2000?

I wrote this blog entry in the last week of November, 2007, when "spy gate" just came out. However, it is still a relivant article today, so I have reposted, in light of the Patriots' coach getting busted again. Here is the blog (below):


Anyone regular football fan, most experts, and the whole fantasy football world was waiting and in wonder of what was going to happen to the "Tape Gate" scenario. When Bill Bilichick and other coaches (and/or helpers) were caught red handed filming other teams defensive signals, matching them up to audio, and basically providing a complete defensive game plan, week in and week out, for the upcoming opponent. Which is a decisive and pre-planned violation of NFL and let's be frank, any sports rules. [This is not a major league baseball player signaling signs from second base to a batter, or a coach from the dugout trying to recognize steal, bunt, and hit and run signs from a third base coach during a game]. Chris Collinsworth, a who is a blow hard and an analyst for NBC Football, usually touting older players and going back to his own glory days, BUT he had one of the most concise and accurate statements on this Bilichick and Patriots problem. He went on to say, on "Sunday Night NBC FOOTBALL" at the half, "Usually, if you have cheated and got caught once, it is not your first time!" However, there is not any proof of that, and I am sure that nay proof of any cheating, or as Bilichick himself called it "I did not know that it was breaking the rules, and I was just unaware of the policies."

Now let's fast forward to the middle of the week and the Wednesday and Thursday press conferences, after the penalties to the Patriots have been passed down. The penalties are Goodell's penalty: The maximum fine for Bilichick was appropriate. The loss of a first-round draft pick was appropriate. A $250,000 fine for Robert Kraft. The money, especially now that Bilichick was just handed a new contract making him a Patriot thru 2013, and anyone can bet that it is a contract laden with millions of dollars, perks and other incentive laden moneys. One of the bigger jokes was what owner Robert Kraft said about the "PatriotGate" cheating, in one of the only live interviews with him aired on the Patriots vs. Chargers game on NBC NFL Tonight Half-time show. Kraft stated when asked if any other penalties and/or discussions will be happening between him and Bilichick, "I am so sorry that something like this happened, but we will handle this internally." He should have just said, we are keeping it all under wraps, not speaking about it, and don't bother asking.

Back to the Bilichick genius in all of this. Before the Bilichick scandal broke "officially," Bill was 100% quoted as saying, "I will give a full and complete press conference to answer any and all questions about any impropriety, that the Patriots staff, or I, have committed." However, when the time came on Wednesday and Thursday, after the Roger Goodell laughable fines were handed down. The Bilichick press conferences were not filled with all the answers that the media clamored for and what the NFL fans of the world wanted. Instead, Mr. Bilichick went back on his word and did not answer the questions he vowed to answer, after the Goodell meetings and the investigation was done. Which is not surprising for someone who was caught cheating and lied about it, stating that "He felt that he had just misunderstood the rules." Which was a complete joke and was insulting, but what could anyone do about it? Instead of answering those questions he promised, he went ahead giving a different rendition of the same answer: "We are putting this behind us, and we are focusing on the Chargers. We are moving forward to the Chargers game this week, and this behind us." Ultimately, if you are caught cheating red handed Bilichick, a person may as well become a liar, as well. However, he was not lying to just lie. Instead, he just stonewalled reporters and analysts, to squelch the whole situation.

The morality and ethics of the Bill Bilichick and cohorts is more than questionable and the actual "PatriotGate" scandal is not over, due to Goodell asking of more tapes to be handed over, the overall goals and responsibility of a coach is to protect and prepare his player and WIN! By Bilichick's not answering any questions on the scandal and cheating, he bought himself a complete four day free of media time period before the Charger game. Enough time for the Patriots to prepare, study, and get ready for the crushing of the San Diego Chargers, one of only two other real threats to the Patriots winning and getting home field advantage with the playoffs, the other team being the Colts (at least on paper).

Knowing Bilichick can stand all of the criticism's from the coaches, players, analysts and the Jerry Jones' of the world, and if Robert Kraft will continue to stand in the way of all of the true bullets for Bilichick and the Patriots organization, then there will not be anything but wins in the future for the Patriots players. The Patriot players who are the real victims if they did not know about the filming and were just taking the signals from the coaching staff. However, this also plays back into the Bilichick genius, whether the players knew about he situation, or not, is irrelevant because they all benefited from information. The organization has become the cornerstone and dynasty of the last 8 years: based on good recruiting, solid players being brought into the fold and believing in the schemes (no pun intended) while letting the soon to be cap guzzling stars go, from great coaching, and now possibly from knowing at least some, possibly the majority of all of what the defenses were coming after them. Either way, Bill Bilichick and the New England Patriots, the team NFL fans either love or hate with no middle ground, methodically dismantle the NFL. A team with a coach, whether ethical and/or moral, or not, cares about nothing but winning. Which is what makes Bill Bilichick the genius coach of the NFL. In the NFL, every coach, player, and owner are only judged on wins and losses. Stats may make the Chad Johnsons and Terrell Owens of the NFL entertaining, getting them endorsements, and selling their jerseys. However, if you ask Dan Marino who never won a Super Bowl ring and John Elway who won a ring after multiple heartbreaking losses, which they would rather have (the records, statistics, and/or Hall of Fame votes), or to win a Super Bowl, all those that have never won a Super Bowl all say that the void is never filled. Love him, or hate him, Bill Bilichick has won those Super Bowl rings, and has made a dynasty that has not been rivaled in almost 20 years.

Maybe this is another year for Super Bowl win and another ring for the Patriots, it is to early to tell. However, in an NFL week where the Patriots should have been constantly bombarded with questions, distractions, and should have been off of there game plan. They instead circled the wagons, starting with Bilichick not answering any questions on Wednesday. Then the players before and after practice on Thursday and Friday, all responded in unison to the "PatriotGate" problem with the same, it is behind us and you can talk to coach about it, but no comment from me. Finally, it came down to game day, and the San Diego Chargers, a 14-2 team last year and the game was to be a preview of the possible AFC representative to the Super Bowl. Instead, thru all of the hype and the Patriots organization getting caught red handed, cheating for at least the past three years, there is no loss. In complete contrast, Bilichick plays the media, the analysts, leads his team and the organization thru the hell of the last week, to completely thump the Chargers 38-14. Now does anyone not think that Bilichick has his game on, and is not possibly one of the best coaches (not the best people, or moral/ethical people) that the NFL scene has had in a long while? In a culture where winners are celebrated and get second, third and sometimes fourth chances, there is no wonder why the Bill Bilichick era is here to stay and with it will come wins and rings.

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