Specter wants Mitchell like investigation..

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Specter wants Mitchell-like investigation

Associated Press



Updated: May 14, 2008, 12:05 PM EST


Sen. Arlen Specter wants an independent investigation of the <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = FSTL /><FSTL:CATEGORYLINK categoryId="67054">Patriots</FSTL:CATEGORYLINK>' taping of opposing coaches' signals similar to the Mitchell Report on performance enhancing drugs in baseball.

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Specter again criticized the league's handling of the investigation and threatened the possibility of revoking the NFL's antitrust exemption during a news conference Wednesday. The senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee met with former New England video assistant Matt Walsh a day earlier.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell indicated he considered the investigation over after meeting with Walsh on Tuesday.

"Everybody pooh-poohs it," Specter said. "It's ridiculous to make that kind of contention."

Specter, from Pennsylvania, cited the fact a <FSTL:CATEGORYLINK categoryId="67054">Patriots</FSTL:CATEGORYLINK> attorney sat in on Walsh's meeting with Goodell as proof the investigation has not been impartial.

He repeated his disapproval of Goodell's decision to destroy the notes and tapes confiscated during the initial investigation last fall.

"That sequence is incomprehensible," Specter said. "It's an insult to the intelligence of the people who follow it."

If the NFL condones cheating, Specter said, it encourages others to cheat.
"They owe the public a lot more candor and a lot more credibility," he said.
 
Seriously who gives a fuck? Its a sport. Its a game. Its for entertainment. Jesus christ
 
People care because they cheated.

The reason the NFL can do what they do with things like TV deals and the like is because congress gives them an anti-trust exemption. But if the NFL won't police itself and lets teams defraud the public then congress can take away this protection and let the NFL can become the WWF, er WWE.

Patriots = cheaters.
 
Oh, also, I don't like tax dollars being spent on this either. I think they should do the investigation and send the bill to the NFL because the NFL wouldn't do the job right in the first place.
 
this is crazy stupid. Leave it to the leading Republican left in the senate to get all riled up over the NFL. dick

cheating? they still physically caught all those passes and made all those tackles. How much could they have really cheated. Will all the digging and bullshit hearings really make a difference. move the fuck on.
 
Joe Public said:
Oh, also, I don't like tax dollars being spent on this either. I think they should do the investigation and send the bill to the NFL because the NFL wouldn't do the job right in the first place.
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Exactly. The NFL refused to do the right thing and had two chances to do it. I love all the people claiming that this was not instrumental in New England's success over the last seven years.

How do you explain three Super Bowl victories by three points?

If they were so good why did they feel the need to do this?

Why are the most outraged about this situation, the former players, wrong?

Explain the unprecedented success of a coach who was a miserable failure for five years in Cleveland which coincided with a QB that couldn't even start in college.


If you can refute all of these points then maybe I'll believe Spygate was nothing.

You have to be out of your mind if believe this is a small issue and don't start being a complete tool by bringing up their 2007 team. That team was radically different than anything they previously had. Far more talented.
 
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MusicCityGambler said:
Exactly. The NFL refused to do the right thing and had two chances to do it. I love all the people claiming that this was not instrumental in New England's success over the last seven years.

How do you explain three Super Bowl victories by three points?
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The same way they were explained before Spygate.

MusicCityGambler said:
If they were so good why did they feel the need to do this?
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Why did Clemens and Bonds feel the need to do steroids? Why did Tiger Woods completely change his swing after winning the Tiger Slam? Just because you're great doesn't mean you don't feel you can be even better. But it also doesn't mean you really weren't great in the first place and your accomplishments are just a charade.

MusicCityGambler said:
Why are the most outraged about this situation, the former players, wrong?
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What former players are showing outrage? I see all the outrage coming from Specter, portions of the media, and fans (mainly in Pennsylvania).

MusicCityGambler said:
Explain the unprecedented success of a coach who was a miserable failure for five years in Cleveland which coincided with a QB that couldn't even start in college.
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What coach since Paul Brown hasn't been a miserable failure in Cleveland?

How did Mike Shanahan go from a failure in Oakland to a genius in Denver?

Belichek still comes with an independent track record as a defensive genius working under Parcells in New York and New England.

And Brady started two years at Michigan according to Wikipedia and was no stiff:

"Brady battled for the number one quarterback position with Drew Henson and ultimately started every game in the 1998 and 1999 seasons under Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. During his first full year as starter, he set Michigan records for most pass attempts (350) and completions in a season (214). Brady was All-Big Ten (honorable mention) both seasons and team captain his senior year. The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when he started and shared the Big Ten Conference title in 1998. Brady capped that season off with a win over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl. In the 1999 season, Brady led Michigan to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl over Alabama, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns. He is ranked third in the University of Michigan history with 442 completions from 710 attempts."

The fact is the Pats broke an NFL rule, they got caught, and they got punished. Any complaints at this point are about investigative procedures or the perceived value of the information acquired. The NFL has already made their decisions about those matters. It's up to somebody else to prove they are wrong. Whining that the NFL needs to act is ridiculous. They've already acted.
 
Gandolf said:
The fact is the Pats broke an NFL rule, they got caught, and they got punished. Any complaints at this point are about investigative procedures or the perceived value of the information acquired. The NFL has already made their decisions about those matters. It's up to somebody else to prove they are wrong. Whining that the NFL needs to act is ridiculous. They've already acted.
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Fair enough, but the 'punishment' was a joke. I'm sure the Patriots feel like the ends justified the means. Surely you can understand why the Niffel would want to sweep this under the rug.

The Patriots cheated for seven years. They should be punished for seven years. 15-20% cap hit for that time period and this situation would have been old news.
 
and if you want to know why Specter is so aggressively pursuing this still, it all comes down to one word:

Comcast
 
it is more than just comcast.

it also comes down to the same old bullshit politics stuff. Republicans hate massachussetts but love the state of texas. The democrats went after roger clemens .... so like the democrats and republicans often do ... they have to go after the Boston area team. Good for the goose ... good for the gander after all.

I have no problem with either investigation. Keep the sports clean ... so that i can make the most informed decisions with my money as possible on these games without there being a predetermined outcome ( see WWE or MAC cfb games, delahoya vs trinidad, soccer scandal across the ocean , russian tennis matches etc etc ).
 
kyle- I think you hit the nail on the head. The Patriots represent Massachusetts, and I despise the politics of that state. While most teams don't really represent a political persuasion there is no doubt that the Patriots personify the left. Of course I don't hate them for that reason, but it certainly makes it easier for a right-winged individual to dislike them for the reasons you mentioned.
 
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