why does congress want to look into"spygate"?

Hijinx

I doubt that Specter cares the Eagles lost. Comcast cable, who is in a big lawsuit with the NFL, has given somewhere between 200,000 and 500,000 dollars to Specter though his PAC funds. I get the feeling that he is using Spygate to threaten NFL's antitrust, thus putting pressure to settle the lawsuit with Comcast.

skinsguy

It isn't a crime? So, if you're going to spend hundreds of dollars to watch a pro football game, don't you expect for the game to be decided fair and square? Wouldn't you feel cheated if you found out that the opponent was involved in illegal activity to gain an advantage over your favorite team instead of playing them fair and square? I would. If I want to go see sports entertainment, I'll go see the WWE. But pro football is supposed to be a real competition between two teams consisting of professional players. If cheating is starting to become a non-issue in sports, then how far away are we from having predetermined outcomes? I personally think it's great that somebody is keeping things in check in order for us fans, as consumers, to get our money's worth.

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djnemo65

Of course I am mad that they cheated, I just think it's up to the NFL to deal with it. You haven't convinced me in any way that this is a congressional matter.

Daseal

I will say this about the spygate scandal. Why on earth did Goodell a) order the tapes destroyed. b) tell the Patriots to destroy them and not oversee the process.

I can't fathom why these tapes don't get locked in say a safety deposit box, or somewhere on lockdown at NFL films. You don't want folks getting into them, but I feel it's important to keep the evidence around. At least for a year or two.

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mooby

That would've been the right thing to do Daseal, but I get the feeling Goodell just wanted it to be over. Personally I'm glad Congress is looking into this, because if Goodell tried to cover this up to help the Patriots then action needs to be taken. I don't like knowing that another team cheated because "every team is supposed to have an even playing field." If there was more stuff being hidden behind the scenes that gets uncovered I want to see harsher penalties.

onlydarksets

Congress gave the NFL an exemption worth billions of dollars. How is it not their business if the NFL is knowingly allowing cheating?

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724Skinsfan

I don't thik it would be more of a case of Goodell helping the Patriots but rather Goodell helping the image of the league. Imagine the scandal if it became known that the Patriots cheated their way into four Super Bowls. Better to make sure no one sees those tapes then have to deal with tempermental fans.

Not my personal belief, I thought I'd provide a jagilotral point of view.

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djnemo65

How are they allowing cheating? They gave the Patriots the most severe punishment in the history of the league. One team breaking a league rule is not the same as a league-wide conspiracy to fix games and defraud fans.

I just think a lot of people need to calm down on this, starting with Specter.

GusFrerotte

That is funny, the US is headed into finincial oblivion and these fools in DC care more about roids or taping signals. Whatever is coming our way in '09(another market crash, etc) we will deserve. The disaster that is impending should get their full attention. Steroids or cheating is inconsequential to what we are facing as a nation.

onlydarksets

That's the point - the NFL said that was it, but now it appears that one incident is not the extent of it. Congress wants to make sure they are getting their money's worth. There's nothing wrong with that.

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Stuck in TX

Yeah, yeah... the USA in going to hell in a handbasket but this is not a political site. What really sucks is that Goddell admits to seeing the tapes, admits it was illegal, admits that the Pats have been cheating since 2000, but has destroyed the tapes. Pretty much, we all know they cheated but there is nothing that can be done because there is no proof. The only thing left to do is be really angry and just wait to see how "great" of a coach Bilicheck really is.

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djnemo65

I respect you guys' opinion on this, I just think that, barring some sort of egregious conspiracy, it is up to the NFL to police itself. Maybe they should have been less secretive with the evidence but that's still not the same as a harboring a systematic conspiracy to allow cheating.

I don't have a problem with congress investigating in theory. I think they have time to deal with both this and more substantive matters as well. I just question whether intervention is warranted given the circumstances.

One league complicitely allowing roided-up players to smash records and fill stadiums for 20 years is a far cry from another destroying some tapes.

Stuck in TX

yeah, the NFL's got nothing on the MLB when it comes to controversy. I feel sorry for the fans of that sport.

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