ToGoGo

I think Rivers is Brady's ceiling without cheating.

Why are the same 3 or 4 Bills fan so vehemently playing devil's advocate for the Patriots? It's pretty obvious what's going on. I hope your intentions are pure, there's one guy earlier in this thread I'd bet money is a secret Pats fan. By the way, notice the clamp down on information since the NFL stepped in. No reports, no sources talking, nothing. Shadiness all around.

To keep this thought experiment going, even though they didn't need to forfeit, think of how it affected Chiefs in terms of game day preparation. The stress, the lack of warming up, the disruption of game day habits. The game might not have been so close. Makes you raise your eyebrows.

Thank you. This just happens every time they're caught. First, there's ridicule on the accusers. Then people question the competitive advantage. And then people wonder what's so bad about it. It happened during every scandal. It's classic gaslighting. Like we're the crazy ones. And even worse, we're the dumb ones who should be smart and cheating like them! Even if it all ends here and nothing more ever comes out, these are the people we're supposed to look back on and worship as the GOATs? Just checked. No mention of the Patriots anywhere near the front page of ESPN. The top Patriots thread on NFL Reddit is about Belichick commenting on social media. The clean up job has begun.

The point is where it fits into the greater scheme of things. Nothing is off limits to these people. Nothing is beneath them. Every possible shady advantage they take. They're called "scumbags" where I'm from. And I keep waiting for more and more to come out.

Consider this before dismissing: Are any other teams around the league known for doing this type of thing or going to these lengths? What does it say about the organization that they are given the OK to go through the dirty laundry and garbage (!) in order to look for scraps? What kind of reputation do they have around the league for these types of actions? Think of the paranoia you need to have in order to NOT have something stolen from you. Take shredders with you on the road?! Why are Bills fans defending these people? This is just the tip of the iceberg coming to light. Ever been to a spy store? Do people really believe this ends here?

It's very dirty. Very ugly. Despicable organization. Like rats.

Haha front offices. I assume everyone understands my abbreviations when I've been drinking.

Love it. It really feels like it this time. You know what would put the final nail in the coffin? One more scandal to come out right now.

Go on social media. Tag corporate accounts. Every major organization monitors social media. It has more influence than you can possibly imagine. Speaking from experience. Even if only a couple people like it, a well placed post or tweet can reach the highest executives. These tweets from Rappaport and the like talking about weak punishments are a test. They want to see the social media response. If it's weak they will go ahead with it. If there is heavy backlash, they will reconvene. They are doing everything in their power right now trying to sweep this under the rug. They are having midnight meetings as I type this trying to figure out how to make this blow over. The more outraged the NFL fans are, the more their hand will be forced. The more dejected we are, the more likely they will move ahead with no punishments.

It's all been said in this thread so far. But I will add this. There are a lot of dejected fans here talking about "well, it doesn't matter, the NFL will just sweep it under the rug". Remember that the power is in the fan's hands. There are millions of us, and only a few dozen decision-makers, if even. If we rise up, Goodell is gone. Kraft is gone, Etc. When will we stop being doormats? Make your voice heard. Demand action! What is this self-defeatist crap?

There are lots of losing coaches who still have the respect of the players. What in the world do these FOs see in Gase?

For a show that, let's be honest, nobody is going to watch. "The day in the life of an advanced scout". Not worth the risk.

It makes sense. Coming off a loss to the Texans on prime time where Brady looked finished. Bills breathing down their neck for the division. Knowing they might lose to the Chiefs. Dalton is back which means the Bengals are a bit tougher to play. I doubt this is the only trick they had up their sleeve for filming teams. Again, McDermott escorted Belichick's son off the field just a month or two ago. Many ways to skin a cat.

Right. That would explain why they "forgot" to inform the Bengals. The Bengals would never agree to it. And again the optics of it. If this was truly an innocent blunder (and my God what an innocent blunder), choose two teams who you don't play this year.

OK, let's put it like this. 1. How many other organizations go to road games with a camera crew in tow filming the sidelines? Is this a normal practice? 2. Why would the Patriots even risk something like this considering their reputation? Think from the perspective of a PR department or even the legal department. Who would OK a series like this to film other teams after everything that happened in the past? And if they did have the chutzpah to do it, how could they forgot to inform both sides? 3. Spygate isn't some old forgotten thing. Remember earlier this year when McDermott escorted Belichick's son off the field? Optics are BAD. Either the entire organization is tone deaf, or...... These are the questions people should be asking before dismissing with Reddit type comments like "why would they film the crappy Bengals? har har"

The video being released assumes we can trust the NFL to release the entire video. Remember Spygate? Also, like somebody else noted earlier, this is 2019. There's a cloud, and there may be footage that was filmed that is not saved on the camera but on a server somewhere.

Puts the recent news about the Cardinals DB Shaw in perspective, huh? "The NFL investigated and found no evidence he bet on any Cardinals games".

You don't see it yet? The entire series is a front to spy on teams. They were filming both teams in every game they were at, when those teams least expected it.

It might seem like you're taking an extreme stance, but you're the most reasonable guy here IMO. If they have been cheating the entire time, this is by far the worst scandal in the history of sports. Hundreds of heads go roll, including everyone that has been in the know and protecting them.

Greatest cheater of all time GCOAT

"One of the greatest defenses of all time". "Stephon Gilmore the unquestioned best CB in the league". Now it's all starting to make sense.

I'll tell you exactly what it is. My family goes back in Russia for hundreds of years. It was only 100-150 years ago that Russia banished peasants in a forced lord/serf type relationship, obviously pre-Russian Revolution/Soviet Union, but still very recent in terms of history. The point being, to this day I'll have older relatives shake their heads when I tell them I have my own business. To them, it doesn't matter if I'm successful or not. If I'm not employed by some man, then I'm doing something wrong. It's a classist slave mentality. It's the same thing here. People are so beaten down by losing and the media/NFL shoving the Patriots down their throats that they have Stockholm Syndrome. I truly believe that the fans on this board who put their own team down for an easy schedule or "we won but where's the 300 yards" but then defend the Patriots cheating by laughing it off or calling Brady the "GOAT" (another media-created narrative) or saying that we're just being sore losers. I'll never forget two bully Pats fans at a game I went to once. Screaming and shouting around thousands of Bills fan at the gate to enter the game, and nobody said a word. It doesn't matter how big they were, if they were any other team Bills fans would have shut them up. But instead everyone just put their heads down and waited for it to go away. The New England Patriots are a black eye on the entire city and culture of Buffalo. And the fact that they have been CHEATING the entire time, in ways I can't even imagine. And despite all the referees fixing games by killing the other team's momentum at critical times, despite the NFL doing everything in it's power to cater to them, THEY STILL can't hide Spygate, Deflategate (which was about avoiding fumbles, not passes like everyone thought), sex trafficking by an owner! Imagine what's not getting out! I'm telling you, this fanbase has been completely broken by that disgusting owner, coach, and QB. How else could they just let these stories slide by?

I agree. People are afraid to speak out in this climate, that's why they choose to be flippant instead. There's no logic and tolerance for truthfulness. The concept of "intention" is lost, yet it is the most important concept.

Why would the Pats be shooting a feature at a Browns Bengals game? AKA why would the glory franchise of the NFL be shooting an innocent feature at a rust belt game? When the Pats are on a losing streak and the Bengals are the next opponent. When they have a history of this behavior and an MO seen in the quoted post. This stinks to high heaven. And the nervous guy on ESPN trying to excuse it. Ugh. If you believe them after everything, I don't know what to tell you. We win a couple games and we get yelled at for having an easy schedule. They get caught cheating repeatedly and they get all the glory and the excuses, even from millions of opposing fans. When is this nightmare going to end? When will people wake up? Why is everyone so afraid of the truth?