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The NFL issued a statement on the “Belly-Cam” incident.\u00c2\u00a0 Basically they told us what we already knew, that Bill Belichick is a cheater.\u00c2\u00a0 They fined him $500,000 and the Patriots could lose a 1st round pick in next years draft.<\/p>\n
NFL News Release<\/strong><\/p>\n New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been fined the maximum amount under the NFL Constitution and By-Laws of $500,000 for violating league policy last Sunday on the use of equipment to videotape an opposing team\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s offensive or defensive signals, the NFL announced today.<\/p>\n In addition, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also notified the Patriots that they would forfeit their own first-round draft choice in 2008 if they reach the playoffs, or their own second-round and third-round picks if they do not qualify for the playoffs, and that the club would be fined $250,000.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid longstanding rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field,\u00e2\u20ac? Commissioner Goodell wrote in a letter to the Patriots.<\/p>\n NFL policy states that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 booth, on the field or in the locker room during the game\u00e2\u20ac? and that all video shooting locations for club coaching purposes \u00e2\u20ac\u0153must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead.\u00e2\u20ac?<\/p>\n In a memo to NFL head coaches and general managers on Sept. 6, 2006, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson said:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Videotaping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 booth, in the locker room or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game.\u00e2\u20ac?<\/p>\n In his review of the facts, Commissioner Goodell determined that the Patriots\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 use last Sunday of the video camera, which was seized before the end of the first quarter, had no impact on the outcome of the Patriots-New York Jets game.<\/p>\n Commissioner Goodell also believes that Patriots ownership was unaware of Coach Belichick\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s action, but determined that penalties should be imposed on the club because \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Coach Belichick not only serves as the head coach but also has substantial control over all aspects of New England\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s football operations. His actions and decisions are properly attributed to the club.\u00e2\u20ac?<\/p>\n Commissioner Goodell informed the Patriots that the NFL would closely review and monitor the Patriots\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 coaching video program, effective immediately.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I specifically considered whether to impose a suspension on Coach Belichick,\u00e2\u20ac? Commissioner Goodell wrote. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I have determined not to do so, largely because I believe that the discipline I am imposing of a maximum fine and forfeiture of a first-round draft choice, or multiple draft choices, is in fact more significant and long-lasting, and therefore more effective, than a suspension.\u00e2\u20ac?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The NFL issued a statement on the “Belly-Cam” incident.\u00c2\u00a0 Basically they told us what we already knew, that Bill Belichick is a cheater.\u00c2\u00a0 They fined him $500,000 and the Patriots could lose a 1st round pick in next years draft. NFL News Release New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been fined the maximum […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1076","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-nfl-news"},"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peLffi-hm","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1076\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/miletestsite.com\/jets\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}