Ok it doesn't seem that many people get on this board, but I wanted to throw a question out there and see if I can get some opinions.

Do you all feel that the Patriots received fair and just punishment for their actions? Do you think they did anything wrong in the first place?

I personally believe they were 100% wrong and got nothing but a slap on the wrist. Fining Bill Belichick $500,000 dollars is like fining me $0.50. And then the team is fined $250,000, which they make by simply saying hello to the camera man. Then of course you we take away their draft picks. Anyone who knows much about football knows that the patriots almost never use their draft picks anyway. They almost always end up trading them. I mean do you not think that this was simply a slap on the wrist. Especially when it happened no time after Roger Goodell declares '0' tolerance. I mean think about, Pete Rose is banned for LIFE from baseball for simply betting on his own team, but the ol' Bill Belichick can video tape/steal signs from another team and gets a fine?? A fine that he laughs at none the less.

Let me know what everyone thinks. Am I the only one that feels this way?

Leslie

Excuse me but you only earn $3/yr? The $500,000 represents 1/6th of Belichek's annual salary. I don't know about you, but losing 1/6th of my annual salary is going to hurt, no matter how much I make.

And while a quarter million is not a huge amount for the team, there was no proof that the team ownership was aware of cheating.

And draft picks are very important to every team. Even if they use them as trade bait. So the loss of the draft picks will hurt more than the monetary fines.

I'm actually surprised at the severity of the punishment. I thought he would get off more lightly.