Pats Fan Perspective: Bounties vs. Spygate
 

As a Pats fan, I've found this forum to be very interesting given what the Patriots went through a number of years ago.

Before some of you continue to say, "Why are the Saints getting picked on? Some/most other teams do it, too!" I'd view this mess with a bit of perspective.

Yes, probably some or many other teams encourage players to hit opponents hard enough to injure them. But unless you weren't listening when Spygate surfaced, this is EXACTLY what happened back then. A number of former coaches -- current coaches wouldn't talk, of course -- admitted that most or all teams were videotaping other teams in one "illegal" form or another. The Pats just happened to get caught. Sound familiar?

In fact, back then, the NFL issued a warning the previous year to all teams to knock off the videotaping. What the Pats did worse than everyone else was to continue taping into the early fall of the next season -- and got caught. They got penalized, and deserved it. Shame on them. But ever since then, self-righteous fans (more fans from the Pats' rivals than from other cities) have moaned and groaned about how the Pats cheated (and, these fans often say, must be continuing to cheat). Well, look in the mirror, folks. Yeah, the Pats may have been worse than other teams (although no one even knows that because maybe other teams continued to videotape even after the league memo warning against it) because they didn't stop taping after being told to. But they were only one team in a den of thieves, quite possibly even including the Saints.

My point is that the Pats got what they deserved even though they were the one car to get a ticket out of many that were going 80 in a 65 MPH zone. The Saints are in the same position now. It's a bummer, to be sure. But unless you were one of the very, very few NFL fans who had some perspective when Spygate hit, don't complain now about being singled out. And, even though the Saints may not deserve it, don't complain when the rest of the league's fans consider your team scumbags. As a Pats fan, I know how that injustice feels.

thanks for the sentiment but...

we'll damn sure complain!!

To me it's simple. Being a Saints fan in 2009 was easy. There were tons of new one everyday. Being a Saints fan in 1980, now that was tough and while the numbers were fewer those that remained were diehard. I can draw a lot of parallels to the Saints and Pats and if the Saints win the SB I could give a DA** what other fans say.

They're always gonna hate

Thanks for the post Monte, I especially like the "one car to get the ticket" analogy, certainly fits this issue.

You make it sound so sexy! :doh:
But, seriously thanks for the read.......I get it.

Yep, let's dig up some Pats Forum posts from September of 2007:
PatsFans.com - Patriots Fan Forum - Page 992 - New England Patriots Forums - PatsFans.com Patriots Fan Messageboard

PatsFans.com - Patriots Fan Forum - Page 993 - New England Patriots Forums - PatsFans.com Patriots Fan Messageboard

PatsFans.com - Patriots Fan Forum - Page 994 - New England Patriots Forums - PatsFans.com Patriots Fan Messageboard


Seems like the same stuff we are going through doesn't it? What I don't see is a lot of Saints fans coming and rubbing it in.

Just let us handle our grief the same way all fans do and try not to pour salt on the wounds.

and this one is just for kicks:
Brady Quinn = Aaran Rogers - New England Patriots Forums - PatsFans.com Patriots Fan Messageboard

Monte, thanks. I understand what you are saying. Old thing we all learned in school by 2nd grade and the point is not who else is doing wrong and did not get caught while you did get caugh, but the point is don't do wrong and you don't have to worry about getting caught or not.

This was wrong. Silly. Someone has to catch it , be the fall guy for this and that is going to be GW. He is the common link for the other teams which he coached on. that is why we all keep mentioning the other teams need to take a fall as well or this will lesson the Saints' getting a hefty penalty. Let it fall on GW.
Behind closed doors, actually, Saints-Benson, Loomis, SP, might use, throw GW under the bus, "Well, umm, that is why we had wanted him to leave and had to wait for good timing with his contract, open position elsewhere for him to save face..."

Good post. I'm not keen on my favorite team being considered dirty by those informed and uninformed. I'm glad that Peyton Manning's release from the Colts is alleviating some of the malarkey.