7 Comments

Three words: Get over it!

I am not that the suit is without merit. Clearly, some cheating isn’t going to be enough to survive a summary judgment or 12(b)(6) type of motion, but let’s say Belichick paid one of the Rams $1,000,000 to throw the game–wouldn’t a lawsuit be acceptable? Where does one draw the line?

Where does one draw the line?

You leave it where it should be – at the league offices.

I sure hope there are some Rule 11 sanctions with this piece of garbage. It’s a game. Espionage is part of it. Why do you think they have closed practices? Why do they have multiple people signaling defensive plays? Because THE EXPECT the other side to try and get an edge. Please, stop the madness. We’are all victims.

On second thought, maybe we can all get a game coupon! Geesh.

While I am highly sympathetic to your site, I feel their should be an overlawyered exception for Bill Belichek and the New England Patriots. Throw the book at them. No Lawsuit is too ridiculous or too frivolous for Bill Belicheck.

gitarcarver,

You leave it where it should be – at the league offices.

So the fans – who have right to expect an honest game, that being what they paid for – should launch a class-action against the league? What about bettors who put money on the Rams in anticipation of a clean game?

Can the league in any event then claim that it makes sufficient efforts to police the off-field cheating and that whatever slips thru is, as with on-field holding and interference, part of the game, however frustrating?

[ianal. Does it show?]

[and btw, I agree with you; please let’s not litigate every sports event! But I do wonder what the legal realities are.]

So the fans – who have right to expect an honest game, that being what they paid for – should launch a class-action against the league?

“A right to expect an honest game?” Where is that “right” listed?

What about bettors who put money on the Rams in anticipation of a clean game?

What about them? You make the assumption that they would have bet differently if what the Pats are accused of is true.

Can the league in any event then claim that it makes sufficient efforts to police the off-field cheating and that whatever slips thru is, as with on-field holding and interference, part of the game, however frustrating?

Let’s get down to brass tacks here. First, the guy suing the Pats was a player in the NFL for a single year, and did not take a single snap in the Super Bowl in question. Secondly, the walkthrough that was taped was a media event. Allegedly, the guy who taped the walkthrough did not have his credentials checked by either NFL Security, or the RAMS SECURITY. Both security groups were present. Lastly, the Rams have stated that during the walkthrough, they didn’t show any schemes or plays that they had not used before.

There is no end to this insanity of suing if this is allowed to go forward. Should we then be allowed to sue when a guy is caught using steroids or other illegal / banned substances? After all, they cheated, didn’t they? Should we be allowed to sue when a player makes an illegal tackle, and the opposing player is injured? After all, the team gains from an “illegal” act.

The league is in the best position to handle this as they know the value of the information that may or may not have been gained. They are in the best position to penalize or not penalize.

As an example, a friend and fellow sports official was attacked on a ballfield by a coach and parent. The DA refused to prosecute this assualt saying that “kill the ump is a part of the game.” The league and umpires took a different view of what happened and took severe actions against the coach and parent.

No moatter how people try to spin this, no one got hurt. No one enjoyed the game more or less because of this. Its a non-starter.