[HenriRow]

Goodell proposes plan making cheating penalties easier to impose

With confidence in NFL rules oversight at low ebb, commissioner Roger Goddell is proposing enacting easier-to-impose cheating penalties as a deterrent for future SpyGate scandals, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

In an article on its Web site, the newspaper cited a memo sent to the league's competition committee Thursday and said the proposals included a change in rules that would allow league officials to make unannounced inspections of locker rooms, press boxes and in-game communications equipment.

The measure was among a series of stricter rules changes Goodell wants to enact before next season "to preserve the integrity of the game" and "maintain public confidence" in the sport, according to the memo.

"As the Commissioner and Competition Committee, we must take every appropriate step to safeguard the integrity of the NFL," Goodell wrote. "We have already taken some positive and significant actions this past season, but we must go further to ensure fair competition amongst our 32 teams and maintain public confidence in our game."

Goodell pledged stricter penalties for competition-rules violations and proposed a plan requiring team employees to give the league reports of "actual or suspected" violations.

Another measure would place each franchise's main owner, top executive and head coach under the threat of league discipline to stipulate that they have complied with the rules and reported violations.

The commissioner also endorsed a proposal to permit one defensive player per team to be connected to a coach on the sideline during games via a wireless device, and called upon the committee to conduct "a thorough review" of all competitive rules and practices.

"I think there are a number of steps that should be taken in advance of the start of the 2008 season to improve and strengthen the enforcement procedures designed to preserve the competitive integrity of the game," Goodell wrote, adding that "too often, competitive violations have gone unpunished because conclusive proof of the violation was lacking."

Last month, Sen. Arlen Specter questioned the quality of the NFL's investigation of the New England Patriots' videotaping practices and Goodell's decision to destroy video evidence uncovered by the league earlier this season.

Goodell fined New England coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and docked the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick after the Patriots were accused of videotaping New York Jets defensive coaches as they signaled to players during the Sept. 9 season opener.

Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also cited NFL officials indicating the Patriots taped Pittsburgh Steelers' coaches during AFC championship games at the end of the 2001 and 2004 seasons, and during regular-season games in '02 and '04.

[Tndfpcin]

A bandaid. How about suspending Belichick for a season? I think that would be a fair way to handle this, especially since it sure sounds like they've been doing it for a long time.

But, as I've said, if other teams were doing it, we'd have had someone come forward to make a buck. They haven't. It's New England. They should be severely punished on the level of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000 for salary cap shenanigans.

[affewheillMapew]

The Chargers believe Mike Shanahan taped their practice.

[VistaULTIMATEdownloadaPro]

The Chargers believe Mike Shanahan taped their practice.

If I had to pick one other team that seems to overachieve every year, it's Denver. I could see Shanahan being desperate enough to do it. Another coach who struggled in his first job, then miraculously could do no wrong later in his career.

But I always chalked up Denver's success to being better physically fit due to training at higher altitudes.

[JeffStewart]

I just like ESPN. They were talking about it the other day (shocker), and what player do they have on to comment about it?

Shawne Merriman.

Yes, that's who I'd go to for a moral compass on cheating.

[cabonuserollyo]

I'm personally a little surprised that the NFL doesn't already have inspection powers. Home field advantage being what it is, I wouldn't be surprised if Belichick had half the field wired.

Ideally, all communications on the headsets would be recorded for future review. The NFL would be the holder of the data, and any suspicious gaps could involve fines/suspensions. Furthermore, anyone who worked for the league and had access to any of that data would have a non-compete clause which would keep them for working for an individual team for at least one year after finishing an assignment dealing with such data.

Hell, hire a couple of FBI guys to do the research. Even if you only do the project for a year or two, to get a baseline of where the gaps are in the security.....

[RogerButton33]

I'm personally a little surprised that the NFL doesn't already have inspection powers. Home field advantage being what it is, I wouldn't be surprised if Belichick had half the field wired.

Ideally, all communications on the headsets would be recorded for future review. The NFL would be the holder of the data, and any suspicious gaps could involve fines/suspensions. Furthermore, anyone who worked for the league and had access to any of that data would have a non-compete clause which would keep them for working for an individual team for at least one year after finishing an assignment dealing with such data.

Hell, hire a couple of FBI guys to do the research. Even if you only do the project for a year or two, to get a baseline of where the gaps are in the security.....

Speaking of FBI guys, I wonder if the Browns had a little help, having a upper echelon spy as their director of security.