Give Me Back My Ring!

Roger Goodell handed down the the punishments on the New England Patriots for spying on the New York Jets on Sunday.

The punishment: $500,000 fine for Bill Belichick. $250,000 fine for the Patriots organization. And the loss of draft picks (a first-round pick if they make the playoffs this year, or second and third-round picks if they do not make the playoffs).

Problem is, they will make the playoffs this year, and they have two first-round picks next year (one was acquired in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers). So they will still have a first-round pick next year to fall back on.

The monetary fines are nice, but what about suspending Belichick? The spying should at least cost the Pats a game this year.
And it is too bad that reports have come out stating that the Pats have done this on multiple occasions because now every team is questioning their victories.

Especially the Philadelphia Eagles, who have some members of their team questioning their loss to the Pats at the Super Bowl in 2005.
Not a fun subject to be a part of, for both sides. Donovan McNabb joked that he wanted his ring back, and I doubt was 100% joking.
It is unfortunate because even if it were proven that they did spy in the past, how would you punish them? Could you punish them? Handing their Super Bowl rings over to the loser would not work because a different team could have represented the AFC. What a headache.

Arguments will continue on whether punishment was harsh enough, but the NFL will move forward.

The league and those who spoke out may have also woken a sleeping giant; now the Pats really have something to prove.
All the Pats players will have a chip on their shoulders for the rest of the season to show they did not need to spy to win.

Also, Goodell continues to exhibit he is the right man for the job. He made the right move by visiting Kevin Everett in the hospital yesterday.

Bravo, can't wait for Sunday.