The talking heads of the sports world are up in arms about what Belichick allegedly did. There is no shortage of newspaper writers rushing out from the woodwork to decry this signal-stealing. Some have compared it with the 1919 Black Sox scandal, others have predicted that it will bring the NFL to its knees in the collective public consciousness.Let's get one thing straight here: what Belichick did was against the rules. He deserves to be punished. But Belichick's transgression was not the stealing of signals itself but merely the use of video to steal the signals, especially in the immediate aftermath of a missive by the commissioner forbidding such a practice. Had Belichick posted an employee in the stands with binoculars and a notepad, it would be no problem. If you believe that Belichick is the first coach in NFL history to have attempted to steal signals, you are naive.
What bothered me most was Wednesday's SI.com column by Frank Deford, who I usually respect. He suggested that if Roger Goodell were to declare the game a forfeit, it would be justified. Deford is off his rocker. The alleged videotape was confiscated in the first half, well before any member of the coaching staff could have reviewed it. The Patriots derived no competitive advantage whatsoever from that tape. Had it never existed, they would have beaten the Jets by the same 38-14 score. If the commissioner were to start reversing results as a discretionary sanction for offenses that don't affect the outcome of that specific game, it would set a dangerous and irreversible precedent. Besides, the Jets did absolutely nothing to deserve a win in that game.
The following picks are for entertainment purposes only and should not be used as the basis for any actual cash wagers.
Last week: 8-7-1
Season to date: 16-13-3
Best Bets: 0-2
Eliminator: 2-0
The Monkey: 2-0
Bills (+16.5) over Patriots
The Pats are on a tear and every other team in the AFC East is downright pathetic, but one only need to look at last Sunday's slate of late games to realize that huge spreads are dangerous. LOSS
Colts (-6) over Texans
Bold prediction of the year: this is the season that the Houston Texans will make the playoffs. But it will be as a wild card, not the division champ. They're not in the same league as the Colts, especially not without Andre Johnson. TIE
Jets (-3) over Dolphins
Just want to make sure I have it clear: using a video camera to record the other team's defensive signals is verboten but shouting at the line of scrimmage to induce a false start is perfectly fine, right? Thought so. TIE
Lions (+6) over Eagles
Donovan McNabb claimed that black quarterbacks get a disproportionate amount of criticism because of their race. In McNabb's case however, he receives a ton of criticism not because he's black but because he sucks. LOSS
Steelers (-9) over 49ers
Big Ben and the rest of the Steelers look like they're back in 2005 form. Neither the Ravens nor the Bengals look like they're all that interested in winning the division so the Steelers will claim it by default. WIN
Bucs (-3.5) over Rams
I'll admit that I haven't given the Bucs much credit this year. But with Jeff Garcia doing his best to erase all memories of Chris Simms, it looks like Tampa Bay might be able to hold its own. WIN
Packers (+5) over Chargers
Was it really worth firing Marty Schottenheimer considering that Norv Turner took his place? WIN
Ravens (-8) over Cardinals
It seems like Kyle Boller is doing a great job filling while Steve McNair recovers from his annual injury (it came early this year). Now, all the Ravens need to do is figure out how to finish a game and everything will be fine for them. LOSS
Vikings (+3) over Chiefs
Watching last Sunday's Chiefs game caused me to give thanks that Tom Brady never missed a game between 2002 and 2004. The words "starting at quarterback, Damon Huard" cause any fan to tremble in fear. I'm not sure I'd feel any better upon hearing "starting at quarterback, Brodie Croyle" either. TIE
Browns (+3) over Raiders
Hopefully, Derek Anderson's performance last week will quiet the Browns fans who are clamoring for the Browns to sever Brady Quinn's development by rushing him into the starting role despite his lack of development at the professional level. WIN
Seahawks (-3.5) over Bengals
After Matt Ryan put forth such an impressive performance last Saturday, the onus is now on Matt Hasselbeck to preserve his place as the second-most famous quarterback to ever graduate from Boston College. A game against the Bengals' defense should help. LOSS
Broncos (-3) over Jaguars
The Broncos are favored by three, which is the exact number of points that Jason Elam will score when he hits his third straight game-ending field goal. LOSS
Panthers (-3.5) over Falcons
Just as I predicted in this space last week, the Falcons picked up Byron Leftwich to fill the void at quarterback left by Michael Vick. Playing The Spread -- bringing you cutting edge NFL news since 1998! WIN
Redskins (-3.5) over Giants
I'm thinking two, maybe three more losses until Tom Coughlin loses his job. The death watch by the New York media makes me giddy. LOSS
Cowboys (+3) over Bears
Dallas should be the perfect fit for Tank Johnson. After all, Texas has some of the loosest gun laws in the country. WIN
Titans (+4.5) over Saints
I hope saying this doesn't make me an evil person, but it seems pretty clear that the Saints feel-good 2006 season was a fluke. After making the NFC Championship last year, I can't see them getting a whiff of the the playoffs this time around. WIN
BEST BET: Cowboys (+3) over Bears WIN
ELIMINATOR: Pittsburgh Steelers WIN
THE MONKEY: Ravens (-8) over Cardinals LOSS
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