Patriots busted???

[MUCSteelers5xSuperChamp]

Interesting stuff here from the only AFC team to win five Super Bowl titles:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20748384/

2001: New England uses two special teams touchdowns to take a 21-3 lead. Pittsburgh gets close to 21-17 but Adam Vinatieri field goal with 11 minutes to play seals the deal.

2004: Four Patriots players that were knocked out of the first game by the Steelers on October 31, 2004 (21-game winning streak ended) return for the second meeting and play a role in the team obtaining a 24-3 halftime lead and making it stand up in a decisive 41-27 win.

There really isn't anything you can do about the 2001 and 2004 AFC title games though and I'm not complaining about the results...NE won fair and square and I tip my hat to New England for winning in Heinz Field, #1 toughest stadium in the NFL in both those seasons.

I just think people need to leave New England alone, they have had a fine run this decade.

Go Steelers!

[MTown]

Keno, Keno, Keno...Where to start?

What does the regular season matchup in 2004 have to do with this story? Are you saying that the Patriots weren't stealing signs in the regular season game, but they were in the playoff game?

Heinz Ward and Joey Porter are crybabies and need to quit whining. I do not agree with what the Patriots did but you cannot say that the Steelers would have won those games.

Also, based on what criteria was Heinz Field the #1 toughest stadium in the NFL in 2001 and 2004?

[monte81]

Every team finds a way to cheat weather its film, signing a player that was released to get info, etc,.... its the nature of the beast!! The jets had 3 Db's covering Randy Moss and he still ate them up for 183 yards and a TD! I guess he was cheating because he ran faster!

however--NE coach sgould be fined and suspended 1 game for his actions!

[MUCSteelers5xSuperChamp]

MTown,

Don't talk about the Super Bowl XL MVP (Hines Ward) and Joey Porter (05' world champion linebacker) like that. Porter is a 12-letter word animal and he put QB's in their place during his tenure in Pittsburgh.

I didn't say the Patriots stole signs in the 2004 AFC championship game. And I didn't say the Steelers would have won the 2001 and 2004 title games. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway, New England was just better than the Steelers in their wins of 24-17 and 41-27 respectively and I'm not going to degrade them for that. William Stephen Bill Belichick's team did what they had to do.

Pittsburgh had an AFC-best 8-1 record at home prior to the 2001 AFC title game and 9-0 home record prior to the 2004 AFC title game. Now are you going to tell me that Denver didn't have the #1 toughest stadium in the AFC in 2005 when they were 9-0 at home before they met the Steelers for the AFC championship? What about the Indianapolis Colts (9-0 at home) before their showdown with New England?

Maybe I should have said AFC and not the NFL and I apologize. However, you're lucky this is MassillonProud.com...because if you were on my Steelers website, me, Emily, Lauren, Jason, and Matt (my moderators) would own you big time (but you won't be banned like I did the one Browns fan who kept on bantering that his team was so better than the Steelers and eventually got out of line).

[DAWGH8R]

CHEATERS !!! Stealing signs is different than any other advantage that Monte listed. Being sneaky & cheating are 2 different things!

[monte81]

CHEATERS !!! Stealing signs is different than any other advantage that Monte listed. Being sneaky & cheating are 2 different things!

Offensive Qb's wear headsets but the defense cannot--that is unfair! The league vote22-14 in favor of the change but 24 votes is needed to make it happen!!

If the NFL would stop giving advantages to the offense maybe this stuff would not happen.

[massillon catholic]

Offensive Qb's wear headsets but the defense cannot--that is unfair! The league vote22-14 in favor of the change but 24 votes is needed to make it happen!!

If the NFL would stop giving advantages to the offense maybe this stuff would not happen.


Its just like the "juiced" baseball. Leagues think offense draws fans and makes it more interesting.

[DAWGH8R]

Offensive Qb's wear headsets but the defense cannot--that is unfair! The league vote22-14 in favor of the change but 24 votes is needed to make it happen!!

If the NFL would stop giving advantages to the offense maybe this stuff would not happen.


As long as they aren't relaying the defensive plays to the QB, so what !!

Unfair & cheating are MILES apart. The league is going to punish the PATS, and rightfully so. THEY CHEATED !!

[DAWGH8R]

Its just like the "juiced" baseball. Leagues think offense draws fans and makes it more interesting.

The balls are supplied by the league. Corked bats are CHEATING !!

[TigerDL71]

Just read on the ESPN scroll that Bellicheck is fine $500,000 and the team itself is fined $250,000. If the patriots make the playoffs then they will loose next years 1st round pick. If they don't make the playoffs then they loose next years 2nd and 3rd round picks.


http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3018338

[tiger4life]

Its just like the "juiced" baseball. Leagues think offense draws fans and makes it more interesting.

The parallels one could make :scratchchin:

[massillon catholic]

The balls are supplied by the league. Corked bats are CHEATING !!


My comment was comparing the "juiced" baseballs provided by the league and the offensive QB's wearing headsets. Also, provided by the league.

[longtimefirsttime]

The penalties for the team sound about right. But why wasn't Belichick suspended? An assistant coach for the Cowboys gets a five game suspension for using performance enhancers but a coach actively condones cheating and won't miss a game? Yes I know they're hitting him in the pocketbook, which the Pats will probably pay somehow anyway, but I expected a suspension too.

[Tiger2001]

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