Aubrey Bruce: Don’t do as I say or as I do

Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots.

Tomlin’s hiccup seems to be ridiculed more than Belichick’s prolonged cheating 

by Aubrey Bruce, For New Pittsburgh Courier

From almost the very beginning of competitive sports, the performers have been placed on a mythical pedestal and are often required to abide by a unrealistic false code of honor.

The Khan Academy website tells us that: “The (early Olympic) games were held on an official basis every four years from 776 B.C.E., but they probably originated much earlier. Sacrifices and gifts were offered, and athletes took oaths to obey the rules before a statue of Zeus. The games were announced by heralds traveling to all the major Greek cities around the Mediterranean, and hostilities were banned during the period around the Games to safeguard those traveling to and from Olympia.”

That being said, there was probably less violence during those ancient spectacles and sporting events than fistfights and assaults that occur on a fairly regular basis in the stands of an NFL stadium on any given Sunday.

Let’s go back to the premise of; “Sacrifices and gifts were offered, and athletes took oaths to obey the rules before a statue of Zeus.” Hmm, in my opinion, the definition of sacrifices and gifts is: “Compensation that athletes, coaches and owners receive to insure that the games they present are fair, honest and are performed within the boundary of the set rules of competition.”

Let’s review a few so-called NFL competitive violations.

Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In a Thanksgiving 2013 game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers,  Steelers coach Mike Tomlin strayed too far from the sideline and inadvertently slowed down Ravens kickoff returner Jacoby Jones as he was returning a kickoff. That gaffe by Tomlin turned an almost sure touchdown by Jones into just a great return because Jones ended up getting caught from behind by Steelers cornerback Cortez Allen. Despite that play, the Ravens went on to win that game, 22-20.

Tomlin said afterwards: “I was watching the JumboTron and lost track of where I was. Such is life. I really don’t think about it too often at this juncture because I have more pressing business.”

On June 24, USA Today posted an article that continued with the vilification of Mike Tomlin: “There are few plays more infamous in the career of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin than the Jacoby Jones play. If you don’t recall just how it all went down when Tomlin found himself on the field while Jones was returning a kickoff and inadvertently impacted the play, we have the video.” My first question is, how many infamous plays have there been in the career of Mike Tomlin? I am only aware of that one incident. Continuing on, the article also points out that: “We have the video.” Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 for an action that took approximately 10 seconds. Let’s take a quick peek back at another infamous act by an NFL head coach, New England’s Bill Belichick. According to Wikipedia: “‘Spygate’ was an incident during the National Football League’s (NFL) 2007 season, when the New England Patriots were disciplined by the league for videotaping New York Jets’ defensive coaches’ signals from an unauthorized location during a September 9, 2007 game. Because the Patriots were instead videotaping the Jets’ coaches from their own sideline during the game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell deemed it to be in violation of league rules, stating that the act represented a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid long-standing rules. After an investigation, the NFL fined Belichick $500,000 (the maximum allowed by the league and the largest fine ever imposed on a coach in the league’s 101-year history) for his role in the incident. The Patriots were fined $250,000.

“As part of their probe into the allegations, the NFL required the Patriots to turn over any and all notes and tapes relating to the taping of opponents’ defensive signals; the Patriots did not want the tapes to leave their facilities, and in turn league officials went to Patriots athletic facilities and proceeded to smash the tapes, by order of Goodell. Former Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter (now deceased) requested to meet with Goodell, and after meeting with Goodell on Feb. 13, 2008, Specter reported that Goodell told him that Belichick had been engaged in the practice since he became head coach of the Patriots in 2000. “

Mikle Tomlin was fined $100,000 for sticking his foot out during an approximately 10-15 second kickoff return and the videotape of that incident has been carefully preserved and the incident well documented. Bill Belichick and the ownership of the New England Patriots were fined $750,000 and a draft pick for seven years of blatant violations and outright cheating. By the way, the videotape of Mike Tomlin tripping a player during an active play has been placed in a special temperature controlled vault. Why wasn’t the videotape of the Patriots egregious conduct similarly preserved?

One hundred thousand dollars for a ten-second violation compared to a $750,000 penalty for seven years of skullduggery? The historical record of the Patriots’ dastardly deeds will never be corroborated. Why? Because the court that was about to judge them not only allowed the evidence against them to be destroyed, but ordered the proof that would have been used to convict them to be promptly disposed of.

There are actions that oftentimes show that power brokers consider many statue-looking Zeus-like fans, mindless. “Athletes took oaths to obey the rules before a statue of Zeus.” In certain circles, the powers-that-be ask us the following questions: Who the hell is Zeus and why is he in my business?

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