ESPN SPIN: Given the ref scandal was this 22 year drought a good thing?

[JSD]

         As I was driving to work this morning I began thinking about David Stern and how a resignation is in order. How could this have happened? How could these kinds of accusations even have a leg to stand on? What an embarrassment for the league.
        The bitterness I have toward ESPN still lingers from the media hype of “Spygate”. The most overblown, “something out of nothing” story in the history of sports media. ESPN HAD A LOUD AND CLEAR AGENDA and I will never forgive them for that. ESPN demands total access everywhere they go, but didn’t get that preferential treatment from Bill and the Patriots. ESPN seized this minor offense and flexed their muscles with spin and fans of others teams who were looking for an excuse ate it up.
   I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop for almost a year now. A ref has tainted a decade of NBA basketball and now another ref is being indicated. Where is the call for asterisks and rings being returned? Where is the around the clock loop of experts saying the league is tainted? The only explanation is that ESPN has a stake, an investment and a loyalty to the NBA. That my friends is the power of the media who dictate this world.
       
      I'm grateful about one thing, this scandal took place in-between Celtics championships and nobody can look at any Celtics titles with a question mark. You can’t say that about the 2nd most historic franchise.

[fmf2]

paranoia will destroy ya.

[JSD]

paranoia will destroy ya.

Huh? Elaborate.

[fmf2]

Your characterization of spygate as overblown because ESPN had an axe to grind against Bill Belichick is a little over the top as conspiracy theories go. 

[JSD]

Your characterization of spygate as overblown because ESPN had an axe to grind against Bill Belichick is a little over the top as conspiracy theories go. 

OK, What is your theory? You think the Patriots "cheated"?

Also, You think scouting signals is compared to a ref on the take?

Explain why the ref scandal hasn't gotten 1/3 they attention

[Birdbrain]

Well yes of course they cheated. And the 2 issues have nothing in common.

[LarBrd33]

Well I was talking to some guy the other day and he pretty adamant that I was ignorant to believe the games aren't "fixed".   He wasn't talking about previous years.  He was talking about last year... he was taking the ref scandal and extending it further.   He believes that some massive gambling ring is going to be uncovered with refs and nba executives.   And he believes that the league fixed last year so that the Lakers and Celtics would be in the finals...   Sadly that's the effect this "ref scandal" has on much of the general public.  Many just assume that the entire league is fixed now and it continues to happen.

So in that sense... maybe winning now wasn't the best time.    But logically I'd think last year would be the most unlikely year for the refs to fix a game.  With the FBI watching and a microscope on them... it makes absolutely no sense for them to continue to fix games.  

But that's the same logic that the last Michael Jackson trial was based on.   Anyone remember seeing that Martin Bashir documentary "Living with Michael Jackson"?  It was famous for the baby dangling incident.  But it was also famous for the interaction between Jackson and a young cancer patient that he had taken in.   They were sitting down, holding hands... and the little cancer patient was talking about how Michael saved his life and they were best of friends.   You probably remember the comment, "What's wrong with sharing a bed with someone?".  Jackson was talking about how they'd play video games all night and eventually pass out on the massive bed as if it were normal to do that with a little boy.   Well obviously, the media ran with it.  Everyone speculated that Jackson was a pervert.  There was a massive backlash.  Gloria Allred tried to get a court order so that Jackson would lose custody of his kids.  -- in general everyone was looking at Jackson with a microscope.   Jackson eventually parted ways with the young boy and his mentally deranged mother.  The mother got angry about being "cut off" and next thing you know... we have a molestation trial.   I'm not going to sit here and debate whether or not Michael did it, but the funny thing about that trial was the timeline.   According to the boy and his mother... the first molestation occurred one week AFTER "Living with Michael Jackson" aired.   I mean... logically... what kinda nut job would decide to start doing that when the whole world is looking at him with a microscope?  The jury found the claims laughable... Jackson won an easy victory and the media portrayed it as "shocking".  

Kinda went off on a tangent there, but that's how I look at this ref thing.  Logically, last year had to be the most unlikely year for games to be fixed, right?   And yet you can see the full weight of the media and how perception becomes reality in this world.  

[JSD]

Well yes of course they cheated. And the 2 issues have nothing in common.

Great take on the Media during this whole circus:
http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/2008/05/why-spygate-is-the-most-disgraceful-episode-in-recent-sports-media-history





First:

The NFL monitored the Pats taping procedures and process from when they were caught with a camera on the sideline (prohibited). Thus how could they "cheat"?

Second:

The League and Commish has never said the Pats cheated.. Does the Media and fans have more authority or say then the Leauge and Commish?

Third:

Read and learn.

The Rule:

Page 105 of the 2007 NFL Game Operations Manual states, "No video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game...All video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."

Link to the transcript:         

http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=226

Out-takes from Goodell:

 Impact on games?

Again, according to NFL policy, it is permissible to scout people's coaching signals, and as you know, clubs go to great lengths to protect those. They change them frequently and they change them during the game. So I think that teams are sophisticated enough to know that that's a possibility and they go to great lengths to address them. But it's impossible to know the specifics about how much impact it has. I believe that, to me, that there is a permissible way to do this; that they prepare for that.

[Greg]

Your characterization of spygate as overblown because ESPN had an axe to grind against Bill Belichick is a little over the top as conspiracy theories go. 

OK, What is your theory? You think the Patriots "cheated"?

Also, You think scouting signals is compared to a ref on the take?

Explain why the ref scandal hasn't gotten 1/3 they attention

Yes the Patriots cheated by the simple fact that members of the organization willingly and knowingly went against NFL regulations.  But I agree with you, the whole "Spygate" thing was blown way out of proportion by ESPN.  I can't believe that the media isn't all over the ref scandal.  In terms of effect... it's much worse.

[JSD]

And the 2 issues have nothing in common.

Why even say anything if your not going to read what I wrote?

[JSD]

New rule. If this is going to turn into to a "they cheated" or "they didn't cheat" thread

Please state:

Team you are a fan of:

Reason you think they cheated:

[crownsy]

Your characterization of spygate as overblown because ESPN had an axe to grind against Bill Belichick is a little over the top as conspiracy theories go. 

uh, to be fair, they have a writer who was fired for anti semitic remarks that rebuilt his popularity on 16 patriots are scum bag articles.

i would say ESPN pushed that story more than a tad.

[JSD]

Your characterization of spygate as overblown because ESPN had an axe to grind against Bill Belichick is a little over the top as conspiracy theories go. 

OK, What is your theory? You think the Patriots "cheated"?

Also, You think scouting signals is compared to a ref on the take?

Explain why the ref scandal hasn't gotten 1/3 they attention

Yes the Patriots cheated.  But I agree with you, the whole "Spygate" thing was blown way out of proportion.  I can't believe that the media isn't all over the ref scandal.  In terms of effect... it's much worse.

I adamantly disagree with you on your first point but your larger point is interesting.

[Greg]

Just another point that's a little more on topic...

If the Celtics and Lakers had met during the '02 finals... like ESPN wonderfully predicted (when the Celtics were still down 2-1 I may add), I think the fans and media would have been all over that.

BUT... we'll have to wait and see how the sports world sees the championship teams during the Donaghy era before we make a conclusion about whether or not the 22 year drought was good timing

[JSD]

Well I was talking to some guy the other day and he pretty adamant that I was ignorant to believe the games aren't "fixed".   He wasn't talking about previous years.  He was talking about last year... he was taking the ref scandal and extending it further.   He believes that some massive gambling ring is going to be uncovered with refs and nba executives.   And he believes that the league fixed last year so that the Lakers and Celtics would be in the finals...   Sadly that's the effect this "ref scandal" has on much of the general public.  Many just assume that the entire league is fixed now and it continues to happen.

So in that sense... maybe winning now wasn't the best time.    But logically I'd think last year would be the most unlikely year for the refs to fix a game.  With the FBI watching and a microscope on them... it makes absolutely no sense for them to continue to fix games.   

But that's the same logic that the last Michael Jackson trial was based on.   Anyone remember seeing that Martin Bashir documentary "Living with Michael Jackson"?  It was famous for the baby dangling incident.  But it was also famous for the interaction between Jackson and a young cancer patient that he had taken in.   They were sitting down, holding hands... and the little cancer patient was talking about how Michael saved his life and they were best of friends.   You probably remember the comment, "What's wrong with sharing a bed with someone?".  Jackson was talking about how they'd play video games all night and eventually pass out on the massive bed as if it were normal to do that with a little boy.   Well obviously, the media ran with it.  Everyone speculated that Jackson was a pervert.  There was a massive backlash.  Gloria Allred tried to get a court order so that Jackson would lose custody of his kids.  -- in general everyone was looking at Jackson with a microscope.   Jackson eventually parted ways with the young boy and his mentally deranged mother.  The mother got angry about being "cut off" and next thing you know... we have a molestation trial.   I'm not going to sit here and debate whether or not Michael did it, but the funny thing about that trial was the timeline.   According to the boy and his mother... the first molestation occurred one week AFTER "Living with Michael Jackson" aired.   I mean... logically... what kinda nut job would decide to start doing that when the whole world is looking at him with a microscope?  The jury found the claims laughable... Jackson won an easy victory and the media portrayed it as "shocking". 

Kinda went off on a tangent there, but that's how I look at this ref thing.  Logically, last year had to be the most unlikely year for games to be fixed, right?   And yet you can see the full weight of the media and how perception becomes reality in this world. 

Good analogy TP. I guess we can call it the Jackson effect. Even if the Ref's were corrupt before no way they were going to be under a microscope. I guess that was the essence of my post in a sense. The Celtics avoided the fingers being pointed at them.