Don Shula calls Bill Belichick “Beli-cheat”

[Revering4Blue]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/08/don-shula-calls-bill-belichick-beli-cheat/

[George Anderson]

If the shoe fits....

[GAC]

Not that Belichick doesn't deserve the blemish, but IMO, that's pretty uncharacteristic of Shula, whom I have the utmost respect for. I think he wants everyone to remember the scandal because that was also the season Belichick's Pats came the closest to matching Shula's '72 Dolphins. Don't worry Don.... I remember following your team that year. One heck of a line-up, and I still remember the names of many of the starters.

I still, for the like of me, don't understand why Belichick did it? I think the guy is a great football mind and coach. But again, he deserves that blemish on what is, IMO, a pretty illustrious coaching career.

And as far as NFL coaches that deserve the utmost respect IMO..... top of the list is Tom Landry. What a class act.

[RedsBaron]

Not that Belichick doesn't deserve the blemish, but IMO, that's pretty uncharacteristic of Shula, whom I have the utmost respect for. I think he wants everyone to remember the scandal because that was also the season Belichick's Pats came the closest to matching Shula's '72 Dolphins. Don't worry Don.... I remember following your team that year. One heck of a line-up, and I still remember the names of many of the starters.

I still, for the like of me, don't understand why Belichick did it? I think the guy is a great football mind and coach. But again, he deserves that blemish on what is, IMO, a pretty illustrious coaching career.

And as far as NFL coaches that deserve the utmost respect IMO..... top of the list is Tom Landry. What a class act.
In 2007 I got so tired of hearing about the 1972 Dolphins I was actually rooting for the Patriots in the end to go undefeated, just to shut up Shula & Csonka, et al.
Obviously the 1972 Dolphins were a great team, but just because they went 14-0 doesn't necessarily make them the greatest NFL team of all time, or even the greatest team of their era. I hated the "Steel Curtain" Steelers with a passion, but the '72 Steelers, not yet at their peak, nearly defeated the Dolphins in the '72 AFC title game. If the 1975 or 1978 Steelers had played the 1972 Dolphins I would have favored Pittsburgh by at least a touchdown, probably by more. I would also take the 1962 and 1966 Packers over the 1972 Dolphins.

[Chip R]

Speaking of which...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/ravens-coach-john-harbaugh--patriots-ran--illegal--plays-in-win-031722873.html

[Boston Red]

Harbaugh really looks like a jacka-- here.

[Todd Gack]

Harbaugh really looks like a jacka-- here.

No he doesn't.

He was arguing more for the refs to give them time to decide who's eligible. It's as deceptive as putting 12 men in the huddle and breaking with 1 running off or 10 men in the huddle with 1 coming out late. The only difference is that it's legal.

[Boston Red]

If he had stopped there, sure. But he's still claiming it was illegal, and it clearly was not. He simply got out-schemed, and it's not very becoming to continue whining about it.

[KronoRed]

Hey Don, the 48 Browns were undefeated first, only through some silly loophole are they not counted.

[Todd Gack]

If he had stopped there, sure. But he's still claiming it was illegal, and it clearly was not. He simply got out-schemed, and it's not very becoming to continue whining about it.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000456365/article/john-harbaugh-pats-substitutions-deceptive-illegal

[dabvu2498]

If anyone other than Belichick had come up with it, they'd be calling it creative and innovative. Belichick, it's cheating.

[Razor Shines]

If anyone other than Belichick had come up with it, they'd be calling it creative and innovative. Belichick, it's cheating.

I don't think it's cheating, but I think it's kinda crappy. I think it was innovative for the Pats to take advantage of it but I think the Refs should have done a better job of giving the Ravens notice of who was eligible and who was not.

[fearofpopvol1]

I have no problems with Shula's comments. Kraft help Goodell get his gig and the fact that Goodell gave down a fairly light penalty and destroyed all of the Spygate evidence always struck me as very suspicious. You don't destroy evidence like that unless it's going to damage the sport.

[bigredmechanism]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000456365/article/john-harbaugh-pats-substitutions-deceptive-illegal

NFL says Pats' substitutions legal
http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/12150444/2014-15-nfl-playoffs-league-says-new-england-patriots-substitutions-vs-baltimore-ravens-legal

[villain612]

Wonder what Don Shula thinks of the story that 11 of the 12 game balls the Pats used against the Colts were underinflated.

[cincrazy]

Shula was catching some heat for his comment before all of this #DeflateGate nonsense hit the fan. Now he looks like a genius and is off the hook haha.

[Dom Heffner]

All teams tamper with footballs.

[Bob Sheed]

Hmm, I thought it was illegal to deflate the footballs. Otherwise, why would there be perimeters for weight and density specified at all?

And I thought they had someone who was supposed to check them before they went out.

Whatever...here we see that Bill, Kraft, Goddell, and the NFL are a perfect reflection of how it is in the real world anyway.

Nothing to see here.

[Sea Ray]

Nothing will come of this unless the NFL shows that NE did in fact deliberately deflate balls and how they pulled it off

[bigredmechanism]

Nothing will come of this unless the NFL shows that NE did in fact deliberately deflate balls and how they pulled it off

Agreed. I just don't get why this story is being pushed so hard when there are other stories to talk about, namely the game to be played next sunday. This is an offseason story being pushed a week before the super bowl.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Agreed. I just don't get why this story is being pushed so hard when there are other stories to talk about, namely the game to be played next sunday. This is an offseason story being pushed a week before the super bowl.

Because this how the "modern media" rolls and there are enough people with no hobbies to get interested. For many years I would ask myself, "How in the world does the National Enquirer stay in business?" Then I would see the latest edition sitting on the table by my own mother's chair and realize lol.

[Sea Ray]

Agreed. I just don't get why this story is being pushed so hard when there are other stories to talk about, namely the game to be played next sunday. This is an offseason story being pushed a week before the super bowl.

I blame ESPN as they love stories like this but I will admit that it's spread into the main stream media this time such as the 6:30 evening news. The news folks seem to think that if it's Super Bowl related they have to report it

[Hoosier Red]

This is also why things like the NCAA rule book is 4,000,000,002 pages long.
It's one thing to have a standard. It's another thing to have a penalty in place for those who violate the standard.

[cincrazy]

All teams tamper with footballs.

I agree... to a certain extent. Teams work them up to certain specifications, but I'd be willing to bet most (if not all other) NFL teams don't deflate 2 pounds out of the ball before game time.

Did it make a big difference in the game? I don't think so, not one bit.

But I think more importantly than that, it's another case of New England simply disregarding whatever rules are put in place. This isn't the first time they've been caught. How many times have they done things and not been caught?

[BuckeyeRed27]

If deflating the ball is such an advantage than why did the Patriots score 28 points in the second half and generally look better on offense after the balls had been replaced?

[blumj]

Just when I was thinking the media couldn't possibly manage to get any stupider about this whole thing, silly me.

http://deadspin.com/sal-paolantonio-has-found-the-real-victim-of-ballghazi-1681393538

[Razor Shines]

Just when I was thinking the media couldn't possibly manage to get any stupider about this whole thing, silly me.

http://deadspin.com/sal-paolantonio-has-found-the-real-victim-of-ballghazi-1681393538

Lol.

Like I said before as a Colts fan, in terms of that game, it didn't matter. I don't care. As a football fan, I'm not sure it's no big deal. Some people are. I guess using CE's logic I should assume that the only reason you don't think it's no big deal is because of where you live, he is a lawyer after all.

But this story with Brunell is just so hilariously awful. There's nothing to do but laugh.

[blumj]

Lol.

Like I said before as a Colts fan, in terms of that game, it didn't matter. I don't care. As a football fan, I'm not sure it's no big deal. Some people are. I guess using CE's logic I should assume that the only reason you don't think it's no big deal is because of where you live, he is a lawyer after all.

But this story with Brunell is just so hilariously awful. There's nothing to do but laugh.
It could be a big deal, I don't know, but I do know it can't possibly be as big a deal as some people insist on making it out to be. They're still just footballs, after all, the amount and type of coverage this is getting you'd think they were talking about bombs.

[traderumor]

If deflating the ball is such an advantage than why did the Patriots score 28 points in the second half and generally look better on offense after the balls had been replaced?Then why do it in the first place? Why have the rule in the first place? Those are the issues, not the results, pre, during, or post deflation. That is so basic to this whole discussion, yet people keep looking at the results as the issue.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Then why do it in the first place? Why have the rule in the first place? Those are the issues, not the results, pre, during, or post deflation. That is so basic to this whole discussion, yet people keep looking at the results as the issue.

Why have the rule if it doesn't seem to impact the results?