COMMENTARY: Belichick deserves more punishment

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — They are the New England Cheatriots.

That doesn't mean the Patriots are as good as they are — and as good as they have been for a very long time — because they taped opponents' sideline signals. That's absurd. The Patriots are terrific because they have terrific players and a terrific coach, no matter how paranoid Bill Belichick happens to be.

But, hey, here's the rule from the NFL's Constitution & Bylaws (Article 9): Any use by any club at any time, from the start to the finish of any game in which such club is a participant, of any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited, including without limitation videotape machines, telephone tapping, or bugging devices, or any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game.

Belichick once said he spoke to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about "an interpretation" of the rule.

What's not clear? What's left to interpretation?

The Patriots knew the rule, and broke it. It's why Belichick was fined a half a million bucks and why the franchise was hit up for a quarter of a million dollars more and why the Patriots lost a first-round pick in the recent NFL Draft.

But the story won't go away.

Which is why Belichick should, at least for a while.

Now, the line dividing those who are on New England's side on this issue and those who aren't is perfectly reflected by those who love the Patriots and, well, everybody else. There's a margin of error of exactly zero on that one.

But the NFL is more than happy to kick the Spygate Affair to Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and his Washington pals, because, gosh, our legislators did such a bang-up job recently with Major League Baseball and its steroid mess.

Yeah, that'll work.

The NFL, basically, excused itself from the controversy after former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh met with Goodell for 3 1/2 hours Tuesday. Goodell then merrily sent Walsh on his way for a meeting with Specter, who has been critical of the league's handling of the Spygate investigation. Walsh had provided the NFL eight videotapes showing the Patriots recording signals of five opponents in six games from 2000 through '02.

The investigation into all of this began after the NFL seized tapes from a New England employee who had recorded the New York Jets' defensive signals during the 2007 season-opening game.

Which means this has gone on waaaay too long.

The solution?

Goodell should suspend Belichick.

He won't, though, because Goodell says "the fundamental information that Matt provided was consistent with what we disciplined the Patriots for last fall." The translation is clear. Goodell won't further discipline New England.

But if the NFL is satisfied that the Patriots taped those aforementioned six games — but no walkthrough of the St. Louis Rams before a Super Bowl XXXVI meeting — then it ought to boot Belichick for the first six games of next season. Or suspend him for each of New England's six games next season against its AFC East opponents.

Think the Dolphins, Jets and Buffalo Bills wouldn't be satisfied with such a punishment?

Belichick could be allowed to coach the Patriots during the week, but he couldn't be with them during actual competition. Not even in a stadium press box.

The league would realize the added benefit of sending an unmistakable message about forthcoming penalties for any team daring to undertake spying.

Belichick, meanwhile, could and undoubtedly would feel unfairly persecuted. He'd then make the most of the situation psychologically in his always-entertaining and frequently belligerent manner. He'd stir his team into a sense of motivational mass martyrdom, and thereby fuel the notion — rooted in a convenient truth, anyway — that everybody who doesn't love the Patriots hates the Patriots.

Their rivals, in other words, should consider them Cheatriots at their own peril.

Greg Stoda writes for The Palm Beach Post.