It was proven that those tapes of defensive coach hand signals were never used during the game in progress, and if a team didn’t change their signals by the next time they played the Patriots then it’s on them. This was a tempest in a teapot, there was no competitive advantage gained that anyone has been able to explain rationally. And NE’s record is actually better in the 5 years since Spygate than before.

Now where does Goodell go with a much worse offense? Hard to punish a team more than he did to the Pats.

Ever since Favre threw that pass to Lewis in week 3 to put the Vikings over the 49ers I felt that there was something special about that Vikings team. They had stars all over the field. Teams struggled because they couldn’t protect both the pass and the run. Compound that with the best defensive line in football with Allen, Williams wall and Edwards. Their secondary featured probowler Winfield and Griffin. It was commented on how the Vikings had one of the best sets of corners and how they had one of the best sets of linebackers as well. With Henderson, Greeway, and Leber at linebackers, the Vikings had one of the best defensive units in all of football.

On offense it was much the same. The best running back in all of football. That along with Favre, who through 33 touchdowns to 7 intereceptions was arguably the best QB that year. They also had 2 of the best receivers and pro bowlers that year in Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin. They also had an excellent TE in Visante Shankoe. Their offensive line was shaky, but not bad.

They went into the Superdome which is the loudest stadium in football and played very good football for 4 quarters. It is extremely frustrating as a vikings fan to see an opportunity like this go to waste all because the Saints got away with cheating. I remember they were doing it the week earlier to Kurt Warner, but most likely the Cardinals would not have won their game against the Saints.

However, it took biased officiating and a bunch of cheaters and 7 turnovers and a lucky overtime coin flip (which the NFL changed the rules on) to beat the Vikings at the Superdome in OT by a field goal.

As a fan of sports, this is the worst possible scenario. The Vikings have never had a complete team like this. They never had an excellent defense, running game, and passing game. And won’t for a very long time. Not only that, but it was a moral blow as well. Why should a team that cheats get to win a super bowl? The Vikigns have a lot more roll models than the Saints. Appart from Drew Brees, most of that Saints team I could tell was corrupt.

It is extremely frusterating, because I have been saying ever since that game how the Saints had the game rigged for them and somem people would believe me, but others would mock me and call me a whiner.

Well, I “whine” about it because the truth needed to come out about this poor excuse for a football team in the Saints. These guys didn’t deserve that ring. The Vikings or Colts deserved the ring. This is just my opinion, but I would have been fairly certain that the Vikings would have won the Super Bowl if it wasn’t for getting robbed by the Saints. I mean if it took the Saints that much to beat the Vikings, the Colts would have most likely lost to them.

Its hard to be a fan of football again when your team got robbed of a super bowl by a bunch of cheaters.

Still worth it. SB 44 Champs!!!!!

Saints should get fined way more than money – they should get seriously impacted by this like an NCAA football team would. They should lose their first round draft pick for 2012.

“What goes round, comes round.”

“Karma’s a *itch.”

P.S. Packer fans wish to thank Sean Payton for spending extra $$ to lure Williams away from the Packer DC job down to NOLA.

The reality is that this type of thing goes on throughout the league and there is little the league can do to stop it. They have rules regarding how and where a player can be hit to try and control things. Beyond that, they can not really control how hard a legal hit is made, so putting an end to this type of headhunting is going to be extremely difficult.

The Saints will no doubt be fined and penalized, likely with the loss of one or more draft picks. I also suspect that those involved in this practice will face suspensions from the league and probably some firings from the team as well. However, in the end this practice will continue, those involved will just be smarter about keeping it quiet going forward.

Ya they are cheap players that cant get real pressure so they get cheating late hits.
Just call it. Blame your self league, they are playing the game you are allowing them to play.

Same as the Pats for their three super bowls, don’t blame them because they cant really cover receivers, so they hold them and spear them three or four times when they are down. Call it or forget it.

This was for 3 years! Saints played 50+ games in the time.

They cheated and attempted to hurt opposing players FOR 3 YEARS!

Penalty should be 10x more harsh.

James Harrison was suspended for hitting too hard.

Suh was suspended for trying to injure someone with his cleats.

How should the Saints be punished for impairing the safety of the game?

Yeah right. He only punishes players when the media freaks out.

See Roethlisberger and James Harrison, and then see Kenny Britt and Cedric Benson.

Not sure this is worse than Spygate.