David Steele On Adam Jones: Fire Belichick, Kraft Along With Goodell
BOSTON (CBS) -- The allegations never end when it comes to the New England Patriots.
On Tuesday, just a few days after Tom Brady won his DeflateGate court battle against the NFL and two days before the Pats kick off the 2015 season, ESPN published a report rehashing the Spygate scandal of 2007. Most of the piece was just a rundown of old allegations with a few new ones sprinkled in, like the Patriots having locker room attendants stealing play sheets or serving warm Gatorade to opponents.
The most glaring part paints a picture of a "spying operation" dating back to when Belichick first took over in New England in 2000. Let's not forget the fact that taping opponents signals isn't "illegal" in the NFL, and the Patriots were punished in 2007 because they were caught recording from the sidelines despite numerous warnings from the league, but that wouldn't really help sell the espionage novel ESPN published Tuesday.
Still, some are taking these as "brand new findings" and want the Patriots to pay -- again. That includes David Steele of The Sporting News, who wrote that if everything from ESPN's Spygate story is true, not only should commissioner Roger Goodell lose his job, but so should Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick.
Steele joined The Adam Jones Show on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday night, and said he just can't stand for more cheating in the league.
"Even with the fine and penalty they got [for Spygate], they got away with a lot because of a lot of the stuff that came out today, not a lot of people had any idea about," said Steele. "How long it was [going on], how many people were involved, how many teams were spied on, the bit about sneaking into locker rooms and stealing play sheets; there is no way you can allow this sort of thing to just go away like that.
"I think when you say, one time,' We did it and we're sorry, we won't do it again,' and then you get involved in anything afterwards, no matter how many times you minimize it, if you make that promise in front of everyone to play it straight and by the rules, but continue to pick at the corners and turn a blind eye, basically prepare to make the same speech when you get caught the next time around, at what point do you make a stand for doing it the right way and clean?" responded Steele.
"Bill Belichick is too good of a coach to have to have any of this tied to him. He was a great coach without going through all these shenanigans, and from everything I've heard from Robert Kraft, he's as good enough owner that he doesn't have to be part of this. It makes them look worse than it ever should have," he said.
Jones pointed out that while there were some new details, the Patriots admitted to what they were punished for back in 2007, and it should be on Goodell if the punishment was not proper or fair back in the eyes of other owners.
"The majority goes on Goodell, and then a lot of it also goes on the other owners," said Steele. "It comes off that it was pure pettiness on everybody, as far as who is going to get who back and who will get revenge on who because they got away with this and that. I'm just shocked at the level of finger-pointing and backstabbing among the owners."
Steele said Goodell is to blame for the owners being so split.
"Why owners feel comfortable being split against each other, I don't understand, but it's the path they took," said Steele. "I hold Goodell responsible for that because, if nothing else, he gets pushed around by too many people in that group of owners, Robert Kraft included."
Steele said he would have no problem with Kraft if he tried to get the two draft picks and $1 million back the NFL took away for DeflateGate.
