[jwplayer fbbypsUl-ThvAeFxT]
The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly wanted the New England Patriots punished for last December’s taping incident and finally got word of it over the weekend.
The NFL came down hard on the Patriots, docking them $1.1 million, a 2021 draft pick and the rights for the television crew to film games in 2020.
And now we know a little more as to why the punishment was so harsh.
ESPN’s Adm Schefter appeared on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” and said this was about sending a message:
“And in this particular case, the Patriots admitted it, everyone saw the tape, knew something happened, there was previous history. I think if there’s no history maybe it just goes away — it’s not a team like the Patriots that has got the attention it has, maybe it just goes away. But because it’s the Patriots, because they have been in the spotlight, because they have had the history, because there’s so much attention on it, there we go, there’s the third-round pick.”
Of course, the Patriots seemingly found a way to gloss over some of the backlash to the news by “signing” Cam Newton within 20 minutes or so of the reveal.
Either way, it’s clear Bill Belichick and Co.’s past behavior played a big role in the punishment and the whole ordeal doesn’t do the organization any favors in the reputation department. It didn’t take long for footage of the confrontation between the Bengals and New England’s television crew to leak.
Like the Patriots, the Bengals can now move on from the whole ordeal.
[lawrence-related id=35346]