Say it ain't so, Roger

So NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell slams the hammer down on the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick. The sanctions and penalties levied were fining the head coach $500,000, the Patriot organization $250,000 and have to forfeit either a 1st round pick or a 2nd and 3rd round pick next year. But what did they really do?

The Patriots were guilty of breaking a very vague rule of 'recording (or stealing) defensive signals', which in Nascar terms is about the same as proving the intent of having a car fail post race inspection for having the left front fender measuring 'too low'. But here is the catch, the NFL before the season started specifically warned the Patriots to not do this very thing. Does this sound a bit familiar with the Nascar warning to teams before Speed Weeks this past February?

But the real problem here is the inconsistency of NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell's sanctions this year. He suspends former Bears quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson five-games and $100,000 fine for purchasing over the internet HGH (Human Growth Hormone) for his personal use to counter diabetes by normalizing sugar metabolism gradually. There has not been any proof provided to the NFL that any HGH was funneled to players or that it ever left Wilson's home.

Adam "Pacman" Jones was also suspended for whole season for off-field incidents with the law along with Chris Henry who was suspended for 8 games.

But the message the NFL is sending is clear, have illegal substances, even as a coach, continue to get arrested and plan on getting suspended. get caught CHEATING on some vague rule and get a slap on the wrist with some monetary fine, and no suspensions. Some might say that losing a 1st round draft pick is hash, but what they are forgetting as that the Patriots will have another 1st round draft pick as well.

We ask Nascar to publish their rulebook and have specific penalties for violations, but somehow the NFL 'gets away' with the same thing by allowing the Commissioner to subjectively access penalties as he sees fit.

Sounds alot like the NCAA, the NBA, MLB and the list goes on and on, it is not just Nascar.