NFL Announces Punishment for Patriots Over Last Season's Film Crew Scandal
By Mark Powell
Leave it to the New England Patriots to perfect the news drop.
The Pats announced that they signed Cam Newton on Sunday night, and just minutes later, they were docked over $1 million and a draft pick. It's funny how that works.
Back in Dec. of 2019, the Patriots film crew was caught shooting live game football between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals for what they claimed was a documentary. The Patriots just so happened to play the Bengals a few weeks later. Considering their history with recording devices, the NFL punished the Patriots appropriately.
NFL has handed down these penalties to the Patriots for their television crew filming the Bengals-Browns game in December, sources tell @MikeReiss:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 29, 2020
?$1.1 million in club fines.
?Loss of 2021 third-round pick.
?Patriots’ TV crews not allowed to shoot games during 2020 season.
On the surface, such a punishment appears more than just your average slap on the wrist. On further review, however, the club fees are unlikely to hurt Robert Kraft, who is valued at at least $4 billion as of 2019, and New England could very well recoup that third-round pick, per Adam Schefter.
This is very New England: Now if Cam Newton plays well in 2020, and leaves as a free agent, the Patriots could get back a compensatory 2022 third-round pick to help make up for 2021 third-round pick the NFL is taking away from New England for its videotape violation.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 29, 2020
New England is eternally great at gaming the system, whether opposing fans would like to admit it or not.
After Spygate and Deflategate, one would've assumed the Patriots would play things close to the vest. It's only cheating if you get caught, and the Pats have gotten off fairly easy yet again.