Recent NFL punishments set the stage for Deflategate probe

Rules are in place for a reason. And when teams break them, they should be punished.

Such was the case this past week with the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns.

The NFL dished out punishments to the Falcons and Browns for off-field misdeeds Monday, docking Atlanta US$350,000 (Dh1.3 million) and a fifth-round draft pick for piping in artificial noise at home games and fined Cleveland $250,000 for general manager Ray Farmer texting to the sidelines during games.

In addition, the Falcons saw team president Rich McKay lose his prestigious position as head of the NFL’s competition committee for at least three months.

Farmer, meanwhile, also was suspended for the first four games of the Browns’ upcoming regular-season schedule.

I know, they both sound like petty infractions. But neither team plans to appeal the decisions, which leads me to believe both franchises are probably embarrassed by what happened and are hoping just to move on without anyone putting up a fuss.

But these are not the only punishments that should come down from the league this month. They are merely the appetisers for a main entre: the New England Patriots and the infamous Deflategate.

The results of the NFL’s most prominent investigation of this offseason, of course, remain unannounced. Commissioner Roger Goodell told Sports Illustrated two weeks ago he expected attorney Ted Wells to reveal the details of the league’s slow-moving Deflategate probe of the Patriots “soon”.

For almost two months, Wells has been looking into whether New England intentionally deflated footballs during the AFC Championship Game.

The Patriots, who went on to win the Super Bowl, may get off with a slap on the wrist. But if found guilty of what looks like a premeditated offence, the NFL should bring down the hammer.

Fines and draft picks do hurt a franchise. Sure. But to change the philosophy of a team and alter their cheating ways, people at the top have to lose their jobs.

agray@thenational.ae

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