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I don't believe the New England Patriots. They lie.

Robert Kraft, the owner of the liars, went on NBC Sunday night and stated that he had no knowledge that Bill Belichick was brazenly videotaping opponents' signals from the sideline. I guess he missed the memo.

Wade Wilson, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach suspended for using HGH, also is confused. He has confirmed that he is attempting to get an explanation from the commissioner's office on the disparity in punishment between him and the Patriots organization. Wilson received a 5 game suspension for using HGH to treat his personal medical issues, while the Patriots were only fined and docked draft picks for illegally and repeatedly taping signals. To date, he still hasn't heard back.

And I assume Michael Vick, Chris Henry and other players sitting at home not collecting paychecks are confused as well. Not only was Belichick slapped on the hand, his owner rewarded him with the game ball and an extension through 2013. Belichick's owner effectively paid his $500,000 fine many times over, while the players who put the fans in the seats and sell the authentic replica jerseys are docked without a second thought.

If it doesn't seem fair, it's because it's not.

Not Impressed

I'm rolling my eyes at you, Roger Goodell.

And when Ben Roethlisberger was on Pardon the Interruption on Wednesday, he rolled his eyes at the mere mention of your name. And it's not every day you can cajole a White boy to roll his eyes.

So, it is what is, Goodell. Ebony and ivory, living in perfect harmony, unanimous in agreement that you're lame. Too chickenshit to punish the New England Patriots the way they deserve to be punished.

Fines? $250K for the Patriots, $500K for Belichick. Oooooh. Big money. For the Patriots, that's barely a day of beer concessions and for Belichick, that's a few speeches on the lecture circuit. Why fine Wade Wilson a third of his salary and fine Belichick his mistress budget? Formula One fined a team $100 million for cheating. I might reconsider driving as a sport if they have cajones to stand up for the integrity of what they do.

First round draft pick? Oh well, I guess the Patriots will be forced to do all their picking in the 6th round where they can settle for gems like Tom Brady.

Furthermore, contingencies? What difference does it make if the Patriots make the playoffs? And since when is the almighty Commissioner concern himself with contingencies? Were Odell Thurman, Michael Vick, Chris Henry, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, extended contingencies for transgressions that had absolutely nothing to do with the substantive integrity of the game?

(BTW, any team that needs video cameras, holla at your girl. You know the price. And I can get the hook-up! Championships are just $750,000 plus $500 or so for the camera and the tripod.)

Perhaps the Commissioner is growing weary of playing dictator. I know how it went. You're kicking back at home watching the talking heads complaining about all the off the field distractions in the league. You think to yourself that I'm going to lay the smackdown on a couple of knuckleheads nobody cares about and I will be praised for my leadership.

But the distractions didn't stop.

Then the distractions became all anybody is talking about. Then the distractions branched out beyond anonymous knuckleheads to legitimate superstars. You convinced yourself that the death penalty was a deterrent to crime. But it's not.

And the incidents didn't stop.

And now the people are muttering "dictator" under their breath when you fancy yourself a skilled politician. You go gladhanding to the media and the players.

Still, the incidents don't stop.

Somebody's committing a crime, doping up or cheating every day it seems. You quietly cut back on the severity of suspensions, writing long letters about why you didn't do this and why you instead did that.

But it's gone too far at this point. You've made the players and media suspicious, you've eroded the value of the fans' season tickets and now you've finally gotten the owners attention. I'm sure some AFC owners know where they stand after you've so severely punished the team that dashed so many championship dreams. And the group you sought to please in the first place - the media - will turn on you. They'll complain about how soft you went on the Patriots.

Belichick will haunt you all season instead of Vick.

And I would feel sorry for you, but you brought it on yourself. Commissioner, were you the only person that didn't know this would end badly?

Do It. What You Waitin' For?

Their fall from grace is remarkably similar. Two men among the elite in professional football - only to be snitched on disgruntled ex-employees. But will Bill Belichick be punished with the same heavy hand as Michael Vick?

I doubt it. The only way to really punish the Patriots and take away the competitive advantage they gained over teams is to suspend Belichick for multiple games. And I don't know if Goodell has the fortitude to do it. Forfeiture of games would be nice, but highly impractical. I don't think there are enough lost draft picks in the world to punish the Patriots. They have long ago proven that they can scout talent where no one else looks and they won't have a problem signing quality veterans eager to get a taste of championship promise.

As far as players go, Goodell prefers to discipline off the field issues than come down hard on cheaters. Too many misdemeanors earns the death penalty. However, players that actually do things that negatively affect the game on the field get a slap on the wrist. Rodney Harrison is out now, but he'll be back in 3 games. Shawn Merriman sat out a few games, went to the Pro Bowl and is already back in Nike commercials.

As far as non-players go, curiously, Goodell came down hard on Cowboy coach Wade Wilson for using performance enhancing drugs. Although Wilson didn't really derive any competitive advantage from them. Wilson claims he used HGH solely to treat various medical issues, yet Goodell suspended him for 4 games and fined him 1/3 of his annual salary. Wilson should be held responsible for being a positive example for his players, but Belichick's transgression undermined the game far more than Wilson. Belechick brazenly cheated. And did so in a manner that likely directly resulted in more points for the Patriots and less points for their opponents.

So, logically, it should follow that Goodell should come down like a ton of bricks on the Belicheater. Supposedly, he's not afraid to banish superstars. Supposedly, he's not afraid to punish non-player personnel. There's no other choice but to banish Belichick from the Patriots facility for several games. That's the only way to give back the points he stole. Does Goodell have the stones to make Belichick a Vick-tim. There's no other choice. Is there?