NFL fines Patriots and coach $750,000 total for videotaping signals; draft picks to be forfeited
9/13/2007NEW YORK New England coach Bill Belichick was fined the NFL maximum of $500,000 Thursday, and the Patriots were ordered to pay $250,000 for videotaping an opponent s offensive and defensive signals.
Commissioner Roger Goodell also ordered the team to give up next year s first-round draft choice if it reaches the playoffs and second- and third-round picks if it doesn t.
This episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid longstanding rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field, Goodell said in a letter to the Patriots.
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