brakos82
Yaters Gonna Yate.
Thank God for this article. I was beginning to think everyone in America had lost their ****ing minds.
Pro football: Hall of Famer Campbell says Patriots deserve asterisk
[SIZE=-1]Chad Peters
Express-News Staff Writer[/SIZE]
Having gradually lost interest in the pro game, the legendary Earl Campbell said he doesn't follow the NFL much these days.
But that didn't stop the Hall of Fame running back from sounding off Wednesday on one of the league's season-long hot topics.
Stating the New England Patriots' Spygate scandal was nothing but pure cheating, Campbell drew a stark contrast between the character of Cowboys coach Wade Phillips a longtime friend going back to their time together with the Houston Oilers and Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
In fact, if Campbell had his way, he said Belichick would be out of the NFL and the Patriots would be stripped of their three Super Bowl victories following the spying incident that drew Belichick a $500,000 fine and cost the Patriots a first-round pick.
I think if I was the commissioner, I would fire him, Campbell said. And I'd also fix it so he couldn't coach in the NFL anymore. And those teams that played (and won three Super Bowls), I'd consider that a tie. The other teams would get a ring, too.
Campbell was one of a handful of former professional athletes in town to promote the launching of the Triton Sports Center, a health club that will provide young athletes specific sports training particularly in football from pros. The center, located southeast of the Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 intersection, is expected to open late in the spring.
Campbell, who was using a walker, said his inspiration to help such a venture is to provide young athletes life lessons and the value of education through sports.
Considering as much, Campbell said it's a bad example if the Patriots (13-0) go on to win the Super Bowl.
We try to teach our young kids how to be honest and all that, Campbell said, and here we've got grown people. ..... (Belichick) is no better than those guys in baseball taking them steroids.
..... If they win the Super Bowl, I think there should be an asterisk by the Patriots' name. And if they don't win, I still think there should be an asterisk by their name. Because that's wrong. A lie is a lie.
Campbell said his opinion wouldn't change even if other teams also were found to employ secretive videotaping tactics.
Belichick got caught, he said. He did a good job of doing it, too. ... He got away with it.
I often wondered because, man, when you win the Super Bowl, it's like you move on and go to other teams. But all those guys kept staying there. I knew there was something. And all of a sudden this cheating came out and I said, Ah, boy. That's it.'
Asked what he would think if he discovered one of his former coaches videotaped opponents, Campbell said he wouldn't respect him as an individual.
Campbell likely wouldn't expect Phillips to be accused of such.
Praising his former coach for his character and what he stands for, Campbell said Phillips deserved the success he has had in leading the Cowboys to a franchise-best 12-1 mark.
Smiling widely, Campbell recalled how he used to like to mess around with Phillips the Oilers' defensive coordinator in Campbell's first three NFL seasons (1978-80) during extra-point drills. Campbell would interrupt the drills by getting linemen to jump offside.
Wade would get so upset, Campbell said, laughing heartily.
Pro football: Hall of Famer Campbell says Patriots deserve asterisk
[SIZE=-1]Chad Peters
Express-News Staff Writer[/SIZE]
Having gradually lost interest in the pro game, the legendary Earl Campbell said he doesn't follow the NFL much these days.
But that didn't stop the Hall of Fame running back from sounding off Wednesday on one of the league's season-long hot topics.
Stating the New England Patriots' Spygate scandal was nothing but pure cheating, Campbell drew a stark contrast between the character of Cowboys coach Wade Phillips a longtime friend going back to their time together with the Houston Oilers and Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
In fact, if Campbell had his way, he said Belichick would be out of the NFL and the Patriots would be stripped of their three Super Bowl victories following the spying incident that drew Belichick a $500,000 fine and cost the Patriots a first-round pick.
I think if I was the commissioner, I would fire him, Campbell said. And I'd also fix it so he couldn't coach in the NFL anymore. And those teams that played (and won three Super Bowls), I'd consider that a tie. The other teams would get a ring, too.
Campbell was one of a handful of former professional athletes in town to promote the launching of the Triton Sports Center, a health club that will provide young athletes specific sports training particularly in football from pros. The center, located southeast of the Loop 1604 and U.S. 281 intersection, is expected to open late in the spring.
Campbell, who was using a walker, said his inspiration to help such a venture is to provide young athletes life lessons and the value of education through sports.
Considering as much, Campbell said it's a bad example if the Patriots (13-0) go on to win the Super Bowl.
We try to teach our young kids how to be honest and all that, Campbell said, and here we've got grown people. ..... (Belichick) is no better than those guys in baseball taking them steroids.
..... If they win the Super Bowl, I think there should be an asterisk by the Patriots' name. And if they don't win, I still think there should be an asterisk by their name. Because that's wrong. A lie is a lie.
Campbell said his opinion wouldn't change even if other teams also were found to employ secretive videotaping tactics.
Belichick got caught, he said. He did a good job of doing it, too. ... He got away with it.
I often wondered because, man, when you win the Super Bowl, it's like you move on and go to other teams. But all those guys kept staying there. I knew there was something. And all of a sudden this cheating came out and I said, Ah, boy. That's it.'
Asked what he would think if he discovered one of his former coaches videotaped opponents, Campbell said he wouldn't respect him as an individual.
Campbell likely wouldn't expect Phillips to be accused of such.
Praising his former coach for his character and what he stands for, Campbell said Phillips deserved the success he has had in leading the Cowboys to a franchise-best 12-1 mark.
Smiling widely, Campbell recalled how he used to like to mess around with Phillips the Oilers' defensive coordinator in Campbell's first three NFL seasons (1978-80) during extra-point drills. Campbell would interrupt the drills by getting linemen to jump offside.
Wade would get so upset, Campbell said, laughing heartily.