Former Panthers Fullback Believes Patriots Cheated In Super Bowl XXXVIII

[Steve0x]

The New England Patriots are not even a part of the Super Bowl week festivities this year, but they’re still being accused of skirting the rules. Retired fullback Brad Hoover was a member of the Carolina Panthers team that lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII, and he told WFNZ 610 AM on Thursday that he truly believes New England had to pull a dirty trick or two to secure their 32-29 victory. “Can I prove they cheated? No,” Hoover said, as transcribed by ProFootballTalk. “But deep down in my heart, I think they did.” Hoover’s primary accusation — and one other members of the Panthers organization have raised in the past — was that the Patriots had prior knowledge of the Panthers’ game plan. The 39-year-old pointed to how Carolina was able to move the ball much more efficiently after making some halftime adjustments. “At halftime, we changed our whole offensive game plan, and that’s one of the advantages of having that long intermission,” Hoover told the Charlotte radio station. “How did they know what we were doing? The play in the second half was a lot different. We were able to put a lot more points on the board, and I think that’s a part of it.” The Panthers scored just nine more points in the second half than they did in the first, however, and didn’t manage a single point in the third quarter. Carolina did outscore New England 19-18 in a wild fourth quarter, but it wasn’t quite enough for Hoover’s squad to overcome its 14-10 halftime deficit. Fans of both teams know all too well how the game ended: Panthers kicker John Kasay booted a kickoff out of bounds with just over a minute to play, setting up Adam Vinatieri’s second Super Bowl-winning field goal in three years.

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2016/02/former-panthers-fullback-believes-patriots-cheated-in-super-bowl-xxxviii/

 

Oh geez can we stop with this? Enough with deflate gate

[AsianRice]

cheat or not cheat; luck will beat both of those things at any day and any time.....

[The Raven]

Hoover sounds bitter. You can hate him all you want but Belichick is the absolutely best game planner in the league, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Panters' inability to able to move the ball in the first half is hardly evidence of the Patriots cheating.

Edited February 6, 2016 by The Raven

[Tank 92]

7 hours ago, The Raven said:

Hoover sounds bitter. You can hate him all you want but Belichick is the absolutely best game planner in the league, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Panters' inability to able to move the ball in the first half is hardly evidence of the Patriots cheating.

 

Hate or bitterness doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it. Given the facts of spygate that occurred a couple of years after SB 38 it's really not that much of a stretch to think that Hoover's accusations could be spot on.  And it also could be that Bill is, as you suggest, a great game planner. But just as happens in any situation in life, once your character is brought into question it opens the door for suspicion of wrong doing in anything you do, especially when you haven't offered any public sign of admission or regret.

Admire him all you want,  you have to recognize the fact that he was caught cheating and it's possible that any of his accomplishments could have been aided by cheating as well. 

[ALPHA]

Habitual cheats. Water is wet.