http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3012989

Let's hope this is a misunderstanding, for the Patriots' sake.  I'm no Patriot fan to begin with, but I have a lot of respect for Belichick and Co. and the way they run their organization.  But if this is true, that's pretty bush on their part.

Personally, I think stuff like this has been going on for years. Anything for a team to get a edge. Look at the coaches when they call plays and have the playsheet over there mouths.  There was a rumour last year after the Pats were shutout against the Dolphins in Miami that Zack Thomas was wired with a mic in a previous meeting and were able to figure out Brady's audibles. Did they get caught? Nope. I think since the Pats are one of the elite teams and are under more scrutinity than other teams. It doesn't help either that they were suspected of it last year.

That may be, Geoff, but the league issued a statement to all teams heading into this season warning them about this very issue, and yet having that information and knowing the rules (and knowing that they had been semi-caught last year at Lambeau), the Patriots chose to continue doing this, and got caught in the very first game.

The Patriots are under scrutiny because they're breaking a rule that was a point of emphasis for Goodell this year, and because of rumors of this issue surfacing in the past (note Packers' president Bob Harlan saying the only reason the Packers were watching for this behavior was because they had "heard that the Patriots do that sort of thing") not because of how many wins they had last year or anything else due to their team's on-field reputation. You don't think the league would act on this if the Raiders or the Falcons or the Cardinals - teams that certainly have more of a "need" to do this than the talented Patriots would have - they would just turn a blind eye because they're not an "elite" team?  The word was out on New England, and they chose to continue trying to get away with it.  I really am not going to feel sorry for them when Goodell starts docking draft picks.

Quite frankly, they got caught and will have to deal with the consequences in the form of lost draft pick(s), fines, suspension.

Half a million dollars for Belichick (that's a lot of hoodies!), $250,000 for the team, and probably a 1st round draft pick unless they don't make the playoffs (then it's 2nd and 3rd round picks)

Definitely the kind of firm punishment we've come to expect from Goodell.  I think in a way Belichick is lucky to have gotten off without a suspension, but as Goodell said himself, the fines and draft pick(s) have more lasting consequences than a week's suspension without pay would.