Misinterpreting the Rules
Eric Mangini has the ignominious distinction of serving as the head coach of the of the most hopeless franchises in the NFL. The New York Jets, and the Cleveland Browns. He lasted three seasons with the Jets and followed that up with a dismal two seasons in Cleveland. He was far from the only coach to produce subpar results with either team and from the looks of it, he won’t be the last.
While Mangini’s coaching career will not be remembered for his win-loss record, it will be remembered. Prior to his head coaching jobs, he was employed by the New England Patriots as a defensive coordinator. In many respects he was a young protégé to the great Bill Belichick. His time with the Patriots was instrumental in preparing him for the rigors of coaching in the NFL. The Patriots taught him how to prepare, how to execute, how to win, and… how to cheat.
In September of 2007 Mangini’s Jets were in the beginnings of their season, with a game looming against the division rival Patriots. Mangini issued a directive to all stadium employees to be on the lookout for unauthorized Patriots staffers filming in the stadium during Jets home games. Mangini knew from his time in New England that the Patriots routinely filmed their opponents offensive and defensive signals so that they could learn to recognize them on the field. This gave the Patriots an advantage in knowing what their opponents were planning. It is also very much against NFL rules. Mangini had no intention of allowing his old employer to exploit his signals.
Almost immediately, stadium staff identified Patriots employees filming the signals and alerted officials who promptly escalated the infraction up the chain of command at NFL headquarters. When the dust settled the Bill Belichick was fined $500,000, while his team was fined another $250,000 and stripped of their first-round draft pick. When asked about the scandal, Belichick famously stated that he must have “misinterpreted the rules”.
When news of the scandal, and the subsequent “apology” broke, football fans were furious. But no fans were more disgusted than those who supported the Oakland (at the time) Raiders. Raiders fans, more than anyone else, know something about Bill Belichick. He does not misinterpret rules. In fact, you could make a case that Bill Belichick knows the NFL rulebook better than any referee in the league. And, to the detriment of Raider fans, he knows how to use that knowledge.
January 19th 2001. Foxboro, Mass. The Oakland Raiders were seconds away from punching their ticket to the AFC Championship game. They nursed a three-point lead as the clock dwindled. Snow was pounding as an unknown backup quarterback named Tom Brady dropped back to pass. As Brady began to move his arm in a passing motion, he saw the white jersey of Charles Woodsen come flying in form the strong side. Brady tried desperately to pull the ball back into his body as Woodsen slammed into him, but in the frigid weather he couldn’t hold on to the cold leather. The ball popped out of his grasp and was swallowed up by Raider linebacker Greg Biekert. The fumble, as the officials ruled, effectively ended the game, and the Raiders sideline erupted.
The Patriots sideline stared on in disbelief. Heads were stooped in defeat and eyes looked to the ground. Everyone except for coach Belichick. Belichick spoke with officials. Officials huddled together. They reviewed the replay. And somehow, in a way which Raider fans still can’t believe, they overturned the call.
They ruled the play an incomplete pass due to NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble.
Officials deemed that Tom Brady had been attempting to tuck the ball back into his body when Woodsen careened into him. Because of the that, the resulting fumble had actually been a forward pass that fell incomplete.
The Patriots kicked a field goal to tie the game. And kicked another field goal in overtime to win. Tom Brady had begun the year as the backup to Drew Bledsoe, who was by all accounts a talented and sought after quarterback. Brady was only playing because Bledsoe had suffered a season ending injury. As is often the case, most expected Bledsoe back as the started the following season rather than the unknown Brady. Had the Patriots lost that game, that’s likely exactly what would have happened. But the Patriots won that game. Then they went on to win the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady had been drafted to be Drew Bledsoe’s backup. But you don’t bench quarterbacks who win the Super Bowl. You start them. Th Patriots traded Bledsoe to the Bills, and Tom Brady went on to play in nine Super Bowls with the Patriots winning six of them. Even by those who hate him, he is regarded as the best quarterback to ever put on pads. And it may have only been possible because Bill Belichick knew the rulebook.
Your financial life is governed by a rulebook just like a football game. That rulebook is written by the IRS rather than the NFL. The US tax code is often joked about as being one of the most complicated sets of laws ever conceived, and those jokes are not far off the mark. The code is complex. The rulebook is thick. But just like in the NFL, knowing those rules (at least the ones that apply to you) can save you big time.
If I could recommend one thing to help you stretch your dollars further, it would be to sign up for an online course about personal income taxes. Don’t expect too much excitement. You’d be hard pressed to find a more boring topic. Taking the time to learn the rules will, however, be well worth your time, when it comes to the amount of tax you pay.
If the thought of signing up and completing a course sounds like nails on a chalkboard, do the next best thing. Hire a tax preparer or financial planner who knows the rules and can help you formulate a tax plan that can save you thousands.