Spygate
Deflategate wasn’t the first instance in which the NFL came down hard on the Patriots.
Back in 2007 the franchise was accused by the New York Jets of illegally taping their practices as a means to gain an advantage on game days. After an investigation, the league determined the Patriots had, indeed, broken the rules.
Bill Belichick claimed he didn’t realize he had been breaking any rules, but he was slapped with a $500,000 fine by the league. The team was also fined $250,000 and it lost its first-round draft pick for the 2008 NFL Draft in the aftermath of the investigation.