Learn the Rules, Harbaugh

From Pro Football Talk,:


"The current Collective Bargaining Agreement bars teams from practicing in full pads until training camp, but the Ravens may have violated that rule during their recent rookie minicamp.
Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports that the NFL is investigating the Ravens for using full pads during a session at that camp. A team official told Hensley that the Ravens are not aware of any investigation by the league, but said that there was “a five-minute period” during one practice that saw players in full pads during a non-contact punt drill"




From an e-mail from Colts Equipment Manager Sean Sullivan to Colts GM Ryan Grigson, after receiving a tip/complaint from the Baltimore Ravens (January 17, 2015)


"Patriots will let some air with a ball needle because their quarterback likes a smaller football so he can grip it better, it would be great if someone would be able to check the air in the game balls as the game goes on so that they don't get an illegal advantage."


Look, to paraphrase Ryan Grigson, all I want is a completely level playing field. It's about protecting the shield and the overall integrity of the game. The Ravens indicated to the Colts that the Patriots may be gaining a slight competitive advantage through equipment. The Colts went on to tell the NFL. It spawned a brief, concise investigation that ended neatly, with Tom Brady being served a four game suspension, the Patriots being fined one million dollars, and losing two draft picks, including this years first rounder.


At the time of the investigation, I didn't understand what the big deal was. I'm older now. I get it. Equipment violations are serious business. One day I'll have kids, and they'll probably play soccer, because we'll live in Massachusetts and everyone is required to play youth soccer. And let's say one day my kid plays in a game that he loses 6-0, and let's further say that I find that out that the opposing goalie was banging on non-existent shin guards during the pre-game check? I'll stop at nothing to make sure that kid never plays a down of soccer again. Or whatever the soccer equivalent of "down" is. It's about fairness.


So while wearing pads in a pre-pre season rookie minicamp drill may seem completely inconsequential, much like a team possibly deflating a football by .02 PSI in a 45-7 blowout may seem inconsequential, rules are rules, as the old saying goes. If those rookies were to gain an edge by participating in a drill that no other team in the league is allowed to perform, and carry that edge into the season, where they earn a victory on that edge, well then the whole league goes down in flames. In order to achieve fundamental fairness, in the interest of maintaining a completely level playing field, it is only fair, in the purest sense of the word, to fine the Baltimore Ravens NO MORE than $1,000,000, to have the Ravens forfeit NO MORE than two draft picks (including one first rounder), and to suspend each and every rookie who participated in that drill NO MORE than four games. This isn't about petty revenge, it's about what's right. And this is the only thing that's right.