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The Patriots were docked two OTA practices and Bill Belichick was fined $50,000 dollars by the NFL last week for violating OTA protocol.

According to NBC Sports Boston, someone from the NFL Players Association noticed that one of the optional offseason meetings was a violation. The 15-minute meeting in question was visible on an internal schedule. The meeting in question was a special teams meeting run by Joe Judge.

In the eyes of the NFLPA, this made the meeting mandatory not optional. That is why it is a violation.

The reality is, this probably happens all the time given the amount of loopholes in off-season rules but the Patriots got caught and were punished.

The national reaction to the story has been over the top as usual. The national media is conflating this incident with Spygate and Deflategate. They are citing this incident as yet another example of Belichick’s arrogance and his willingness to cheat.

Look, is this a bad look for Belichick and the Patriots? Sure. Is it them trying to utilize a possible loophole? Maybe. Is it that big of a deal? No! It is not ideal to lose two OTA practices but let’s not make this a national story. The only reason it is, is because it is the Patriots. Any other franchise does this and it is a sidebar non-story.

The bottom line is, Belichick and the staff need to dot their I’s and cross their T’s. He needs to do a better job of making sure his staff stays in schedule. That’s it!

If you think one 15 minute special teams meeting is going to give the Patriots enough of an advantage that it swings the balance of power in the AFC, you are out of your mind.

I know I am coming across as a Patriots defender but I don’t think spending an extra 15 minutes in a meeting is scandalous. This incident means nothing in the big picture. The Patriots will get past this latest “scandal” and be fine.

Bottom line, it’s OTA’s. That’s it! Come talk to me when the Patriots are involved in an actual scandal again.