I haven't weighed in on this yet, so i figure i will. This is the rule in question:
This is the rule the pats 'apparently' (no ruling from the NFL, so we'll see) broke. What they did wrong was use video equipment, they didn't "cheat" as so many hear would like to believe. Every NFL team out there watches the other teams coaches to see signs of what they are doing, tendencies, ect... The problem here is that the pats brought their own video to the field. Trying to steal signals is not illegal, using video equipment, tape, ect.. is not illegal.........but bringing their own onto the field is.
Every team has coaches who watch the other sideline and try to pick stuff up during the game (including the pats) but the video isn't used for that. There is no way to match up film from certain plays with the play itself in order to 'get an advantage'....just no way to do that in the 10 minutes at halftime. The pats use this film of the coaches for the next time they play. The other team (jets in this case) would have already changed their signals...the pats are just looking for tendencies in how they call the game. Again doing this isn't illegal, teams do it all the time on film...the pats just used their own camera instead which is against the rules.
A lot of people have been looking for a reason to hate the pats, and this gives them that reason. The competition committee blew this up from the beginning because they are tyring to get the 'more radio's in helmet' rule passed and this will give them the ammo they need. (they have been short 2 votes so far)
This wouldn't have gone anywhere if it wasn't the pats, period. Last year Miami was caught getting signals of Brady's audibles at the line. They bought a tape of it, and also mic'd up dlineman to use at a later date. There wasn't a big deal made of this because Miami sucked, and nobody cared. (if the pats did that last year, it would be just as big as this is now)
The pats broke the rule of bringing the video onto the field (apparently, no NFL ruling) so they should be punished accordingly. However the comish no doubt will want to make an example out of them with this...i guess we'll see.