New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is under fire again. This time a former player is tossing out accusations that the coach paid him to start fights. Defensive lineman Chad Eaton says that back in 1995 Belichick paid him to start skirmishes in practice. Belichick has since denied Eaton’s claim.

Eaton played in the National Football League for eight seasons. In 1995 he was on the Cleveland Browns practice squad, when the alleged payments occurred. He played again under Belichick in 2000 with the Patriots, but no mention is made of payments taking place then. In 2001 he was cut by the Patriots and latched on with the Seattle Seahawks.

Why this is news I’m really not sure. It happened 16 years ago with a totally different team. The fact that Eaton started fights isn’t a big deal, it is a tactic used by coaches for years, payment for the fights is definitely where the problem sits. Still this seems to me to be a non-story.

There is a statute of limitations on many crimes in the United States, maybe we should enact these same rules on accusations in sports. Last week it was Reggie Jackson going on about how Billy Martin used racist language while both were with the New York Yankees in the late 1970s. I guess Eaton should at least get points for not disparaging a guy 22 years after his death like Jackson did.

I lied to you all earlier in this article. I said I didn’t know why this was news, but I actually do. Flogging Bill Belichick and the Patriots is a sport in and of itself on the internet. People get super clever and call the coach Bill Belicheat and think they are the first to have come up with such brilliance. For us Patriots fans that is fine. Our team has won three Super Bowls and, as long as Tom Brady and Belichick are around, there is a possibility of another. So go ahead and pile on it doesn’t matter, everyone hates a winner.

As for Chad Eaton he got his 15 minutes of fame now he can fade back into obscurity. Exactly what he has gained from these revelations I’m not sure, but does anybody really like a rat?

Darren Pare has been a New England Patriots fan for over 25 years and Steve Grogan and Troy Brown are still his favorite players.

More from this contributor:

The Five Best Wide Receivers in Patriots History

The Five Best Baseball Announcers of All Time

The Five Worst Baseball Announcers of All Time

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Read More: New England Patriots

The official New England Patriots schedule for the 2011 NFL season was released on Tuesday night, with the Pats opening up against the Miami Dolphins on the road on Monday, September 12, 2011.

Per usual, the Pats-Dolphins game on Monday night will be broadcast on ESPN, as the Worldwide Leader purchased the rights to the iconic weeknight broadcast from ABC in 2005.

The Patriots’ home opener comes in Week 2 when New England hosts the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, September 18. New England heads back on the road to take on the division rival Buffalo Bills in Week 3 before heading out west for a match-up with the Oakland Raiders in Week 5.

Then, there’s the big rematch with the hated New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Week 5. New York knocked New England out of the playoffs in the second round of the 2011 NFL Playoffs last season, winning 28-21.

In total, the Patriots have four nationally televised games, all of which will appear on either ESPN’s Monday Night Football or NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Following their nationally televised against the Dolphins, the Patriots game against the Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium in Week 10 will be broadcast on Sunday Night Football.

The Pats will steal the national spotlight once again one week later when they host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11 on Monday Night Football. Finally, the Pats’ home game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 will be on Sunday Night Football.

Here’s a look at the complete schedule, straight from Patriots.com.

New England Patriots (14-2, 1st Place AFC East – 2010)

Then again, this schedule could mean absolutely nothing if indeed there is no season in 2011. That lies in the hands of Roger Goodell, DeMaurice Smith and the United States court system. 

For more on the 2011 NHL schedule, visit SB Nation. As always, for everything Patriots related, check out Pats Pulpit.

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