For Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, the penalties imposed on the Patriots for Deflategate remind him of the sanctions levied on his alma mater USC.
Before Del Rio's induction into the Trojans Hall of Fame on Saturday, the former NCAA and NFL linebacker touched on the the NFL's ruling -- which docked the Patriots $1 million, two draft picks, and suspended quarterback Tom Brady for four games -- and how it compared to when USC received a two-year bowl ban and significant scholarship reductions after an investigation into extra benefits received by former USC running back Reggie Bush and his family.
"I think there are some similarities in terms of an overreaction, from my standpoint,'' Del Rio said. "I think it was a little bit overdone, but that's somebody else's problem right now.''
Del Rio told reporters that he wondered if the NFL would have been better served if it had simply warned its quarterbacks to cease and desist when it came to tampering with footballs. After all, Del Rio noted, quarterbacks throwing for thousands of yards and dozens of touchdowns is what has helped the game become as popular as it has.
Quite a statement coming from a defensive coach.
"Everybody understands that quarterbacks all want to get the balls how they like them, and why not?'' Del Rio said. "They throw these balls around, and one of the reasons the sport is so popular is the ability of guys like Peyton (Manning) and Brady to throw the ball the way they do.''
Former USC coach Pete Carroll was also asked about the NFL's handling of the Deflategate controversy, and he supported the league and the manner by which it went about the investigation.
New England Patriots
"Nobody wants to play this game thinking that somebody has some kind of advantage, players and fans alike," Carroll said, "and so they did the right thing in following up on it."