I think that was part of it, but I think the real reason the penalty was so harsh was a combination of the following:
- It was Goodell's rookie year and he felt (probably reasonably) that he could not look like someone who could be walked over.
- Related to that, Kraft is a very powerful owner and Goodell knew that if he stood up to Kraft the other owners would believe he could stand up to them as well.
- He knew he wouldn't get flak from the other owners because of jealousy of the Patriots on the part of the many of the other owners.
- By doing that the NFLPA couldn't say he always let owners off the hook and only disciplined players.
I really do think that if Cameragate happened in Goodell's, say, 5th year, or after the first time his contract was renewed, that the penalty would have been a lot less because he wouldn't have felt he had something to prove.
The main reason the punishment was so harsh by the league IMO was because it was the patriots who seem to have won with a lot of no name players and belichick who the media hates and potrayed as the ultimate villian. I can still remember weeks after this broke when steve young and schelerth said how much of a big adv it wouldve been for the pats to go into a halftime (12mins at most) check that tape, find out where the blitz is coming from throw the ball.It was so silly but the people at that crap up.
And the pats did one of the worst PR jobs in history in handling it.