OT: ESPN nukes the Patriots, Goodell

[rats60]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

We knew that the statement provided by Mike Martz was changed to include things he never said? Or, that the Patriots had seven years worth of film, covering some 40 games?

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I think more comes out, and it gets worse and worse for both the NFL and Kraft/Belichick.

It should have been obvious that the Patriots had filmed 40+ games. There were complaints going back 7 years. Patriots' fans claims that it was only one game were beyond absurd.

Maybe not that Martz's statement was changed, but that it really wasn't true. You don't get cheated out of a SB ring and just be alright with it.

There is no doubt that Kraft knew some of what was going on before Spygate broke and was ok with the cheating. Other teams were complaining. The year before, the Packers caught them video taping. It took someone with inside knowledge, Jets coach, to finally get the NFL to act. Kraft was complicit in the cover up and allowed Belichick to keep his job. It's clear Kraft was ok with doing anything to win. Kraft is not stupid.

[Jeffrompa]

Ill be Brady's clown for 40 million a year . No problem . The whole thing was a farse in my opinion . No real penalty they knew what would happen in the end .

[steve B]

Taping other teams is common. The Pats kicked a Jets employee out of an un approved taping area before the whole spygate thing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3151217

What got them in trouble was ignoring the info sent out by the league about where the allowed places were.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_N...ng_controversy

"After footage from the actual tape was aired on Fox NFL Sunday on September 16, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson claimed, "This is exactly how I was told to do it 18 years ago by a Kansas City Chiefs scout. I tried it, but I didn't think it helped us." Johnson also said, "Bill Belichick was wrong because he videotaped signals after a memo was sent out to all of the teams saying not to do it. But what irritates me is hearing some reactions from players and coaches. These players don't know what their coaches are doing. And some of the coaches have selective amnesia because I know for a fact there were various teams doing this. That's why the memo was sent to everybody. That doesn't make [Belichick] right, but a lot of teams are doing this."[23]"

I'd have to say that any team that doesn't change their signals somewhat regularly is pretty foolish. Especially if they use the same signals for over a year.


Oddly, Baseball teams formally exchange annotated video of every at bat.
One of the books I have talks about Varitek altering pitch signals based on a formula involving info from the scoreboard, so the signals varied according to the inning and situation. The complexity was to avoid someone stealing signals.

Steve B

[KCRfan1]

I tend to agree, there is no new news here. Teams have scouted each other for decades and will always try to get a leg up on the other team. Like them or not, the Pats win. Any " supposed " cheating is in the eye of the beholder. Too bad the other owners, all 31 of them, don't have the balls to come out publicly and voice their displeasure rather than have ESPN be the mouthpiece. It would have been more impactful if it's true.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

I tend to agree, there is no new news here.

That's why we're not talking about it.

[KCRfan1]

Originally Posted by Runscott

That's why we're not talking about it.

Touche.....

[wolf441]

ESPN is, and has been, in Goodell's back pocket all along. To think that they "dropped a bomb on Goodell and the Patriots" ? Please. Goodell sanctioned this story to avoid Kraft (in his position as one of the top two most powerful owners) from leading the charge to have Goodell canned after Brady won his appeal. We already know that Kraft has stated that he now regrets not fighting the penalties to the team.

Kraft can't endorse firing Goodell now or he will look like he's reacting to this story. There's no real new information here. All the story does is tie Kraft and Goodell to the same achor and if Goodell is thrown overboard, he's taking Kraft to the bottom with him.

Taping signals, under/over inflating footballs, messing with the visitors speakers... I'm betting that this is done by every team in the league or at least those that are smart enough to change their signals during the year (that explains why the Patiots beat up on the Dolphins and Bills every year).

The Raiders of the 1970's used to tape the visitors locker room and shut off the hot water. The 1970's Steelers were the first team to use steriods in a major way. The 1970-'80's Dolphins had a head coach who was also chair of the rules committee (and Shula is a giant a-Hole, who ran a terrible chain of steakhouses, but I digress). the Cowboys and 49ers of the 1990's were the first to learn and best to employ measures to take advantage of the salary cap.

The whole issue is that the media hates Belichik because he won't give them anything useful. Non Patriot football fans hate the Patriots because they win so much and hate Brady because he's married to a supermodel and doesn't do 500 commercials like "aw shucks" Peyton Manning.

Spygate? DeflateGate? How about JealousyGate.

It doesn't help that ESPN and NFL Network have about 20 former players working for them that were all whupped by the Pats at one time or another....

[rats60]

[QUOTE=wolf441;145081


Spygate? DeflateGate? How about JealousyGate.

...[/QUOTE]

No jealousy here. It makes our SB wins much more special. Beating cheaters who couldn't cheat enough to win.

Illegal taping, steroids, trimming cards, shilling auctions, what's the difference? None.

[Runscott]

NM...