Posted on 09/11/2007 4:12:17 PM PDT by jmc813
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has determined that the New England Patriots violated league rules Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets' coaches, according to league sources.
NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets' defensive signals. Sources say the visual evidence confirmed the suspicion.
Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks" because it is the competitive violation in the wake of a stern warning to all teams since he became commissioner, the sources said. The Patriots have been suspected in previous incidents.
The Patriots will be allowed an opportunity to present their case by Friday, sources said, most likely via the telephone.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said on Tuesday that no official decision has been made and that the club has not been notified.
The league also was reviewing a possible violation into the number of radio frequencies the Patriots were using during Sunday's game, sources said. The team did not have a satisfactory explanation when asked about possible irregularities in its communication setup during the game.
Goodell is expected to have a decision no later than Friday but that is not set in stone.
They will just think to themselves, well, good thing we already got Randy Moss. We can stand to lose some draft picks.
I’m sorry the Pats stooped to this.
You forgot the sarcasm note. NFL teams steal signals on every play.
Patriots should have to forfeit game 1 (regardless of whether it helped them win or not). Otherwise, the Jets are the ones being punished. What is the NFL going to do? Take away 2nd and 5th round draft picks? Big deal! They should forfeit.
Should we let terror suspects go that we caught being they were able to perform their attack (becuase they did get to perform the attack)?
shouldn’t they forfeit the game as well?
Sheesh...like I needed ANOTHER reason to hate Belichek (pushing Peyton Manning aside after the Pats loss last year was quite enough).
In addition to cheating, the Pats hurt the Jets QB. Evil bast**ds.
I was being facetious with the penalty, but don't be ridiculous. This is a major allegation and the 'they all do it' line is not gonna fly. This is about the 4th time New England has been accused of such and the NFL put out warnings this year that absolutely no videoing taping of opposing teams signals will be tolerated (mostly because of NE past behavior). The NFL is talking about the Patriots losing multiple 1st day draft choices and suspensions. This is a serious black eye on NE and tarnishes their accomplishments.
Gee, guess you never heard of Chuck Noll or Tom Landry.
They'd better not take Brady's fantasy points away!
We used to do it in little league. That’s part of the game. If your signs get stolen, you’re not doing a good job of concealing them, which is also part of baseball.
When teams are using electronic surveillance to get your plays in football game is infinitely worse than trying to figure out hand signals in a baseball game.
Thought I was the only one.
Bellichek stole my homework. And he wears a grey sweatshirt.
(darn......ran out of crybaby rants already)
Forfeit all the games and draft picks you want NFL. I’ll be fourchamps by February. Wonder if Brady will be off the injury list by then.
Giggle.
Out of football...like an NFL “death penalty”?
I like it!
The NFL is just a freaking joke anymore. BS penalties and BS rules.
It ceased being exciting long ago.
I am serious...I am a Pats fan, and whether or not they did or didn’t tape is not why I find this interesting (and somewhat humerous)
Two points:
One, If they did what they are accused of, then they should be punished. As any conservative would agree, if you knowingly break a law, you cannot gripe if caught and punished.
Two, if anyone thinks that this is something isolated to the Patriots, they are smoking something. EVERY team is out there scratching for every advantage they can get, right up to the limit of the law, sometimes right on the line, and if this is true, over it too. That is, if they are worth the money the team owner is paying them. I am not being cynical, I am being realistic.
What I find humerous about this is the responses on this thread...all the people coming out of the woodwork with grievances of every stripe. Having been a football fan for a long time, I have been on the other side of it as well, which is what I find funny, not being there now.
I became a Redskins fan after I moved back to the states in 1971, and moved to Maryland...and began following football. I got completely eaten up with it, to the point I remember when I was on the USS JFK at sea, I would pace back and forth for hours near the radio shack on Sunday nights waiting for the NFL scores from the day to post. I eventually had to give it up for a long time...too much emotional energy invested in being a fan...:)
Now, I can enjoy it for what it is...and it IS fun. But it is a game to me, and a business to them.
That was NOT the first time nor the last time that the field immediately around the spot of the kick was cleared of snow for a kicker to kick a field goal. In fact I have seen the field cleared more often than not.
“You forgot the sarcasm note. NFL teams steal signals on every play.”
That is the job of the backup QBs during the game. They read lips and decode hand signals and record this on their clipboards.
The funniest sports article I have ever read was an interview with Doug Pederson(Farve’s long time backup) about what it was that he did exactly, since due to Farve’s durable health Pederson rarely every stepped out on the field. He said other than being the butt end of Farve’s pranks and jokes he was suppose to be looking over at the other side line trying to read coaches lips and any signals being called.
It wasn't exactly like that. From NFLHistory.net (not affiliated with the NFL):
You can't hang that on Victor Kiam.
It was December 12th, 1982, and the Miami Dolphins came to Schafer Stadium to take on the Patriots. The day before, it had rained the whole entire day, that night the temperatures had plummeted, and the entire field of Astroturf had frozen solid with ice. On game day, a Nor’easter storm blew in and presented both teams with a snowstorm that dumped about 9 inches of snow on the two teams as they played. Neither team could muster much offense, as both teams combined through the entire game recorded only 11 pass completions. It had turned into an ice dancing smash mouth running game for both teams, and it appeared the game would be played to a scoreless tie. Both teams missed field goals during the game. But with less than 5 minutes left in the game, the Patriots had moved their way to within field goal range once again.A time out was called, as John Smith (an interestingly fitting name), prepared to kick the field goal attempt. Mark Henderson was an inmate at the Walpole State prison. That day, he was on work release, running a snowplow at the stadium during the game. Quarterback Steve Grogan, and then head coach Ron Meyer, motioned for Henderson to drive his snowplow onto the field to clear the yard markers. When Henderson got to the spot where John Smith would be kicking from, he swerved his plow and brushed away the snow, giving Smith enough footing to attempt the field goal. Smith then made the 33-yard field goal, and the Patriots came away with a 3-0 win in the game. Don Shula was incensed, and accused the Patriots organization of deceitful practices, and the media went berserk over the snowplow driver.
Many stories followed that game, but the history was made, and Mark Henderson went down in New England legacy. Nowadays, it’s very rare to find a Patriot fan who has not at least heard of Mark Henderson, and what he did on that frozen December day also known as “The Snowplow Game”.
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