[lepton]

The memo was in 2007, and it was in regards the location that the taping was from.

The memo, unfortunately, didn’t reflect an actual rule. The referenced rule specified that no taping of any type could be used during the game...which Belichick was explicitly exonerated of, and which even your having the tapes yourself would be unrevealing regardless of what was on them. Again, that the Pats were being videotaped with their line calls being collected with shotgun mikes, and tapes with those recordings given to and used by the Dolphins had just been deemed not to violate any rules.

Stealing signals was not, and is not illegal. You just can’t use video to do it during the game. The memo created an unsupported rule which also limited the places the camera could reside...which was the violation.

There was never any evidence presented that the Patriots taped any practices...there wasn’t even an accuser.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Stealing signals was not, and is not illegal."

After the investigation, Goodell determined that what they did was in violation of league rules. They fined Belichick 500,000 which was the maximum he could be fined and the highest fine ever imposed on a coach in the history of the NFL and the took away a first round draft pick. You can spin it any way you want, but the above facts are not in dispute. It's what happened.