Posted on 05/08/2008 11:37:23 AM PDT by tobyhill
A former New England Patriots employee has sent the N.F.L. eight videotapes showing the team recorded play-calling signals by coaches of five opponents in six games between the 2000 and 2002 seasons, in violation of league rules.
But the group of tapes does not include video of the St. Louis Rams’ walk-through practice the day before the 2002 Super Bowl. The employee, Matt Walsh, had been linked to such a tape by news media speculation.
Walsh emerged as a pivotal figure in the spying controversy that enveloped the Patriots last season after they were caught taping Jets defensive signals in the season opener.
Walsh, who worked for the Patriots from 1997 to 2003, agreed to turn over the tapes and other evidence by Thursday under an agreement reached last month between lawyers for the N.F.L. and Walsh. The agreement indemnifies Walsh from all future legal fees.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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The other seven tapes are more sophisticated. They show shots of the opposing coaches’ signals, followed immediately by a shot of the play, usually from the end zone camera, Levy said.
The tape from the A.F.C. championship game is the most extensive, showing two angles of each play.
If the nfl tries to dismiss this as ‘old news’ they will loose even more credibility.
Does anyone really think the NFL cares who wins? The only score that matters is the box office.
Yawn.
Signed, 2002 Ram’s Football fan.
The only reason this is an issue is because of WHERE they taped it from, NOT that they taped it.
Ho Hum
and 29 VCR’s are working overtime erasing video tape.
Fire Goddell and replace him with Condi Rice.
So is the Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXVI 2002 championship in jeopardy?
There is no federal or state law being broken here.
This is a league rule being broken.
NEWSFLASH: Patriots Hire Joey Greco as New Head Coach.
If no law was broken then there’s no need for prosecution but even if there was, there is still no need for congressional intervention.
This cheating probably cost gamblers hundreds of millions of dollars. It is a massive fraud case. If I were one of those gamblers, I would be extrememly interested in someone getting to the bottom of this, and the NFL hasn’t seemed particularly interested in doing so.
This is a croc...teams have been stealing other team’s signals for decades...not just in football but baseball is even more “theft” prone.....all those centerfield cameras focused on the catcher’s signals. This is BS, and certainly nothing to be wasting congressional time on.
Matt Walsh
It’s not about WHO wins it’s about HOW they win. New England will wear this stain forever. They may as well take the 3 SB Championships they won and disavow them. It’s the only way they will regain an ounce of credibility.
I will be monitoring this situation.
If ANY member of the Congressional Delegation from Virginia participates in these “hearings”, then I will work to see them ousted from their elected position in the next election cyle.
I urge everyone from every state to do the same with their delegations.
Football is a GAME. There have been no federal laws broken here no matter how bad the “cheating” has been.
Congress has MUCH more important things they should be concerning themselves with besides jock-sniffing.
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