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Brady suspension could span up to one season
DerekJohnson
Administrator, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 60,107
in NFL Talk
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Valuable rest in the run for cinco lombardies.
He has his 4 rings, he'd go out on top. The NFL would never make a martyr out of its golden boy in this scenario.
Winners want to win. Just like that Rookie knew what Russel was going to do on the INT. The Pats and Brady are champs because they want to be champs more than the next team.
I agree Brady doesn't get a full year but I bet he gets 4 games at minimum.
The implications on how this has contributed to how the Pats have fumbled such significantly fewer times than the rest of the football world are really interesting. I didn't think they'd come out and say the Pats were at fault, but now that they have, they're going to have to do something.
It's Roger Goodell, what could go wrong?
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Bill Belichick
Roger Goodell
The 2007 New England Patriots videotaping controversy, widely dubbed "Spygate",[1][2] refers to an incident during the National Football League's (NFL) 2007 season when the New England Patriots were disciplined by the league for videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals during a September 9, 2007 game. Videotaping opposing coaches is not illegal in the NFL but there are designated areas allowed by the league to do such taping. The Patriots were videotaping the Jets' coaches from their own sideline which is not allowed. The act was deemed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to be in violation of league rules, causing him to say when penalizing the Patriots that this episode represents a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid long-standing rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field. After an investigation, the NFL fined Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 (the maximum allowed by the league and the largest fine ever imposed on a coach in the league's 87-year history) for his role in the incident, fined the Patriots $250,000, and docked the team their original first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft which would have been the 31st pick of the draft.[3] The fine garnered significant media attention for being the "maximum amount" an individual could be fined.
As part of their probe into the allegations, the NFL required the Patriots to turn over all notes and tapes relating to the taping of opponents' defensive signals; the Patriots complied with the order and the NFL reviewed and then destroyed the materials.[4] This action was criticized on February 1, 2008 – 2 days before Super Bowl XLII — by U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, who requested to meet with Goodell. After meeting with Goodell on February 13, 2008 Specter reported that Goodell told him that Belichick had been engaged in the practice since he became head coach of the Patriots in 2000.[5] Belichick said he believed he was operating within the rules as long as the tape was not used during the same game.[6]
Nearly six months after the incident, the Boston Herald reported, citing an unnamed source, that the Patriots had also videotaped the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002,[7] an allegation denied by Belichick[6] and later retracted by the Herald. Meanwhile, Matt Walsh, a Patriots video assistant in 2001 who was fired after the team's 2002 season, told the media the same week that he had information and materials regarding the Patriots' videotaping practices, but demanded an indemnity agreement before speaking with the NFL.[8]
The NFL reached a deal with Walsh on April 23, 2008 and arranged a meeting between Goodell and Walsh.[9] Prior to the meeting, Walsh sent eight videotapes, containing opponents' coaches' signals from the 2000 through 2002 seasons, in accordance with the agreement.[10] Goodell and Walsh met on May 13, 2008, at which time Walsh told Goodell he and other Patriots employees were present at the Rams' walkthrough to set up video equipment for the game but that there was no tape of the walkthrough made; as a result, Goodell told the media no additional penalties would be brought against the Patriots.[11] Less than 24 hours later, the Herald issued an apology for the article about the alleged walkthrough tape.[12]
Contents [hide]
1 NFL Security confiscate video camera
1.1 Penalty and fines
1.2 Initial response
1.3 Legacy
2 Congressional attention
2.1 Arlen Specter
2.2 Goodell agrees to meeting
2.3 Goodell and Specter meet
3 Further accusations against the Patriots
3.1 Matt Walsh emerges
3.2 Boston Herald report
3.3 Willie Gary lawsuit
3.4 The Patriots respond
3.5 NFL/Walsh indemnity agreement
3.6 May 13, 2008 meetings
3.6.1 Walsh sends tapes in advance
3.6.2 Walsh and Goodell meet
3.6.3 Walsh and Specter meet
3.7 The Boston Herald apologizes
3.8 Specter calls for independent investigation
4 Accusations in 2010 against Broncos
5 See also
6 References
NFL Security confiscate video camera[edit]
On September 10, 2007, Belichick was accused by the Jets of authorizing his staff to film the Jets' defensive signals from an on-field location, a violation of league rules. NFL Security confiscated the video camera used by video assistant Matt Estrella to film the signals during the game.[13] Jets Head Coach Eric Mangini—a former Patriots assistant coach—had reported the fact that the Patriots were taping from the sidelines to NFL Security.[14] Mangini later stated, "I didn't think it was any kind of significant advantage, but I wasn't going to give them the convenience of doing it in our stadium, and I wanted to shut it down. But there was no intent to get the league involved. There was no intent to have the landslide that it has become."[14]
Two days later, Belichick issued a statement "to apologize to everyone who has been affected," and also stated that he spoke with Goodell about Belichick's "interpretation of the rule."[13] Page 105 of the 2007 NFL Game Operations Manual states, "No video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game...All video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."[15] Belichick stated that he believed that if footage so collected was not used during the game, its collection was legal, as the NFL Constitution and Bylaws stipulate that "...any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited...including without limitation...any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game."[16] In a September 2006 memorandum sent out by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Ray Anderson, though, all teams were told that "videotaping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent's offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches' booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game."[16]
Penalty and fines[edit]
On September 13, for the "use of equipment to videotape an opposing team’s offensive or defensive signals,"[3] Belichick was officially fined $500,000 — the largest fine ever imposed on a coach in the league's then-87-year history,[17] and the maximum permitted under league rules. The Patriots were also fined $250,000, and stripped of their first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft; if the Patriots had missed the playoffs, they would have forfeited their second- and third-round selections instead.[3] Goodell said that he fined the Patriots as a team because Belichick is effectively the team's general manager as well as head coach, and exercises so much control over the Patriots' on-field operations that "his actions and decisions are properly attributed to the club." Goodell considered suspending Belichick, but decided that taking away draft picks would be more severe in the long run.[18] The Patriots officially clinched their fifth straight AFC East title on November 25, making them the first NFL team since the 1971 Miami Dolphins to have a first-round pick taken away by league action.[19]
The next day, Belichick issued a statement in which he apologized for what he called a "mistake" in his interpretation of the rules. However, he denied ever using videotape to gain an advantage while a game was underway, which Goodell also acknowledged.[20]
On September 16, Goodell ordered the Patriots to hand over all notes, tapes, and other materials related to the incident, threatening further discipline if the Patriots did not comply.[21] On September 20, the NFL announced they had received and destroyed the requested materials.[22] In his pre-Super Bowl XLII press conference, Goodell revealed the contents of the materials, saying there were six tapes from late in the 2006 season and the 2007 preseason.[23]
Initial response[edit]
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."[24]
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula commented on the incident on November 6, when the Patriots themselves were seven wins away from a perfect regular season, saying: "The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished. You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They've got it. ...I guess you got the same thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds' home run record. I guess it will be noted that the Patriots were fined and a number-one draft choice was taken away during that year of accomplishment." Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour responded, saying "I really don’t pay too much attention to it...Nothing that I’ve done or I’ve seen this team do should have an asterisk by it." Safety Rodney Harrison also dismissed the comments: "It really doesn’t matter. We have a lot of respect for [Shula] and he’s entitled to whatever he thinks. It just doesn’t matter."[25] After New England completed the regular season unbeaten, Shula commended the Patriots for doing "a great job of concentrating on each week's opponent and not letting any other distractions interrupt that focus."[26]
Legacy[edit]
In 2012, nearly five years removed from the incident, former Jets head coach Eric Mangini stated that "I think when you look at the history of success that [the Patriots] had after that incident, it’s pretty obvious that it didn’t play any type of significant role in the victories [the Patriots] had or the success that [the Patriots] had."[14] As of the conclusion of the 2011 NFL season, the Patriots had the best record in the NFL since Spygate, compiling a 48-16 record from 2008-11 (the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints were second best over that span at 45-19).[27]
Mangini was employed by the Patriots as an assistant coach and has three Super Bowl rings with the team.
The Patriots won 69.3 percent of their games while they were presumably taping signals; they have won 75.6 percent of games after the spygate scandal.[28]
Rush Limbaugh got it right; send him to KC.
Yep. I edited that.