Report: Patriots Videotaped Bills
Posted by Matt Loede on May 9th, 2008 in News
The Patriots spied on the Bills and videotaped them in order to steal their signals, according to the “New York Times”. The Patriots reportedly videotaped five of their opponents between 2000 and 2002. That was in addition to the taping of the Jets for which the Pats were already fined $750-thousand and lost a first-round draft pick.
Tags: new york times
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May 9th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Your report above is inaccurate/incomplete. The Patriots were fined and penalized their 1st rd pick because of ‘all’ of the videotaping they had done and surrendered to Goodell…and that includes the taping of the Bills and several other teams from 2000-2002. Apparently nothing new was learned from the 8 tapes Walsh handed over.
And as a side note, I ask, if teams aren’t continuing to steal signals from the sidelines or from above in the booth, why is it that the coordinators cover their mouths with the play card when calling in the plays? Hmmmm
Here’s the obvious answer, all teams steal signals and many if not all probably do it from cameras and/or binoculars from the booth above….unless they have the someone with bionic vision on their payroll.
The Patriots were fined because they ignored the memo and new rules Goodell put in place before last year’s season started. In actuality, what the Patriots did in previous years was NOT illegal. But yes after 2006 they should have been punished for being brash and ignoring Goodell’s new emphasis on stealing signals. Goodell knew that all teams were stealing signals in one way or another.
And the simple fact that coordinators still cover their mouths when calling in the signals clearly indicates that teams must still be stealing signals. It’s the nature of sport. Look at baseball and their funny series of hand to mouth/arm type signals to tell their players to swing, steal, throw a certain pitch etc. The spygate thing was way way way overblown, period. And in the end, all teams are still stealing signals in whatever creative/super sleuth way they can…in all sports.
As Jimmy Johnson and Parcels put it best, if you don’t want your signals stolen, just change them up frequently….just like they do in baseball.
Ted in San Diego