(Why the hurry to destroy the evidence?) NFL says Patriots have sent in all spying scandal items Associated Press Updated: September 20, 2007, 9:21 PM NEW YORK -- The NFL has received and destroyed all materials it requested from the New England Patriots concerning videotaping of opponents' sidelines. A league statement Thursday said the team was in compliance with a request for tapes and other documents. "The Patriots have fully cooperated and complied with the requirements of the commissioner's decision," the statement said. "All tapes, documents and other records relating to this matter were turned over to the league office and destroyed, and the Patriots have certified in writing that no copies or other records exist. "League policies on in-game videotaping and audio communication will continue to be closely monitored and strictly enforced with all 32 teams." Last week, Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the team was fined $250,000 for violating a league rule that prohibits clubs from using a video camera on the sidelines for any purpose -- including recording signals relayed to opposing players on the field. New England also must forfeit a first-round draft pick next year if it makes the playoffs or a second- and third-rounder if it doesn't. A video camera aimed at Jets coaches was confiscated from a Patriots employee during the first quarter of the team's 38-14 win Sept. 9 over New York. Jets coach Eric Mangini has had a cool relationship with Belichick since leaving as Patriots defensive coordinator after the 2005 season. When asked if the Patriots' defensive players also used microphones or other recording devices in their shoulder pads to pick up Jets audibles, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said: "We have no evidence to support that claim." http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3029661
We look bad, real bad on this. I can't find any solid way to defend it so I just steal vitriolic stuff other people wrote and lash as best I can. ---- Slavish, perhaps even demented, pursuit of perfection... Madness? Genius? Total zeal and dedication to only one thing: coaching a winner. The truly great ones, like Lombardi, had this quality. Despite a truly brilliant performance from his team against the powerhouse Chargers, Belichick was not satisfied. No NFL QB is even close to Brady's rating after 2 games. Yet Belichick is concerned. Read the quip below.... Tom Bradyâs passer rating through two games: 134.2. Belichick must be satisfied with his offense then, right? "We left some points out there and we left some plays out there," he said. "Hopefully, we'll keep working hard and try to convert those." He may be a cheater. He is called all kinds of nasty names, such as arrogant and cold, and classless for wearing a beat-up dirty $5.00 sweat shirt during games. But his players revere him (explain that?) and he's the best coach in the NFL today, and arguably one of the best coaches ever produced...... Now his team is playing angry, which is the worst possible thing for the rest of the NFL.
Zzzz, could it be that the league does not trust its own employees not to leak (sell) the information to other teams? As for what Belichick did, I think it was a deliberate move on his part to get his team pumped up, angry and feeling like underdogs, since everyone was making them heavy favorites this year. Pure genius disguised as stupidity!
I don't think one of "the best coaches ever" would get himself fired from Cleveland for being such a miserable loozer there. Good team, good players, good organization, but cheaters. If their cheating is okay, then it is okay other cheaters to be celebrated? Barry Bonds is loved in Frisco, hated elsewhere. Fanatical fans always look the other way when it comes to their own... I see the same shit here with Merriman fans who don't care that he juiced, as long as he gets his sacks.
I don't think it was a deliberate move, he has been doing this for years, and was warned previously. Do I think he tries to foster the "Us against the world" schtick? Sure, whatever works on meat-head football players to get them to obey and play hard.