BadMoFo

Patriots caught on tape
Face punishment from commish

By John Tomase
The Patriots thought they could win the Border War with pure firepower, but like all scrappy, overmatched foes, the Jets countered with guerrilla tactics.

And now the 38-14 victors are reeling instead of rolling, exposed by an enemy coaching staff that knows their deep, dark secrets better than any in the league.

With a number of Jets coaches - including head man Eric Mangini - experienced in some of the Patriots’ more underhanded maneuvers, the Jets went where other teams wouldn’t dare, ratting out their rivals for illegally videotaping defensive signals.

And now it looks like the Pats are going to pay.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell believes the Patriots broke the rules and intends to punish them, according to a league source. The news, first reported by ESPN.com, means the Patriots could lose draft picks and be fined.

“It’s embarrassing is what it is,” said former NFL defensive lineman Mike Golic. “At some point, my god, you just have to line up and play ball. Sometimes coaches get too out of hand trying to steal something instead of just feeling confident.

“The Patriots had the best offseason of anybody. They have the best team on paper. They dominated the Jets in Week 1. And now you’re going to get caught for this? Come on. I’ll use the word again - it’s embarrassing.”

The Patriots have until Friday to plead their case by phone, but they shouldn’t expect leniency if Goodell’s history on player misconduct is any indication.

Spokesman Greg Aiello said the league has not yet decided whether to punish the Pats.

However, league insiders believe Goodell was swayed by what he saw on the camera that was confiscated from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella, a 26-year-old in his fourth year with the team. Coming on the heels of similar allegations by the Packers, Lions, and one other unnamed team last season, the evidence has mounted.

There also are questions regarding the Patriots’ use of radio frequencies during the game.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters in Pittsburgh. “Those rumors are founded on something. So it’s not totally shocking, no.”

The competition committee is expected to address the issue, possibly with tougher rules for next season. It can also recommend the Patriots lose draft picks, although only Goodell can make that decision.

“The first thing that came to mind is, there will not be another visiting person on the sidelines with a camera ever again,” said former punter/linebacker Paul Maguire. “That crap is over.”

What’s only just beginning is the Jets-Pats war. It should come as no surprise that the Jets caught the Patriots in the act. The Pats had used the same cameraman to do the same thing on the Packers’ sideline last season, when current Jets quarterbacks coach Brian Daboll was wide receivers coach for the Patriots, and Mangini undoubtedly witnessed many of their tactics firsthand.

But that hasn’t stopped a number of Pats-Jets shenanigans since Mangini became the HC of the NYJ. Last year, for instance, television cameras caught Jets linebacker Matt Chatham - a former Patriot - practically frisking a ballboy who was supposed to be standing on the line of scrimmage, but had instead migrated behind Mangini on the Jets bench.

Golic wonders what the point is. Not only are the Patriots more talented than the Jets, they’re more talented than pretty much everybody.

“If you’re a player, you’d hate to think your team would even do this kind of thing,” he said. “It’s disheartening. You think you just dominated a team, but wait a minute, we’re stealing signs. I have a hard time believing that’s the reason they were winning games. It just seems like such an unnecessary avenue to pursue.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft, appearing at a charity event in Mansfield, was asked when he expected a verdict, but said those questions had to be directed toward Goodell.

“There is an investigation going on now, and perhaps an adjudication of it, and I think it would be inappropriate at this time to make any comment,” Kraft told The Associated Press. “When you’re successful in anything, a lot of people like to try to take you down and do different things. We understand that.

“We worked very hard to try to put an organization together that we all could be proud of in New England, and we’re very proud of the New England Patriots organization and the record that they’ve established over the last 13 seasons and one game."

primetime

I agree with Golic on this one. It's pretty embarassing; the Patriots are so good that they shouldn't have to resort to this type of crap.

sanvara

"The Pats had used the same cameraman to do the same thing on the Packers’ sideline last season, when current Jets quarterbacks coach Brian Daboll was wide receivers coach for the Patriots"

WTF?!!!

If this statement is true this borders on something pathological. This is like the problem gambler who can't stop gambling. Is BB so addicted to winning that he will do anything, including taking foolish risks in breaking the rules to win games? No one with any common sense of risk and reward would videotape the Jets when a former Pats coach now with the Jets was aware of this same employee engaging in this same activity when he was with the Pats. That's such a foolish risk to take you really have to wonder what is going on with BB's decision-making. It's like he's lost his reasoning ability in the same way a compulsive gambler has.

PATRIOT64

The Bills are the unnamed team also adding to the list of complaints of camera taping

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Satchboogie3

I just really hope this is just Belichick's way of getting all teams to stop doing it and getting radio-signaling for the defense.

BadMoFo

Yo Sanjaya, you gonna be here Sunday night? I know a few people who will want to have a word with you.

sanvara

Yo BadMooShooPork, I wouldn't eat your namesake Chinese dish on Sunday night if I were you. The MSG and the loss will have you breaking out in hives the shape of Charger lightning bolts.

MoLewisrocks

Careful there mofo - it's a violation of lots of peoples rules to print entire articles let alone without a link.

That said, the only information in the article that has any basis in fact is:

"Spokesman Greg Aiello said the league has not yet decided whether to punish the Pats."

The rest of it is half ESPN patented league source generated speculation and a boatload of wishful thinking. Not to mention comments from a first year HC like Tomlin who should be seen and not heard. You couldn't pry comments like these out of BB regarding any other coach or organization in the league.

Bill came up through the ranks of a coaching fraternity. A lot of younger HC's and GM's see themselves as the new young guns of the league and they don't ascribe to the code their predecessors adhered to. What they will ultimately find out is payback administered by a throwback is a biatch.