pats1

Well some do believe that it violated different types of fair-play laws.

Also, it was "illegal." By M-W definition, illegal can be "not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game)"

pats1

I think Andy Hart made a good point Thursday on PFW in Progress. In response to all those who asked "is video-taping opposing practices against the rules?", Hart said "is putting a stick of dynamite in the ball prior to kickoff specifically listed as being against the rules?"

PatriotsReign

Walsh is a liar & he has no tapes...end of story. Not many of us are worried about BB being fired or being suspended...not worried at all. There is a very strong & likely rumor around NFL circles that if that were to happen, out beloved coach Belichik (from whom all good things come) would blow the whistle & rat out everything he knows about cheating in the NFL.

If that were to happen, 99% of Patriot fans would cheer him on to the bitter end...eff the league! Let Belichik blow the effin league up if they want to crucify him. God knows (as do many others) he was not the only one to engage in questionable espionage.

So go ahead media, just try to use our coach as a sacrificial lamb...you won't the results of your witch hunt.

PatriotsReign

But our government can't just step in & cite one team and penalize one person just because the media has played this up for so long. It did not violate any "fair play law" because it gave no competitive advantage and thus should have died after Goodell levied his fines.

We can't even consider the Walsh rumor, so all we have is spygate1. Let's take this a step further & consider it was the Arizona Cardinals who were caught. Would the media put as much focus & attention upon them if they were caught video taping? And more importantly, would it have caught the attention of United States Senators?

We know for a fact the answers are NO & NO. So isn't that in essense a violation of fair trade & fair play? Think about it....

Mr.Muhozi

im honestly trying to ignore spygate, i guess being in england its a lot easier, but its still annoying wherever i go for pats info etc, all i ever see is either spygate or chokers, how hard is it for you guys overthere in the us since your exposed to it 24/7

PatriotsReign

And yet here you are...

good luck on your continued success ignoring spygate threads

Mr.Muhozi

yes i know its contradictory me saying im avoiding spygate, then talking about it on a thread, but i just wanted to know about you guys in america if its easy for you to avoid it w/o making a new thread

Hardboiled

This has been asked but I don't think there is a clear answer.

I'd love a timeline analysis, but I think the strange wording of the rules and the SOP of teams (see #3) makes it all muddled and more confusing in light of Goodell's original shock and severe penalty.

Here is a review of all the relevant rules/memos/etc that I'm aware of.


1. Page 105 of the Game Operations manual says: "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." It later says for "coaching purposes" that "All video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead." I don't understand the distinction "for coaching purposes." What other purposes are there?


2. NFL VP Ray Anderson: "Video taping 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."

No mention of "coaching purposes." Says sidelines instead of field. Stands and mezzanine appear ok.

3. NFL Spokesman Greg Aiello: "It is not uncommon for visiting team video crews to request permission to shoot coaching video from both upper end zone positions...Teams typically shoot coaching video from one upper 50-yard line location and one upper end zone location, but there are no restrictions on shooting from both upper end zone positions as long as the opportunity is provided to both teams. No permission is needed from the league office."
Typically?! What is untypical and ok? I don't understand if this an exception to #1 and #2? If so, what other exceptions happen? So the GB video would have been fine if done with GB's permission in line as they give other teams? The Jets camera guy was caught in the mezzanine. Fine if he had permission?


I believe the in game use ideas come from this:
4. NFL Constitution & Bylaws, "Any use by any club at any time, from the start to the finish of any game in which such club is a participant, of any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited, including without limitation videotape machines, telephone tapping, or bugging devices, or any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game."

Notice the last part "might aid a team during the playing of a game." It implies that game the taping is happening in.

5. Bill Bellichick. "We have never used sideline video to obtain a competitive advantage while the game was in progress...My interpretation of a rule in the constitution and bylaws was incorrect.” Notice that he references #4 and not Anderson's memo (#2) or Operation Manual (#1)
although those two items were referenced in most media articles/stories.

I suspect that BB held that #2 is meaningless as since none of it was being used for that game, it didn't apply. I wish if that was case, it was stated more clearly. "I read this(#4) and thought we were fine. The league says I should have paid more attention to #2. Then the discussion would have focused more on the where and how of what is allowed and not the knee-jerk "They video-taped and cheated."

JoeSixPat

As we now know, this has been going on since 1955. Even though this has been documented since 1967 it took a payoff from Comcast to Specter before he ever had any interest in delving into the topic


http://www.thesportgallery.com/sport...ug-nflspy.html

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Sean Pa Patriot

All i know is , and I think its safe to say that everyone here on this board feels this way.. If the patriots are tainted, and Belichick is not coaching the Patriots , because of this garbage.. Espn, and all other media outlets should be bombarded with loads of emails, pickets, and boycott anything we can..

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We going to take it one game at a time