Belichick intimates Spygate was much ado about nothing

[BradyManny]

On the rule that forces guards or centers to wear jersey mics: “I think that’s pretty much the way it’s been. They had it on the umpire so now the guy is six feet away instead of three feet away or whatever. I think if you look at the games where they broadcast the audio – I can definitely show you games that we’ve played in the past where you can hear just as much then as you can hear now. I mean we all know that. We all know how the games are being broadcast. It’s no different than when you’re signaling plays, you have ways – it’s no different than the third base coach – everybody knows he’s signaling to the batter. You have ways of making the signals hard to pick up or changing them or whatever – there’s different ways of doing it. I think that’s just part of the game.”

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Rap Sheet» Blog Archive » Patriots coach Bill Belichick talks about the Steelers, players being mic’d… and other stuff!

I hope Goodell sees this and can read between the lines here and see Belichick is still unhappy about the BS penalty that was sent his way for the spygate crap.

Kudos to Belichick for his ability to turn an innocuous question on mics & guards into a subtle shot at the NFL's idiot commissioner.

 

[patfanken]

Its been OBVIOUS since day one for anyone who knows anything about football that this was "much ado about nothing". 2 key facts never get mentioned (at least enough) in all this.

1. Trying to steal signals has NEVER been illegal in the NFL.

2. Nothing the Pats did on the day they were "caught", couldn't have been done with someone using binoculars and a clipboard instead of a camera and tape recorder.... only less efficiently....and it would have been fine with the NFL.

The policy against filming was just as stupid as a law saying its alright to steal, but just not with a gun. BB was just pointing out this obvious hypocracy. He erred in anticipating the reaction from the league. He erred in not fully explaining his side of the issue. He wasn't the only one to blame, but his error damaged the team. We can't get around it. We can only hope that some day the full story will be told.

BOTTOM LINE - The Pats gained NO competitive advantage from that filming, Certainly nothing short term, and anything they gained long term by tracking tendencies could have been gained LEGALLY but by less efficient methods.

 

[goheels22002]

Belichick is a true diplomat. In the interest of professionalism and loyalty to his proteges, Belichick left out a few words in his quote highlighted in red below:

On the rule that forces guards or centers to wear jersey mics: “I think that’s pretty much the way it’s been. They had it on the umpire so now the guy is six feet away instead of three feet away or whatever. I think if you look at the games where they broadcast the audio – I can definitely show you games that we’ve played in the past where you can hear just as much then as you can hear now. I mean we all know that except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. We all know how the games are being broadcast except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. It’s no different than when you’re signaling plays, you have ways – it’s no different than the third base coach – everybody knows he’s signaling to the batter except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. You have ways of making the signals hard to pick up or changing them or whatever – there’s different ways of doing it. But of course Eric Mangini had to make it look like some big cheating plot to try to compete with the Patriots, rather than just do his job and coach his team. I think that’s just part of the game, just like coaches who are incompetent often wind up as commentators before they reach a reasonable retirement age.”

 

[BradyManny]

BOTTOM LINE - The Pats gained NO competitive advantage from that filming, Certainly nothing short term, and anything they gained long term by tracking tendencies could have been gained LEGALLY but by less efficient methods.

Very well said.

 

[BlueThunder]

Typical BB interview..

Says alot but doesn't reveal alot.....

Nobody knows if Faulk will be ready to play vs Pitt.....but you still have to plan for him .....of course, Woody plays same so if your planning for Woody, you're almost planning for Faulk....

 

[Dragda]

BOTTOM LINE - The Pats gained NO competitive advantage from that filming, Certainly nothing short term, and anything they gained long term by tracking tendencies could have been gained LEGALLY but by less efficient methods.

They gained a competitve advantage or they wouldn't have been doing it. If they wanted the footage of signals to try and find tendencies, they would have filmed it from the coaches box discretely. Instead they filmed it out in the open as blatantly as possible to get in the heads of the signal callers on the other side. They are trying to influence the signal caller. If they signal in the same defense a few times per game, the coaches are going to get ancy and want to call something else or change their signals at halftime.

 

[fnordcircle]

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Rap Sheet» Blog Archive » Patriots coach Bill Belichick talks about the Steelers, players being mic’d… and other stuff!

I hope Goodell sees this and can read between the lines here and see Belichick is still unhappy about the BS penalty that was sent his way for the spygate crap.

Kudos to Belichick for his ability to turn an innocuous question on mics & guards into a subtle shot at the NFL's idiot commissioner.

If anything the fact he says that you disguise your stuff like a 3rd base coach does means that film would actually be valuable in decoding signals, so I don't see what you're getting at.

 

[PatsWSB47]

They gained a competitve advantage or they wouldn't have been doing it. If they wanted the footage of signals to try and find tendencies, they would have filmed it from the coaches box discretely. Instead they filmed it out in the open as blatantly as possible to get in the heads of the signal callers on the other side. They are trying to influence the signal caller. If they signal in the same defense a few times per game, the coaches are going to get ancy and want to call something else or change their signals at halftime.

....Maybe but coaches have known forever that people were out there trying to get their signals.

Cripes all they have to do is look cross the other side of the field and they can see the hand signals.

 

[DarrylS]

Belichick is a true diplomat. In the interest of professionalism and loyalty to his proteges, Belichick left out a few words in his quote highlighted in red below:

On the rule that forces guards or centers to wear jersey mics: “I think that’s pretty much the way it’s been. They had it on the umpire so now the guy is six feet away instead of three feet away or whatever. I think if you look at the games where they broadcast the audio – I can definitely show you games that we’ve played in the past where you can hear just as much then as you can hear now. I mean we all know that except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. We all know how the games are being broadcast except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. It’s no different than when you’re signaling plays, you have ways – it’s no different than the third base coach – everybody knows he’s signaling to the batter except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. You have ways of making the signals hard to pick up or changing them or whatever – there’s different ways of doing it. But of course Eric Mangini had to make it look like some big cheating plot to try to compete with the Patriots, rather than just do his job and coach his team. I think that’s just part of the game, just like coaches who are incompetent often wind up as commentators before they reach a reasonable retirement age.”

You forgot the rest of this:

And then have the bored, mediots of ESPN repeat that same story daily, every time embellishing the story with more salicious details raising to the level of the "grassy knoll" conspiracy. When the story seems to be going away bring it up again, and let hysteria rule in the blogosphere and on talk radio.

 

[BradyManny]

If anything the fact he says that you disguise your stuff like a 3rd base coach does means that film would actually be valuable in decoding signals, so I don't see what you're getting at.

He's saying everyone tries to steal signals of all kinds, through all kinds of means, and that you have to disguise them and change them up.

Basically, he's saying if any opposing team let the Patriots "steal" the signals that they were demonstrating in front of 60,000 people and in direct view of the opposing bench, it's their own damn fault.

And I would say that that makes a lot of sense.

 

[JJDChE]

My favorite stat about "spygate"...

Even though filming the opposing defense was supposedly done to give our offense an advantage, in the years prior to "spygate" our offense was only above average, yet since "spygate" we have outscored every team in the NFL by over 200 points.

From 2001-2006, we scored over 385 points once and averaged 384 pts/season

From 2007-2011, we've scored at least 410 points every season, had the 1st and 8th highest scoring teams of all time and averaged 480 pts/season. Nearly 100 points more per season than prior to "spygate".

Wow, that filming the defense stuff really helped.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I didn't know Belichick was an intimate type of guy?

 

[DarrylS]

He's saying everyone tries to steal signals of all kinds, through all kinds of means, and that you have to disguise them and change them up.

Basically, he's saying if any opposing team let the Patriots "steal" the signals that they were demonstrating in front of 60,000 people and in direct view of the opposing bench, it's their own damn fault.

And I would say that that makes a lot of sense.

That is why an O or D coordinator covers his mouth with the playsheet when he speaks...

 

[shmessy]

Belichick knows EXACTLY what he says to the media and, as written about in Patriots Reign prepares a strategy prior to each and every press conference.

He's baiting the Steelers to produce more bulletin board material.

He knows the intellectual level of the Pittsburgh team (led by their QB). They are an easy mark for this and will be guaranteed to stumble into this trap:

Reaction expected in 3....2.......1.......

 

[ivanvamp]

BOTTOM LINE - The Pats gained NO competitive advantage from that filming, Certainly nothing short term, and anything they gained long term by tracking tendencies could have been gained LEGALLY but by less efficient methods.

Look, I think the whole spygate thing was nonsense too, but look at your first line above. BB thinks through every aspect of the organization, at least in terms of the on-field product. If it wasn't advantageous for the Pats to tape signals, he wouldn't do it. It's probably much more efficient than a guy with binoculars and a legal pad. And if it's more efficient, it gives you an advantage (however minimal) over teams that are less efficient at it.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Wonder why experienced fans do not call this as 'CAMERAgate' as it should be.

Just because the media and other fans use 'spy' that doesn't mean it is accurate; in fact, it is laughable to read 'spy' when you realize that the pats were casually taping openly - and that too by some junior personnel - in front of the whole world and the national TV.

The mere fact that they didn't bother to hide it or do it in a clandestine manner indicates how low they valued this taping.

 

[captain stone]

Belichick is a true diplomat. In the interest of professionalism and loyalty to his proteges, Belichick left out a few words in his quote highlighted in red below:

On the rule that forces guards or centers to wear jersey mics: “I think that’s pretty much the way it’s been. They had it on the umpire so now the guy is six feet away instead of three feet away or whatever. I think if you look at the games where they broadcast the audio – I can definitely show you games that we’ve played in the past where you can hear just as much then as you can hear now. I mean we all know that except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. We all know how the games are being broadcast except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. It’s no different than when you’re signaling plays, you have ways – it’s no different than the third base coach – everybody knows he’s signaling to the batter except Eric Mangini and Commissioner Goodell. You have ways of making the signals hard to pick up or changing them or whatever – there’s different ways of doing it. But of course Eric Mangini had to make it look like some big cheating plot to try to compete with the Patriots, rather than just do his job and coach his team. I think that’s just part of the game, just like coaches who are incompetent often wind up as commentators before they reach a reasonable retirement age....”

And these words:

"...and just like the J-E-S-Ts who try to win off the field through League HQ what they are unable to win on the field."

 

[Rob0729]

Spygate was four years ago. I am tired of rehashing it. We have to put up with haters constantly bringing it up, but do we have to keep one of the most overblown stories in NFL history alive?!?

 

[captain insano]

pats fans now starting threads about spygate? sad

 

[QuantumMechanic]

While it may have been much ado about nothing, never forget it was a total own goal by Belichick.

By having the guy out there filming only days after Goodell sent a letter to everyone saying not to do it, he basically flipped the bird at Goodell -- and flipped the bird at someone, who being pretty new, had to be seen as not taking stuff from anyone -- who then retaliated in kind.

So while Goodell overreacted, Belichick was being arrogant and stupid.