Media hypocracy on Spygate

[iapatsfan]

Look at the date of this article (3 months before spygate), and then check out the #1 method teams use to gain an advantage. Why is all of the Main Stream Media acting like BB was some lone wolf, equating him to a KGB operative during the Cold War? He did not create this idea, nor was he the only one using it. Don Banks is considered a respected journalist, and I’m sure he did a fair amount of research for this article. Let me quote a line from his article, "The most common practice is for a team to videotape an opponent's signal-givers on the sideline, and later marry up those indications to the game tape in order to identify tendencies or patterns.” I’m guessing since he called this the “most common” type of cheating, he interviewed several teams that use this practice. Why is the commissioner not going to Don Banks and asking him who he talked to? Why are the majority of NFL coaches keeping their mouths shut?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/07/06/cheating.nfl/index.html

 

[Maroney's Dreads]

Wow, good find. The way most of the NFL coaches kind of turned their back on BB after this whole thing came out says a lot about the coaches in the NFL

 

[ctpatsfan77]

What odds do you want to give that if you sent this to, say, Mike Florio, he wouldn't bother to mention it?

 

[BradyFTW!]

Wow, good find. The way most of the NFL coaches kind of turned their back on BB after this whole thing came out says a lot about the coaches in the NFL

Yeah, it's kinda funny how Education of a Coach spent so long detailing the coaching fraternity, and how close and tight-knit it is, and then we spend all year watching every other coach not named Jimmy Johnson throw BB under the bus.

 

[TN Patriot]

There is no loyalty among thieves.

 

[iapatsfan]

What odds do you want to give that if you sent this to, say, Mike Florio, he wouldn't bother to mention it?

I did - No response yet.

 

[Buchanty]

Thanks for posting that. I wish it could get wider current exposure, but suspect the NFL would prefer it to remain forgotten.

I wasn't expecting much from yesterday's conversation as I now perceive Roger Goodell to suffer incompetence. Here was another opportunity to explain the rules, the infraction and the sentence. He could have admitted that videotaping was commonplace and that he chose to set an example with the Patriots. He could have indicated that the sideline rule was inserted to crack down on the practice. He could, if he had been generous, stated that the rule will be rewritten so that it cannot be misinterpreted (but that would be throwing a bone to a coach that everyone outside of Foxborough wants fired).

Instead he obstinately insisted that he had made the right decision. I seem to remember an old phrase that self-praise is no recommendation.

Alas full explanation will never be forthcoming while Goodell is commissioner. I am not sure his successor will be much different, since the NFL may prefer to have only one scapegoat to sacrifice on the public altar of opinion. Maybe in time honest and honorable coaches and players will come forward and admit the obvious, but I suspect we will have to wait a few years before that happens.


However many thanks to the OP for reminding me that objectivity and truth remains out there to be found.

 

[signbabybrady]

Look at the date of this article (3 months before spygate), and then check out the #1 method teams use to gain an advantage. Why is all of the Main Stream Media acting like BB was some lone wolf, equating him to a KGB operative during the Cold War? He did not create this idea, nor was he the only one using it. Don Banks is considered a respected journalist, and I’m sure he did a fair amount of research for this article. Let me quote a line from his article, "The most common practice is for a team to videotape an opponent's signal-givers on the sideline, and later marry up those indications to the game tape in order to identify tendencies or patterns.” I’m guessing since he called this the “most common” type of cheating, he interviewed several teams that use this practice. Why is the commissioner not going to Don Banks and asking him who he talked to? Why are the majority of NFL coaches keeping their mouths shut?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/07/06/cheating.nfl/index.html

Why isn't specter looking to talk to Don Banks and force DOn Banks to rat out the other cheaters.

 

[JoePats]

And FYI this was dated in July, 6 weeks before Spygate I, which to me certainly makes it unbiased.

Edit: I liked the part about Manning's signals, how he changes what they mean, all the time. Good for him, and shame on the Callahans and Cowhers who don't change their signals.

 

[upstater1]

There's more: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2696227

 

[upstater1]

I only know a tiny bit about the cheating that goes on:

1. I know the 49ers try to pay players under the table.
2. the Broncos try to pay players under the table
3. the Dolphins steal signals.
4. the Patriots steal signals
5. Jimmy Johnson steals signals
6. Parcells steals signals
7. Howard Mudd of the Colts steals signals, according to Johnson
8. Jaworski and Vermeil stole signals
9. Polian turns the heat up in Indy
10. Polian changes the rules to give his receivers an advantage
11. Polian turns the noise up in Indy
12. Dungy and all the media goons are hypocrites.

These are the things I know.

 

[bigjunk1]

The Don Banks article was a great find. It just further points out how Goodell screwed this up so badly. If he had just came out and fined the Pats and taken a late round pick, then said it was a league wide problem, this would have died a quick death. But no - he had to be a cowboy.

Speaking if hypocracy, have you noticed how many of the NY media and fans are crying about how "everybody was doing it" and "it was a league wide problem" when they talk about Clemmens/Pettite and whatever other Yankee has been outed this week as a steroid user? These are usually the same stooges demanding that the Pats be further hammered about Spygate.

I hate NY.

 

[upstater1]

The Don Banks article was a great find. It just further points out how Goodell screwed this up so badly. If he had just came out and fined the Pats and taken a late round pick, then said it was a league wide problem, this would have died a quick death. But no - he had to be a cowboy.

Speaking if hypocracy, have you noticed how many of the NY media and fans are crying about how "everybody was doing it" and "it was a league wide problem" when they talk about Clemmens/Pettite and whatever other Yankee has been outed this week as a steroid user? These are usually the same stooges demanding that the Pats be further hammered about Spygate.

I hate NY.

Come on, you're telling me you're not petitioning MLB to put an asterisk next to the tainted Yankee World Series wins?

Jeter no longer deserves the Hall of Fame. Clutch winner? How about mediocre regular season stats?

 

[DefenseRules]

The Don Banks article was a great find. It just further points out how Goodell screwed this up so badly. If he had just came out and fined the Pats and taken a late round pick, then said it was a league wide problem, this would have died a quick death. But no - he had to be a cowboy.

Speaking if hypocracy, have you noticed how many of the NY media and fans are crying about how "everybody was doing it" and "it was a league wide problem" when they talk about Clemmens/Pettite and whatever other Yankee has been outed this week as a steroid user? These are usually the same stooges demanding that the Pats be further hammered about Spygate.

I hate NY.

NO DOUBT. I hope the Red Sox wipe the floor with their pathetic team...this will be my one and only baseball post in this forum for the 2008 season.
Mods please forgive me.

 

[Marko]

Come on, you're telling me you're not petitioning MLB to put an asterisk next to the tainted Yankee World Series wins?

Jeter no longer deserves the Hall of Fame. Clutch winner? How about mediocre regular season stats?

Tell me about it! Jt the brick or d---- was saying Clemens was believable and Pettit was the liar. How many asterisks would they get? maybe a good name for them would be Jeter's cheaters. Also, since everything any Patriot ever was accused of is fair game, how about Jeter cheating on his taxes?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

In a sidebar to that Banks piece Clayton weighs in with:

"Teams are always trying to steal signs and signals off other teams. That's just football."

He should have said that's just football, unless Belichick is your opponent.

Clayton was on with Felger about two weeks after sypgate broke, when all the talking heads were starting to backtrack a tad, and he told Felger that he had spoken with sources who knew for a fact that at least three teams in the league were currently (2007) using video taped defensive signals in game. He said those teams synched up the video to the polariods taken pre snap at halftime and made exceptional second half adjustments - that was one of the keys as to who was doing it.

Felger challenged him that he didn't see how it could possibly be done. Not enough time at the half. Clayton said one team had two dedicated defensive assistants on computers in a training room waiting for the information which was burned onto a CD in less than 6 seconds. As familiar as they were with the information it took them about 20 minutes to have it all decifered, and the information was in the hands of the DC on the field roughly 12 minutes into the second half (in real time, not game clock time).

He made a point of telling Felger that the Patriots were NOT one of the teams.

I doubt you could pry the names of those teams or his sources out of Clayton with a congressional subpoena. Media including ESPN only surrender sources that don't give them the information they want or when it suits them...

 

[upstater1]

In a sidebar to that Banks piece Clayton weighs in with:

"Teams are always trying to steal signs and signals off other teams. That's just football."

He should have said that's just football, unless Belichick is your opponent.

Clayton was on with Felger about two weeks after sypgate broke, when all the talking heads were starting to backtrack a tad, and he told Felger that he had spoken with sources who knew for a fact that at least three teams in the league were currently (2007) using video taped defensive signals in game. He said those teams synched up the video to the polariods taken pre snap at halftime and made exceptional second half adjustments - that was one of the keys as to who was doing it.

Felger challenged him that he didn't see how it could possibly be done. Not enough time at the half. Clayton said one team had two dedicated defensive assistants on computers in a training room waiting for the information which was burned onto a CD in less than 6 seconds. As familiar as they were with the information it took them about 20 minutes to have it all decifered, and the information was in the hands of the DC on the field roughly 12 minutes into the second half (in real time, not game clock time).

He made a point of telling Felger that the Patriots were NOT one of the teams.

I doubt you could pry the names of those teams or his sources out of Clayton with a congressional subpoena. Media including ESPN only surrender sources that don't give them the information they want or when it suits them...

Well, that's the thing. Clayton IS reporting that fact in public, so that's good. I wish he wrote a column about it, actually.

But you can't blame him for keeping his sources secret. Otherwise, he'd have no sources.

 

[mrbandw]

Thanks for pointing out that article.

Goodell's really done a great job as commish since taking over for Tags. Not.. :-/

 

[Marko]

Thanks for pointing out that article.

Goodell's really done a great job as commish since taking over for Tags. Not.. :-/

I know! how did he get the job? What was he before! It's like he had no idea about the culture of football or the atmosphere of conspiracy theorists among the fans and media.

 

[JoePats]

Well, that's the thing. Clayton IS reporting that fact in public, so that's good. I wish he wrote a column about it, actually.

But you can't blame him for keeping his sources secret. Otherwise, he'd have no sources.

I agree with both parts of your answer.

Clayton should write a column about it. It's a new angle to Spygate, that nobody wants to die obviously. That would certainly make an interesting read. It would also put this stuff in its proper perspective. Why is everyone afriad to do that?