More ignorance from King on "offensive signals"

[SVN]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/05/11/mmqb/3.html

1. I think this is the odd thing about word that the Patriots were taping the offensive signals from the Miami sidelines as part of the Matt Walsh evidence turned into the NFL: At least 80 percent of the offensive signals from coach to quarterback are relayed through microphone and helmet-speaker. Teams might signal in personnel groups, like three wides/one back, but that's hardly going to give a team a big edge when studying tape of the opposition. Make no mistake -- it's still cheating. And it would bother me if I were Roger Goodell that Bill Belichick never told him about taping offensive signals, if indeed Belichick didn't, and we don't know if he did or didn't.

It'll be interesting if Walsh, in his Tuesday morning meeting with Goodell, has anything beyond the tapes he provided to the league, to disclose. My guess is he'll implicate long-time Belichick aide Ernie Adams, about whom Art Modell once said, "I'll give anyone here $10,000 if they can tell me what Ernie Adams does.'' But that won't be a surprise, because the league already knows he was key in the spy-versus-spy game of deciphering signals.

One other thing about the offensive signals from that Miami game. In the league's announcement of the sanctions last September, the release quoted a 2006 memo from NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson saying, "Videotaping 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.'' And the first paragraph of the release referred to the fine of $500,000 to Belichick for using video equipment to videotape "an opposing team's offensive or defensive signals.'' So I doubt there are grounds for further penalties because of the offensive tape, even though we'd known solely about defensive tapes before this.

2. I think, unless Walsh has something more powerful than the eight tapes, the Patriots won't be sanctioned further.

i wish he read or researched what mike florio did about the offensive signals and what actually goes on the sideline.

its clear king keeps calling belichick for cheating anytime he gets a chance purely because he has been shut out for media access. Cant be more obvious.

 

[Fixit]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/05/11/mmqb/3.html


i wish he read or researched what mike florio did about the offensive signals and what actually goes on the sideline.

its clear king keeps calling belichick for cheating anytime he gets a chance purely because he has been shut out for media access. Cant be more obvious.

Didn't the official NFL statement reference that the Pats got punished for taping defensive and offensive signals?

Anyway, all of us should link him to our new favorite website, FRAME. Like, right now. Anyone have his email address? He could be our first official victim.

 

[PonyExpress]

Perfect Pete has pretty high "moral" standards. I guess that's why he stood by Ron Borges and wanted him to remain on the Hall of Fame election board despite being a confirmed plagiarist.

Still, I recognize a pattern. The most well connected NFL writers have already stated they expect no further punishment vs the Pats:

1. Clayton
2. Mortensen
3. P King

This bodes well. I hope the Pats haters have their hankies ready tomorrow.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

I guess unfortunate for Peter King, there is no more punishment since he cant support his anti pats sentiment.

 

[BelichickFan]

As long as there's no additional punishments, I don't care at this point. People will think what they want to think - fine - I don't care. Just no more draft choices or suspensions.

 

[JoeSixPat]

"Make no mistake -- it's still cheating. And it would bother me if I were Roger Goodell that Bill Belichick never told him about taping offensive signals, if indeed Belichick didn't, and we don't know if he did or didn't."

It's not cheating. King has proven here that he's never even looked at the rule he's spent so much time talking about.

Pre-2006 the NFL admits their rule in the manual was unclear. It cited the location where tapes could be obtained from but left open the question as to whether non-game day use was prohibited in other locations.

If the rule was clear before 2006 there would be no reason to clarify in 2006 as they did.

The episode with the Dolphins use of "purchased" tapes after the September 2006 memo illustrates two things:

#1 Taping of offensive calls is legal, assuming its done in accordance with the rules.

#2 The NFL had no interest in reviewing those tapes to determine the location of where they were obtained from, and had no interested in inquiring as to who they had been purchased from.

If this is such a significant issue to the integrity of the game, King should be asking the NFL why they did not, and to this day, still refuse to make those specific inquiries regarding the Dolphins use of taped offensive playcalling.

If this is solely a witchhunt against the Patriots the media should continue their practice of unethical reporting.

 

[ScottieC]

As long as there's no additional punishments, I don't care at this point. People will think what they want to think - fine - I don't care. Just no more draft choices or suspensions.

I agree, who cares. I just want the season to start so the beatings can continue. Prepare for an ***** whopping the likes of which we have never seen on Sept. 7th at 1pm.

 

[blackglass3]

I agree, who cares. I just want the season to start so the beatings can continue. Prepare for an ***** whopping the likes of which we have never seen on Sept. 7th at 1pm.

They might go easy on Herm...he did wave at the camera, proving what a joke the whole taping thing is.

 

[NEPatriot]

It's going to be the spygate week and we are going to hear a lot about it this week. If Goodell continues to let Specter tell him what to do, only god knows what happens and Specter should have Goodell's job.

 

[Kontradiction]

So after Tuesday, will we stop posting threads like this? Honestly (and I know I'm not an admin) we should just have one big Spygate article thread where, if anybody wants to, we can post all the different boneheaded articles from Si and ESPN about Spygate.