Florio's take: Walsh to be star witness in Pats v. Herald lawsuit

[BPF]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/05/13/walsh-to-be-the-star-witness-in-pats-v-the-herald/

WALSH TO BE THE STAR WITNESS IN PATS V. THE HERALD?
Posted by Mike Florio on May 13, 2008, 12:56 p.m.

The initial thought that came to mind for us while hearing the explanation from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the knowledge of former Patriots employee Matt Walsh is that Walsh could now end up being the star witness of the New England Patriots in any lawsuit that might be filed against the Boston Herald.

Walsh’s sweeping denial of any knowledge of the existence of any tape of the Rams’ walk-through practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI and Walsh’s presence in the Superdome during the Rams’ walk-through practice makes Walsh an obvious candidate to testify for the team, if the Pats opt to sue the Herald.

Walsh would have even greater importance to the case because he is a completely unbiased witness. If anything, he would have a natural tendency to say things that would hurt the team, given that the team fired him. So if he says that there was no videotape of the walk-through and that he was in the Superdome and saw no evidence of anything like that, his version of the events are necessarily more credible than would be any similar accounts provided by current employees of the team.

 

[BPF]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be start witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

PFT continuing to push the Herald angle....

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/05/13/at-the-herald-the-sound-of-crickets/

AT THE HERALD, THE SOUND OF CRICKETS
Posted by Mike Florio on May 13, 2008, 1:19 p.m.

If Matt Walsh was (as we firmly believe) the source of the February 2 item in the Boston Herald alleging that the Patriots videotaped the Rams’ walk-through prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, then there are a few sphincters puckering right now at the Herald, given Walsh’s adoption of the Sgt. Schulz approach on Tuesday when it comes to the walk-through.

The options are fairly simple at this point — retract the story immediately, wait for a demand for a retraction, or wait for the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the NFL blog on the Herald currently has nothing about today’s developments. Meanwhile, the Globe was all over it.

 

[signbabybrady]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be start witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

With all we have heard about Walsh....he doesn't make for much of a star witness.

A suit would assume Walsh was Tomasse's source which I imagine the herald and tomasse would say is not the case.

 

[The_Bloke]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be start witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

Not only should the Patriots initiate a suit against the Boston Herald but so should the NFL. Not only have the Pats been defamed by the article written by Tomasse but so has the reputation of the NFL.

Two suits should be filed, one by the Patriots and the other by the NFL.

But dont hold your breath that Goodell will do so.

 

[signbabybrady]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be start witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

Not only should the Patriots initiate a suit against the Boston Herald but so should the NFL. Not only have the Pats been defamed by the article written by Tomasse but so has the reputation of the NFL.

Two suits should be filed, one by the Patriots and the other by the NFL.

But dont hold your breath that Goodell will do so.

don't hold your breath that the Pats do either.

 

[The_Bloke]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be start witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

don't hold your breath that the Pats do either.

You are probably correct.

 

[mac]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be star witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

Filing a lawsuit would guarrantee that Spygate will live on and therefore filing a lawsuit would be a dumb thing to do and goes agianst Beleick's mantra of "we have already moved on."

 

[Dr Pain]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be star witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

Filing a lawsuit would guarrantee that Spygate will live on and therefore filing a lawsuit would be a dumb thing to do and goes agianst Beleick's mantra of "we have already moved on."

I agree 100%. The only pressure left for answers will come from the fans. The Jets did the same thing but got off scott free.

 

[upstater1]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be start witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

don't hold your breath that the Pats do either.

Did you read the Patriots' press release?

It was all about the Herald article.

I would have been inclined to agree with you.

And then I read the press release.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be star witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

Eh, I say wait a year or so until this whole thing blows over they lay a fat lawsuit on the Herald under the radar. You obviously cannot do it now due to all the media attention but when this blows over, I'd love to see the Herald and Tomase out of business.

 

[PittPatriot]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be star witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

The Patriots have become the poster child for "PR Nightmare."
Lawsuits like something against the Herald take years to form and execute. The court of public opinion has already hung BB and the Pats so all I want to do is go win some football games.
Patriots.com should just stop putting links to the Herald.

 

[Sundayjack]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be start witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

Did you read the Patriots' press release?

It was all about the Herald article.

I would have been inclined to agree with you.

And then I read the press release.

Boston is too small of a corporate community. Robert Kraft is not suing Patrick Purcell any time soon. He would put every corporate executive in the charity circuit in the awkward position of choosing sides, and that's not something the Kraft family would ever want to do. The Herald is still stinging from the Judge Murphy libel case, and I don't see the Patriots looking to pile on and put the Herald into bankruptcy. It would hurt the Patriots if there were only one viable major daily newspaper

I'm guessing the Patriots hope that they'll get more bang out of the ***** cat reporting that John Tomase will be doing for the next year or two. Here's a game for you all on this board for the 2008 season: Count the Boston Globe scoops.

 

[tombonneau]

Re: Florio's take: Walsh to be start witness in Pats v Herald lawsuit

Did you read the Patriots' press release?

It was all about the Herald article.

I would have been inclined to agree with you.

And then I read the press release.

I agree. That press release was kind of odd in that it only 100% addressed the damaging Herald article. Almost as if the Patriots organization is building a book of evidence ...

I don't think they will do anything soon, as others have mentioned, but I also don't think they are going to let the situation completely disappear.