PFT: High-level executive: "IR issue way bigger than taping"

[pats1]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

IR ISSUE BIGGER THAN SPYGATE?
Posted by Mike Florio on May 23, 2008, 11:53 a.m.

With the lidless red eye of the media now focusing on ten-day-old evidence of then-fresh cheating allegations regarding the Patriots, it would be easy to shrug at talk of possible rules violations relating to the use of players from the injured reserve list in practice.

But we’ve gotten some feedback on the situation, unsolicited, from someone not in the media. Instead, a high-level exec with a team other than the Patriots has shared some opinions about the differences between the videotaping of defensive coaching signals and the practice of practicing with players who have been placed on IR.

Here’s the full text of the message that we received:

“I honestly feel like the IR issue is a way bigger issue than taping signals. I always felt that was overblown because everyone was doing it in some way (i.e. with a scout in the press box, etc). However, the IR thing is huge. In terms of getting players ready to play for the future, it’s invaluable. You can stash players on the IR, protect them from waivers, and get them to practice, develop and improve. Plus it allows you to rest your veterans during practice. In terms of competitiveness, from an overall team standpoint, that’s a much bigger advantage than taping signals.

“The fact that the Commish wouldn’t take any further action, to me, is incredible. It’s a totally separate deal and MUCH more valuable than taping signals, in my opinion.”

For now, the evidence regarding this practice by the Patriots is limited. But at a time when Matt Walsh’s credibility remains suspect (except when he says that there was no videotape of the Rams’ walk-through prior to Super Bowl XXXVI), the fact that former NFL player Ross Tucker has spoken out about his first-hand experiences in this regard makes us wonder whether folks in the league office agree with the assessment that our source provided and, if so, whether the matter will be pursued.

It’s possible that the Patriots weren’t doing it extensively. It’s possible that other teams are doing it as well. But if it is that big of a deal and if it’s happening in one or more NFL cities without detection or correction, then it needs to be explored.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Here we go again.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Give me a break.. I really think people want Belichick to go away or be hung in front the bristol offices , its become beyond comprehension...

 

[maverick4]

you know what is way bigger than taping?

- Violating the salary cap (49ers and Broncos)
- Steroids (70's Steelers)
- Crowd noise and heated stadiums (Colts)
- Tampering (Mangini Jets)

 

[upstater1]

I don't think the executive is wrong. I think h is right.

Of course, everything needs to be qualified.

Taping is apparently against the rules for the Patriots, but not for other teams.

IR issue is WAY BIGGER than taping.

Jaywalking is way way bigger than the IR issue.

You see, the executive is right. He just didn't take his point to its logical conclusion.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

you know what is way bigger than taping?

- Violating the salary cap (49ers and Broncos)
- Steroids (70's Steelers)
- Crowd noise and heated stadiums (Colts)
- Tampering (Mangini Jets)

And steriods with mike golic too ,but he does not want his carrer tainted

 

[signbabybrady]

I actually agree with this guy on one point....Using an IRed player is worse than using video equipment in the wrong part of the stadium.

But I also take the NFLs lack of punishment and outward investigation as an admition of the fact that they screwed this whole thing up royaly.


They realize they overblew it and created the sh** storm....now they don't want to pile on anymore.

 

[DefenseRules]

Give me a break.. I really think people want Belichick to go away or be hung in front the bristol offices , its become beyond comprehension...

No doubt. This is becoming tiresome. I'm sure the league office is starting to find all this crap tiresome too. If people want investigations for this practice, it better be a league wide investigation. The Pats have played the fall guy enough, IMO.

 

[upstater1]

OK, let me get this straight. Stashing undrafted free agents on IR is way, way worse than videotaping. Why? Because it allows you to develop young players who may help you in the future. Yet, when people such as Mark Schlereth talk about "cheating" in the Super Bowls, and someone mentions the Broncos' salary car shenanigans, he claims it's not a big deal because the Broncos would have paid the likes of Elway and Davis anyway, and that it only helped them with the ACTIVE players on the back end of the roster. Other commentators agree with him that videotaping is much worse than paying players under the table.

So, given the fact that the Broncos only lost a 3rd rounder while the Patriots lost a first, how does this jibe?

Am I supposed to believe that the veterans signed by the Broncos with the big cap savings from cheating are somehow less valuable to the team than the UDFA's the Patriots developed while on IR.

Preposterous. I can understand that a reporter would have to report what an unidentified executive writes, but it's obvious here the guy is just trying to cause trouble, and nothing prevents the reporter from characterizing the executive's efforts as presposterous.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

No doubt. This is becoming tiresome. I'm sure the league office is starting to find all this crap tiresome too. If people want investigations for this practice, it better be a league wide investigation. The Pats have played the fall guy enough, IMO.

What's next, that they had Powerade on the sidelines instead of Gatorade??? Tell these media wh*res to find some other message to get clicks on their site for their ad rates...........

 

[Zeus]

PFT, the clearinghouse for unsubstantiated rumors, idle speculation and idiotic gossip, has yet another pithy quote from yet another anonymous source. Quick - somebody call the FBI.

 

[fgssand]

Too much......

So, there is no walkthrough tape - nothing there....

So, after all that went on over "camera gate" all 300,000 articles, they say it is minor....

So, now - all of a sudden - a player practicing on IR becomes the crime of the century.

They need to make up their minds.....they are out of control here.

It simply has to be the power hungry, jealous members of the competition committee, with their hatred of BB, that has been behind this from day one.

Skarew them.....

 

[shmessy]

Hear that sound?????

That's the sound of the goalposts being moved.

 

[fair catch fryar]

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggggg!!!!!! (covers ears)La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la...................... I can't hear you!


Sorry. I just had to vent.

 

[Kontradiction]

just Ignore It! They Are Trying To Get A Rise Out Of Us... Do Not Let Them.

 

[jmt57]

Funny how it's never been an issue over the years when players with not that bad an injury went on IR, and nobody seemed concerned about whether or not they were practicing with the team. I doubt I was the only one that figured they were practicing with the team even if they weren't supposed to.

But now that Walsh and Tucker mention it, it's a huge transgression of the highest order? This witch hunt - mob mentality is really getting way out of control.

Also worth noting that the comment was unsolicited. The exec feels so strongly about it that he seeks out Florio (not the other way around), yet he won't go on the record and state his case publicly? Why would that be? Maybe because of personal feelings towards the Patriots, and let the media do the dirty work for him - while avoiding any scrutiny back on his own organization or his motives? And is he using Florio because some have figured out that espn and the nyt are biased?

Best guess it's either Polian or Casserly, just my opinion.

 

[Pats726]

Of course it is bigger than spygate..becaus ethat is gone...SO dig up something else..Florio should have gotten the stats on this from teh league BEFORE taking some jealous GM's words of how large it is...makes SALAEY CAP violations WAY worse doesn't it??? Florio should have found out..over teh last 5 years..how many violations were there? 100?? 50? 10?? THAT does make a difference.. By the way Florio...your tie is too loose..THAt is a DRESS CODE violation..the rubbish is out still..

 

[Rob0729]

So the executive said Spygate was no big deal, but IRgate is. Yet, he doesn't state that the punishment for Spygate was too harsh. Shouldn't the league be making a make up call for the original harsh penalty.

BTW, I went back and looked. The player in question is definitely Ryan Claridge. The guy never played a down with the Patriots and was cut before his second season.

 

[JoeSixPat]

At some point executives and Goodell are going to have to come to terms with the fact that enforcing unenforceable rules is NOT in the best interest of football.

It's in the players and teams collective interests to allow players to practice when they are physically able to. A player doesn't want to sit on the sideline because of an outdated rule that says IR players can't practice even if they are physically able to. That hurts their career more than it hurts the team.

And the fact that the league has no interest or desire in policing every team - and would only know if a player complained of being forced to practice while injured - should tell them that its a stupid and unenforceable rule in the first place.

 

[miDeuce]

Friday afternoon before a long weekend isn't exactly the best time to "break" a story. Slow news time in the NFL. Just ignore Florio and his blatant attempts to play two sides of every argument to get hits.