Jets complaint prompted interrogation of 3 Patriots employees

Hoodie · Oct 31, 2015

zipster9 said:
More details from the incident.

Patrick Redford Deadspin
Filed to: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 10/31/15 12:35pm

During last Sunday’s 30-23 win over the New York Jets, the NFL interrogated three Kraft Sports employees on the Patriots sideline after the Jets complained about radio communication systems. According to a report from the Boston Herald, NFL officials looked into the three employees and determined there was no tampering. From the report:

The NFL employee took photographs of each Patriots employee and their identification badges, demanded to check their cell phones and also checked their radios to ensure they were operating through the proper channels. The NFL employee also said they already swept the visiting locker room for bugs.

After the questioning, which lasted about 15 minutes, the NFL employee continued to hover over the three Patriots employees until the third quarter, when a stadium operations manager told the NFL employee to route all further inquiries through Patriots and Gillette Stadium management.

PFT reports that the NFL security employees who looked into it were Lenny Bandy and **** Farley, at the request of Jets Security Director Robert Mastroddi:

One of the employees also is responsible for keeping fresh batteries in the referee’s in-stadium microphone. But Mastroddi didn’t initially accept the explanation that a team employee would be responsible for ensuring the performance of the referee’s microphone; Mastroddi said “people responsible for maintaining the referee’s microphone should be League contractors and not Kraft Sports employees wearing Patriots gear.” In response to Mastroddi’s concerns, Bandy called 345 Park Avenue and spoke with Jay Reid of the officiating department, who confirmed that the referee’s in-stadium microphone is handled by the teams, not by the league.
According to the Herald, the incident prompted an “unprecedented” level of interrogation. This is the second such investigation that took place that day, as the Herald and others are reporting that the NFL did sweep the Jets’s locker room for bugs, and it turns out Boomer Esiason is not full of ****.

The Patriots do have quite the history of being accused of cheating through electronic interference. Earlier this year, the Steelers headsets kept picking up the Patriots radio broadcast, only to clear up whenever NFL officials approached the Patriots sideline. Then there was the massive ESPN report that showed how the NFL had basically covered for a series of Patriots cheating scandals throughout the 2000’s. Even if they didn’t find anything in this incident, the NFL is at least aware enough of the Patriots’s history of tampering to take the Jets complaint seriously.

why do the Jets care if the Ref's mike has fresh batteries? Seems to me that the league needs to clarify for teams whose responsibility electronics are. Obviously teams are confused. And what of this enormous ESPN report documented cheating by the Patriots and a cover up by the League?

Also, can I support a journalist who writes "Patriots's" and "Jets's?" No I can't.

Rusty Coupe · Oct 31, 2015

zipster9 said:
Then there was the massive ESPN report that showed how the NFL had basically covered for a series of Patriots cheating scandals throughout the 2000’s[/QUOTE]

So according to ESPN, Tagliabue was in the tank for Kraft as well? They must have those 60+ unnamed sources on deep background, never to see the light of day.

neuronet · Oct 31, 2015

zipster9 said:
More details from the incident.

Patrick Redford Deadspin
Filed to: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 10/31/15 12:35pm

The Patriots do have quite the history of being accused of cheating through electronic interference. Earlier this year, the Steelers headsets kept picking up the Patriots radio broadcast, only to clear up whenever NFL officials approached the Patriots sideline. Then there was the massive ESPN report that showed how the NFL had basically covered for a series of Patriots cheating scandals throughout the 2000’s. Even if they didn’t find anything in this incident, the NFL is at least aware enough of the Patriots’s history of tampering to take the Jets complaint seriously.

F this joker...He can suck it. Accusations of wrongdoing are not the same as wrongdoing.

rochrist · Oct 31, 2015

meatface said:
You do realize that Roger Goodell is just a mouthpiece for NFL ownership and if they replace him it will be with a carbon copy.

Tagliabue was not at all like Goodell.

meatface · Oct 31, 2015

rochrist said:
Tagliabue was not at all like Goodell.

because its what the owners wanted

meatface · Oct 31, 2015

Dr Pain said:
No. As NFL commissioner he is able to keep the teams fighting among themselves so they can't get together a big enough group to fire him. Roger has truly gone power mad. Look at the idiocy, infighting, backroom shenanigans. Roger believes he is all powerful and has all toadies around him. Just think about this Nobody gets pizza until Roger Goodell gets pizza

"Nobody gets pizza until Roger gets pizza
On Sept. 10, two days after the second Rice tape was released, Goodell's team huddled into the night in an effort to figure out "ways to prove the commissioner wasn't covering up" for Rice. They ordered pizza, but nobody ate any because they waited for their boss to eat first. Not a good idea. Goodell was obviously more concerned with saving himself to eat, so nobody ate.

During a subsequent meeting, the WSJ reports that Goodell called his daughters to tell them that he would be home for dinner, which makes you wonder if they got to eat that night."

It is telling that he runs an organisation where people are afraid to eat before he does.

well the owners have you exactly where they want you, focusing all your attention on Goodell and thinking he is the guy who actually controls the NFL.

Patstopia · Oct 31, 2015

So now because the Patriots got Framed once and screwed once, any team can throw shyt against the wall and disrupt the Patriots bench?
They need to find out who was in charge of the league employees and put the names to the officials! Why does every Patriot employee name gets leaked and not one of these columnist ever ask for who did the investigation and who was in charge of it?

Disgusting, pure and simple! The NFL is a JOKE!!!

Soul_Survivor88 · Oct 31, 2015

skspikex2 · Oct 31, 2015

This is why the Jets is such a pathetic franchise. They hired people like Robert Mastroddi, who doesn't even understand the rules.

zipster9 said:
One of the employees also is responsible for keeping fresh batteries in the referee’s in-stadium microphone. But Mastroddi didn’t initially accept the explanation that a team employee would be responsible for ensuring the performance of the referee’s microphone; Mastroddi said “people responsible for maintaining the referee’s microphone should be League contractors and not Kraft Sports employees wearing Patriots gear.” In response to Mastroddi’s concerns, Bandy called 345 Park Avenue and spoke with Jay Reid of the officiating department, who confirmed that the referee’s in-stadium microphone is handled by the teams, not by the league.

Feel stupid now, huh Mastroddi?

Fencer · Oct 31, 2015

Pat the Pats Fan said:
I'm to the point now, if the Pats make it to and through the playoffs, there is NO WAY they win the SB again. the last thing the NFL and other owners wants is a repeat winner and for it to be the Pats. Q4 as Gost lines up to kick the winning field goal, a drone sweeps low and blocks the kick. Officials huddle and deem it unfortunate, but no flag, no replay, Pats lose......

Which is why the Pats don't necessarily do much to overtly resist this BS until it really, really matters.

When they fly out for the Super Bowl they'll keep VERY tight control over their hotel, the hotel's fire alarms, food, water, people's schedules, etc., defying the league as necessary so as to do what they think best. In the mean time, however, they're likely to lie low and not defend themselves in ways that the NFL can think up new rules to prohibit.

And they'll certainly try not to give the league a pretext for any postseason suspensions.

borg · Oct 31, 2015

What is the Jets Security Director doing on the Pats sideline any way? Does he have a mug book of "sanctioned" NE employees and he has assigned himself to be detective and rat?

turkeyneck · Oct 31, 2015

PatsFanSince74 said:
I'm sure the MCI and the CHB are already all over this!

Patrick Redford at Deadspin did give us this info. Kudos to Mr. Redford for his professional journalism.

He found out that it was Jets Security Director Mastroddi who " didn’t initially accept the explanation that a team employee would be responsible for ensuring the performance of the referee’s microphone; Mastroddi said 'people responsible for maintaining the referee’s microphone should be League contractors and not Kraft Sports employees wearing Patriots gear.' In response to Mastroddi’s concerns, Bandy called 345 Park Avenue and spoke with Jay Reid of the officiating department, who confirmed that the referee’s in-stadium microphone is handled by the teams, not by the league."

So, Mastroddi, the &%!t-stirrer, was unfamiliar with procedure used in every stadium in the league - including his own - for handling officials' microphones. But, somehow, it was the patriots' fault.

Geezer Butler · Oct 31, 2015

meatface said:
You do realize that Roger Goodell is just a mouthpiece for NFL ownership and if they replace him it will be with a carbon copy.

Couldn't agree more there. All of this being allowed to happen stems from the other owners being sick of the Patriots winning. It is a really dirty league.

I do feel that Goodell is responsible for more of this over the top BS though. Like the out of control, insane micro management. I think they could get a yes man that is a little more grounded than this megalomaniac. This is the guy that ratted on his classmates in school for drinking after the big game. That kind of douche bag.

Wordsmyth · Oct 31, 2015

skspikex2 said:
This is why the Jets is such a pathetic franchise. They hired people like Robert Mastroddi, who doesn't even understand the rules.

Feel stupid now, huh Mastroddi?

His classless, clueless son was at it on Twitter today, wishing I'll on the GOAT. I had the privilege of defending my awesome quarterback.

NE_Zealot · Oct 31, 2015

The NFL is making its own product more unwatchable by the minute. I wish our spineless owner Bobby would get a set and sue the league/media outlets responsible for this ********.

I can't tell anymore if I'm watching NFL football or "The Young and the Restless". The line is becoming increasingly blurred.

Ring 6 · Oct 31, 2015

PATSYLICIOUS said:
Why's that a worry? The team is 8-0 including a super bowl win since all the distractions began. The NFl and bspn have tipped their hand as far as I'm concerned there's nothing imo they can pull that bb/brady won't have the team ready to handle and furthermore use for motivation.

So you are fine that our game day personell are being kept from doing their jobs so they can be photographed and interrogated because the opponents made up a bs complaint? I'm not

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Geezer Butler · Oct 31, 2015

NE_Zealot said:
The NFL is making its own product more unwatchable by the minute. I wish our spineless owner Bobby would get a set and sue the league/media outlets responsible for this ********.

I can't tell anymore if I'm watching NFL football or "The Young and the Restless". The line is becoming increasingly blurred.

Seriously, WTF? Also doesn't help that I can't even tell what an actual catch is anymore.

Hoodie · Oct 31, 2015

turkeyneck said:
Patrick Redford at Deadspin did give us this info. Kudos to Mr. Redford for his professional journalism.

He found out that it was Jets Security Director Mastroddi who " didn’t initially accept the explanation that a team employee would be responsible for ensuring the performance of the referee’s microphone; Mastroddi said 'people responsible for maintaining the referee’s microphone should be League contractors and not Kraft Sports employees wearing Patriots gear.' In response to Mastroddi’s concerns, Bandy called 345 Park Avenue and spoke with Jay Reid of the officiating department, who confirmed that the referee’s in-stadium microphone is handled by the teams, not by the league."

So, Mastroddi, the &%!t-stirrer, was unfamiliar with procedure used in every stadium in the league - including his own - for handling officials' microphones. But, somehow, it was the patriots' fault.

And our Deadspin friend Pat also forgot to mention the NUMEROUS complaints about team headset communications around the league this year. It's clearly a problem beyond the confines of Foxboro even if Tomlin doesn't think so.

voluntarysaftey · Oct 31, 2015

I figured it out: Jets Security Director Mastroddi was auditioning for a job with the NFL front office -- using poor logic and making a big deal out of a non-issue is exactly the skills a competent Mastroddi was trying to showcase so he can become the next Jets employee to get a pay raise and a cushy office job on Park Avenue

Noexcusesfornumber5 · Oct 31, 2015

It's beyond time for the Patriot fans to start protesting the leadership of Goodell and Kraft, we have been ****ed enough. Either Bob goes after Roger, or Rog before Bob, or we are ****ed completely. We have no traction in this league, they only want to tear us down. There is no protection, when the witch hunt is against you. We can, and we will win, but what is the cost? Who is our friend at this point?

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