ESPNews: Goodell issues statement: "Pats violated league policy"

[NEPat]

The argument some Patriots fans are making about the Pats sending a big butt camera onto the field to tape the signals is a very good one. It really makes no sense. If they wanted to get away with it, especially with the state of technology today, it would have been very very easy to do it with smething much smaller. I've seen smartphones that do a better job of recording video than some HD vidcameras. Which begs the question: why a big camera?

How do we know there was a big camera?

 

[Direwolf57]

Charger fan here!

Your teams that won SBs were so good and the Pats organization with top-notch game-planning and strategy, the class of the league!

We'll all wait for the facts but I would be so pissed if my coach allowed this crap and gave everyone doubt about my team's greatness in those years! Time will tell if LT was a baby or Nostredamus!

Anyway, you have more important things to concern yorself with......Chargers are comin to town!

 

[Nordberg]

Lobel just said on CH38 that the commish has NOT made any decision whether or not the Pats broke any rules...

He also named the guy who did the camera work. His name is Matt Estrella and has been with the Pats for 4 years.

If that is true.....what is all this bull**** that is already being flung around

 

[DefenseRules]

Lobel just said on CH38 that the commish has NOT made any decision whether or not the Pats broke any rules...

He also named the guy who did the camera work. His name is Matt Estrella and has been with the Pats for 4 years.

This is crazy, first I read that the Commish said that we broke the rules, now I read that the Commish has NOT made any decision whether or not the Pats broke the rules. Which is it?

There are to many rumors and half truths being reported out there.

 

[upstater1]

Why a big camera? Arrogance.

No, if you ate at Artie Bucco's all the time, we'd need a big camera for you too.

 

[upstater1]

Charger fan here!

Your teams that won SBs were so good and the Pats organization with top-notch game-planning and strategy, the class of the league!

We'll all wait for the facts but I would be so pissed if my coach allowed this crap and gave everyone doubt about my team's greatness in those years! Time will tell if LT was a baby or Nostredamus!

Anyway, you have more important things to concern yorself with......Chargers are comin to town!

If you guys ever win a Super Bowl (and I doubt you will) you can be sure of one thing: No one will give you credit. For a fan, winning is very sweet, and it just doesn't matter what people think. The Patriots have always had doubters, from the tuck rule to the trash the idiot chargers talked last year. It matters not a wit to me or any of the Patriots. Watch Tedy Bruschi at the end of the 2004 championship game, after the league changed the rules on defensive pass interference. He doesn't give a damn what people think of the Patriots. He has his three rings and that's all their is to it. if you live your life by basing it on the approval of others, you're going to be unhappy.

 

[Mangold74]

My feeling as a Jets fans is that without some sort of "advantage" the pats would still have won the game easily. With that being said why would the Pats even put themselves in a situation where they could get in trouble for this? Between this and Harrison the Pats reputation as the model franchise is in the toilet. I think everyone respects their ability to build a team, to draft players, to sign the right free agents. I can't say enough good things about them when it comes to Wilfork, Mankins, Brady, Warren Etc.

But it's just ridicilous that they do things like this. If you've been warned before why put yourself at risk?

 

[NEPat]

Goodell never issued a statement. Mort was reporting based on his sources.

 

[PatsFan-NH]

So what do you guys think - will BB give his usual media stonewall on this or will he come out and level with all of us as to what actually happened? I think that he owes those of us who support the team and organization a little more than the usual nondescript bs that he feeds the mediots.

I have no idea if he will level with us, probably not, but he had better not pull that 'I just coach' BS with Roger Goodell. He is the chief football officer, and needs to take responsibility.

On the NFLN, Adam Shefter (NFL mouthpiece) said there could be fines, draft choices, and SUSPENSIONs. He also said the evidence is pouring in from all over the league. He talked about smoking guns.

I have no idea what other evidence there could be, unless others have confiscated tapes too. I am sure some of this is sour grapes because of our success, but that doesn't mean we aren't in trouble. We were caught with a video camera and now they say the tape shows we were stealing signals with it -- ie: cheating.

Goodell acts for the owners, and if the majority of other teams feel we are cheaters and thats the reason we have won so much, they will back/insist on a significant punishment. They may also want to make a statement so that the other teams stop it.

Regardless of morals, ethics, rules, NFL laws, or how many others are doing it, or what was or wasn't enforced before Goodell, the Pats are the ones that got caught.

The actions of the Pats brain trust has brought shame to the Pats, the Players and the fans. There is no way around it or to excuse it. Now people will always wonder what we won honestly and what we cheated to win. Are the playoff games or the SB wins real, are the two 14-2 seasons valid, was the 21 game win streak honest ?

A very sad day for us. The used to talk about Bellichick being better than Lombardi, now they talk about him as a cheater. And the really sad thing is it wasn't really required for us to win.

 

[upstater1]

How do we know there was a big camera?

I'm assuming if it was small and it was a personal possession then it would not be legal for the security guy to confiscate it permanently. He could take it away but he would have to return it outside the premises.

I'm just saying there are very cloaked and easy ways to videotape which are beyond reproach.

 

[kolbitr]

Close?

I would say that Brady throwing a losing interception on the critical drive of the game only to get very lucky and have the DB fumble the ball back is about as close as it gets.

All those close playoff victories will be discussed again, you can count on that.

You really are not providing very much of insight or interest on this board. Why not raise your game a bit? Two of the saddest message board phenomena are a) trolls and b) gloaters in bad times. Every team has bad times. Every fan base has gloating trolls. Yet no one ever learns from the experience.

The truth is, that you are either a Canadian rooting for a team nearly diametrically opposed to you geographically, virtually antipodal as it were (you can look that word up), which is somewhat pathetic, OR you are a san diego native stuck in the great white north, in which case you are an exPAT. Yeah, you can look that word up, too.

So we see, it's all just jealousy. You poor mule.

 

[NEPat]

I'm assuming if it was small and it was a personal possession then it would not be legal for the security guy to confiscate it permanently. He could take it away but he would have to return it outside the premises.

I'm just saying there are very cloaked and easy ways to videotape which are beyond reproach.

I don't know the rules about this. Maybe if you have team credentials, it means you have to comply with NFL security?

 

[stcjones]

Goodell never issued a statement. Mort was reporting based on his sources.

"mort" should be fined or fired for this frequent "mis-reporting" of information. Eli Manning will be out for at least a month (may possibly play this week or next).........Goodell has issued a statement (NO FORMAL statement has been made on this issue so far by Goodell)

He is such a stupid a-hole.....

 

[TripleOption]

With all due respect to Pats fans who don't think this is a big deal, pay attention to the momentum of animosity that is building around the league. PFT is reporting that Pats defensive players might have been wired. I just watched Adam Schefter's report on NFL Network....it doesn't look good.

I hope this doesn't become a distraction for your team this week. We want the Pats to be at their best Sunday night.

Good luck.

Great. If I thought that all the media idiots had a clue, then I would believe Tedy Bruschi was dead and Randy Moss got cut a week ago. Who cares what Adam's "sources" are feeding him. They are all hypocritical ****s, just like Jeff Fisher and Mangini.

 

[Marius]

I am intrigued by the possibility that Bill is making a point. If its true that everyone steals signals and teams employ multiple people to give signals and confuse the other team, then this could be to make a point.

I don't know if anyone remembers when they tried to enforce a noise rule so that the QB could snap the ball.

Bill could (somewhat wishful) be doing this to get a mic in the defensive leaders helmet. It doesn't make much sense that the defense still has to signal while the offense uses radio.

 

[Bella*chick]

Much as we would all love the "making a point" angle, I find it really unlikely they would risk so much to make a point. That truly makes no sense to me.

 

[PatsFan-NH]

I agree. I think the feed had to be going someplace. I really cannot see why they would do it to teams like the Lions and Packers, I don't buy the SB theory either.

On the front of PatsFan.Com there is a link from the Herald of a former cameraman (not for the Pats) talking about how they did it. And yes he said there was a feed going to a live monitor in the coaches box.

Also it may not just be the teams. When coaches move they often install their own scheme. A coach on the Lions could become a coach on the Bolts and so on. IF BB has their tendencies in a file, it make game planning that much easier.

Mark Schlereth (SP) on ESPN was talking about how at half time they can use what they see with the Polaroids before and during a snap to see what signals lead to what type of play. Then you tell your team what to watch for.

 

[stcjones]

I have no idea if he will level with us, probably not, but he had better not pull that 'I just coach' BS with Roger Goodell. He is the chief football officer, and needs to take responsibility.

On the NFLN, Adam Shefter (NFL mouthpiece) said there could be fines, draft choices, and SUSPENSIONs. He also said the evidence is pouring in from all over the league. He talked about smoking guns.

I have no idea what other evidence there could be, unless others have confiscated tapes too. I am sure some of this is sour grapes because of our success, but that doesn't mean we aren't in trouble. We were caught with a video camera and now they say the tape shows we were stealing signals with it -- ie: cheating.

Goodell acts for the owners, and if the majority of other teams feel we are cheaters and thats the reason we have won so much, they will back/insist on a significant punishment. They may also want to make a statement so that the other teams stop it.

Regardless of morals, ethics, rules, NFL laws, or how many others are doing it, or what was or wasn't enforced before Goodell, the Pats are the ones that got caught.

The actions of the Pats brain trust has brought shame to the Pats, the Players and the fans. There is no way around it or to excuse it. Now people will always wonder what we won honestly and what we cheated to win. Are the playoff games or the SB wins real, are the two 14-2 seasons valid, was the 21 game win streak honest ?

A very sad day for us. The used to talk about Bellichick being better than Lombardi, now they talk about him as a cheater. And the really sad thing is it wasn't really required for us to win.

Well if ALL these other teams come out of the woodwork pointing fingers, I think the pats should scrutinize EVERY game they have played the past few years, and divulge ANY INFORMATION we have about every other bunch of "whiners" as well..........it's obviously going to come down to an "eye for an eye"........what a blight on the league to let this thing gets so overblown...and punish the best team of the last decade for something that EVERY other coach/team are doing in ONE way or another.......what a shame

 

[NEPat]

Goodell has issued a statement (NO FORMAL statement has been made on this issue so far by Goodell)

He is such a stupid a-hole.....

Actually the thread starter said Goodell issued a statment. Mortensen said that his sources reported Goodell found the Pats guilty.

 

[patpatriot]

I have no idea if he will level with us, probably not, but he had better not pull that 'I just coach' BS with Roger Goodell. He is the chief football officer, and needs to take responsibility.

On the NFLN, Adam Shefter (NFL mouthpiece) said there could be fines, draft choices, and SUSPENSIONs. He also said the evidence is pouring in from all over the league. He talked about smoking guns.

I have no idea what other evidence there could be, unless others have confiscated tapes too. I am sure some of this is sour grapes because of our success, but that doesn't mean we aren't in trouble. We were caught with a video camera and now they say the tape shows we were stealing signals with it -- ie: cheating.

Goodell acts for the owners, and if the majority of other teams feel we are cheaters and thats the reason we have won so much, they will back/insist on a significant punishment. They may also want to make a statement so that the other teams stop it.

Regardless of morals, ethics, rules, NFL laws, or how many others are doing it, or what was or wasn't enforced before Goodell, the Pats are the ones that got caught.

The actions of the Pats brain trust has brought shame to the Pats, the Players and the fans. There is no way around it or to excuse it. Now people will always wonder what we won honestly and what we cheated to win. Are the playoff games or the SB wins real, are the two 14-2 seasons valid, was the 21 game win streak honest ?

A very sad day for us. The used to talk about Bellichick being better than Lombardi, now they talk about him as a cheater. And the really sad thing is it wasn't really required for us to win.

Eh...all that will go away when the Pats win the Superbowl *this* year. What are they going to say then?