Ever since Walsh's name surfaced, the league has minimized his significance to Spygate while continuing to hit on the theme that the matter already had been thoroughly investigated. As the story has lingered, the league has revealed that Belichick's questionable taping practices date back to when he became the Patriots' head coach in 2000, though a former Cleveland Browns video assistant told ESPN.com that that team also taped defensive signals -- although not from the sideline -- under Belichick when he coached there in the '90s.
The league has made efforts to learn more about Walsh, the potential whistle-blower. Brian Hamilton, golf pro at a club on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, said a former FBI agent paid a visit a week after the Super Bowl to inquire about Walsh, who was an assistant at Eastward Ho Country Club after leaving the Patriots.
Hamilton identified the investigator as **** Farley, who he said talked about being with Patriots owner Bob Kraft as he prepared to go down on the field before the New York Giants' last-minute heroics won the Super Bowl in Phoenix last month.
"He was trying to find out if, in fact, Matt had worked here," Hamilton said. "Which he did. And it was, 'Any issues, any problems, can you tell me about him?' It sounded like they were trying to get some information. I don't know whether they were trying to get some dirt on him. That was the extent of it.
"Of course, Matt was fine. He was a good employee. He worked just in the bag room and outside services. So we didn't have any problems at all with Matt. That was a nonstory here."
