Given that we really do not know what was on the tape, although we can make some pretty decent guesses, here are some honest, logical observations from someone removed from this and not wishing any schadenfreude on you guys:
1. There must be some value in the activity, otherwise Belichick would not have done it.
Yes
2. The value must be greater than most people realize in order for Belichick to continue the activity after nearly being "caught" several times in the past as well as being told explicitly by the league not to do it this season.
No. There are a lot of reasons to do it knowing precisely that the NFL is against it. For one, you do it because the NFL's double standard does not prohibit the use of videotape to steal signals. Belichick knows this because a NFL official said this directly to him last December. It's plausible that BB is pushing the envelope precisely because he knows the NFL allows cheating.
3. The tape was confiscated sometime in the first half so unless there was some real time digesting of the information, I don't believe the Patriots were able to make any use of the information obtained from videotaping during last week's Jets game.
That sounds likely, who knows? Maybe they used it for the first series. I don't know. No one knows.
In terms of offering an analogy why this is not tolerated while watching for defensive tendencies and stealing signals using just your eyes and brains is acceptable, let me present this:
Your whole metaphor is wrong from the start because the NFL has already publicly said that using technology to steal the signals and upsetting the competitive balance is perfectly legal. I encourage all visitors to this board to read the articles we are citing so we don't have to issue these constant corrections.
In casino gambling, it is not against the law or the rules to count cards in Blackjack using your eyes and brains. Yes, the casinos hate it and they can ban you from playing for any reason since it is private property, but they can't make it illegal. However, if you use any "device" to assist in the card counting, even pencil & paper, that is illegal and you can be prosecuted for it.
Maybe the NFL should adopt the casino's rules, because the NFL permits you to use unauthorized tape to steal signals.
I only bring this analogy up because a lot of people seem be caught up in the argument that everyone else does it by lip reading, having a backup guy spy on the defensive coaches from the sidelines, etc. so what's the difference when you videotape it? I hope by this example you can see the difference.
if you read this thread, that's not the argument people are making. We're saying that the NFL allows you to make use of unauthorized videotape for the purpose of stealing signals. It just doesn't allow you to make the tape. So, while the Patriots violated the rule against making videotapes, and while they did cheat and create an advantage (of course we don't know if the Jets were also cheating since there were unauthorized cameramen on the Jets sideline wearing jets colors), the NFL has said in the past that using the videotape to cheat is legal, as long as you don't make the ideotape yourself.
It's a technicality. If you're a bureaucrat or a lawyer, I guess then this might be exciting.
