But Specter's motivation appears to stem solely from his continuing distress with the Patriots' victory over the senator's beloved Philadelphia Eagles back in Super Bowl XXXIX. He has repeatedly implied that the Patriots seemed to know what plays the Eagles were going to run in the second half, though the Eagles scored 14 of their 21 points in that half and quarterback Donovan McNabb passed for 357 yards in the game, including 189 in the second half. My recollection of the Philly failure has more to do with porous pass protection, which had McNabb sucking wind late in the game and the fact that the Eagles wasted precious time in the game's waning minutes getting plays in from the sidelines.
None of that makes me any less anxious to hear what Walsh has to say. But the Pats' brass has said that Walsh, who worked on the team's videotape crew and later in its scouting department, was fired in 2003 after he had secretly audiotaped a meeting with Scott Pioli during which the Pats exec was criticizing Walsh's job performance. If the Pats can document that transgression, then Walsh not only has to show that the Patriots' videotape operation exceeded what the team has already copped to and been penalized for, but he would have the added burden of having to prove that he was not taping on his own initiative without the team's knowledge..
Walsh apparently requires immunity from the NFL before he cooperates because he has materials that the Patriots may regard as stolen property. Regardless of any legal protections he receives, Walsh, who has been working as an assistant golf pro in Hawaii, has already been reminded that NFL ball is a contact sport. Today's Boston Globe has an exhaustive front-page feature on Walsh's life, which had some former associates portraying him as a bitter and vindictive man who inflated his role and responsibilities with the Patriots. It also reported that Walsh was booted off his college golf team for boobytrapping his bed with steel blades in the belief that his roommate might be using it for romantic endeavors. In addition, the Globe reports that Walsh's PGA membership was suspended late last year for failure to progress with required educational courses.
Walsh's character may be less of an issue once the NFL goes to the videotape and sees what's on it. Regardless, Specter's sanctimony is hard to stomach. No senator who played a prominent role in the Clarence Thomas hearings for the Supreme Court--let's check out that videotape--should get away with seizing the ethical high ground.
I'm sick and tired of this issue being played out in the media, our own Colts Forum, and even here.
