Upshaw thinks that Spygate is overblown

[BradyFTW!]

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_8342214

Spygate ado about nothing?
Union head Upshaw has more pressing issues
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 02/23/2008 10:58:59 PM MST

A former Oakland Raiders tough guy and currently the politically savvy NFL union boss, Upshaw implied the Patriots may have gotten way more undeserved competitive advantage from the "tuck rule" than they ever could from Spygate.

At the NFL scouting combine last week, Upshaw's competitive juices seemed to molt into skull and crossbones after he was asked if he had ever encountered a more egregious, underhanded tactic than videotaping opposing defensive coaching signals.

"Don't start me with that one," Upshaw said. "I happened to play in some games where you have to wonder. I was in the game with the Broncos in which Rob Lytle fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line and the official said it wasn't a fumble, he was down."

Besides the Broncos' first AFC championship victory in 1977, Upshaw went on to rail about other injustices he had personally suffered as a Raider. The Immaculate Reception. The incomplete pass that was instead ruled a fumbled lateral against Joe Namath's New York Jets in the 1968 AFL championship game.

"The (gosh darn) tuck rule happened against the Raiders," Upshaw said in regards to Tom Brady's nonfumble in a 2001 AFC playoff game. "You can go on and on and on. I don't even want to start down that road."

Spygate? Yes, it broke a rule, Upshaw said. Harsh punishment was levied. But otherwise, Upshaw believes the illicit taping — including reports the Patriots spied on the St. Louis Rams' walk-through before the Super Bowl in the "tuck rule" postseason of 2001, an allegation NFL commissioner Roger Goodell continues to investigate — has been overblown.

"I don't care how many tapes (Patriots coach Bill) Belichick could have had, there's no way you could ever account for Eli Manning getting out of that sack and then throwing the ball and (David) Tyree catching the ball at the top of his helmet," Upshaw said. "There's nothing on a tape that's going to stop that from happening. It comes down to execution.

"I hear them talking about that St. Louis game. Kurt Warner fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line. Critics say, 'Well, (the Patriots) were in the right position.' Yeah, but he still fumbled the ball. My biggest concern when you start talking about these tapes, it's almost like the players' play doesn't count. It does."

If you read further, you also get further account of Mike Martz's descent into insanity. He seems to feel very vindicated by this, as if the mere hypothetical possibility of a walkthrough tape explains away his inability to recognize that, especially when you have a hall of fame running back your hands, it's generally a good idea to run against nickel.

 

[DarrylS]

I would say that the leader of this players union is a tad biased.. tough to represent everyone but have a special place for a few.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Just another imbellished rehash. I'd love to ask that reporter who "divulged" Walsh might have a tape...I heard it's just a rumor. If he wanted to give his piece some perspective he could have mentioned how some time ago it was actually divulged that a league source saw evidence that the Broncos taped a division opponents practices, and it was such a big deal even with evidence nothing came of it.

The irony in citing Upshaw's comments is, he was one of the main reasons Goodell over reacted - he needed the commissioner to punish someone in management for an integrity violation to balance all the player suspensions he wasn't chirping about. Now as a former player and union head he has to defend players titles in hindsight...

And Martz is just the poster boy for what is wrong with this league, a bunch of sniveling (and in his case hysterical) whiners who have to have someone else to blame for their own failures. Just another difference that sets Bill apart from his peers - he and his players never whine because it's a loser mentality. Way more good calls happen than bad over the course of time, and great teams not only benefit from some they overcome others. I guess Al Davis enduring legacy is he taught an entire league it's OK to whine.

If taping signals, forget about walkthoughs, didn't provide a competitive advantage - and it couldn't since stealing signals sent in plain sight is not in violation of league rules - then just like Martz armed robbery analogy Goodell's penalty was just about posturing and pandering. Something else there is too much of in this league, and yet another loser behavior Bill never engages in. At the end of the day all Bill does is coach his players better to be in a position to win, and their response to that is at the root of the jealousy that is all any of this was ever really about. That and his unwillingness to play grab ass bs games with his league peers or the media.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Thanks for the post!