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

[QuiGon]

Re: ESPN NEWS just said Goodell...

I agree, it's terribly unlikely, but you KNOW the lengths to which BB and the Pats go to be prepared. Would you want to be the guy that dismissed said teams, only to meet one of them in the Superbowl and NOT have the goods on them?

Considering the Lions were 2-9 when we played them, then yeah I would feel safe betting my entire career that they weren't Super Bowl bound.

It's a matter of risk-reward. You aren't going to commit a big risk if there is no reward. This was not about scounting the Detroit Lions as a potential SB 41 opponent.

 

[Richter]

The thing that really irks me the most about this is how the Patriots apparently did it. It's like the Three Stooges. The league reminds teams that no camera's or recording equipment is allowed on the field/sidelines during a game. So Moe has a guy(Curly), dressed the same as Patriots coach's are dressed with a camera taking pictures of the Jets D coaches signalling in D calls. How stupid can they get? Was nobody going to notice this? The have guys making sure players socks look OK. They aren't going to see a guy with a camera? I don't really care if it was a small camera. It was dumb. I think all teams try to steal signals in some fashion, but do a better job hiding it. And if Curly hasd been caught doing it the same way against the Packers last year and maybe the Lions, too, why not change the way you do it? I'm not really bothered that they tried to do this. I'm bothered by how, IMO, stupid they look doing it.

This I can agree with. While I don't think what they did was wrong in any way, and is certainly worth doing from a tactical standpoint, the fact that they were warned not to and continued the practice, apparently as brazenly as has been reported, comes across as very stupid. And that's about the last adjective I'd describe the current regime in Foxboro with, which is what makes it so surprising.

 

[Richter]

Re: ESPN NEWS just said Goodell...

Considering the Lions were 2-9 when we played them, then yeah I would feel safe betting my entire career that they weren't Super Bowl bound.

It's a matter of risk-reward. You aren't going to commit a big risk if there is no reward. This was not about scounting the Detroit Lions as a potential SB 41 opponent.

At the time, there was no rule against the practice, so there was no risk. It was a matter of due diligence.

 

[QuiGon]

Re: ESPN NEWS just said Goodell...

so what is it?

I honestly don't know. But the fact that they did it, got caught, got warned, then kept doing it clearly implies that there is some sort of advantage in doing it.

for all you know BB has a grudge against Polian and the competition committee and is trying to make a point.

Do you think BB would risk losing draft picks just to make a point...?

until somebody shows me how it is cheating, i reject the assertion we cheated.

The rules say it is cheating, therefore it is cheating. The fact that none of us in this forum can figure out how an edge is gained doesn't make it non-cheating.

 

[SVN]

Re: ESPN NEWS just said Goodell...

Considering the Lions were 2-9 when we played them, then yeah I would feel safe betting my entire career that they weren't Super Bowl bound.

It's a matter of risk-reward. You aren't going to commit a big risk if there is no reward. This was not about scounting the Detroit Lions as a potential SB 41 opponent.

if we taped the lions game, why did we suck for 3.5 quarters of the game ?

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Re: ESPN NEWS just said Goodell...

The rules say it is cheating, therefore it is cheating.

I have to assume you meant "The rules say it is illegal, therefore it is illegal".

 

[upstater1]

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.

LOL, you think the Patriots haven't been through this before? With the Tuck Rule? They haven't been through this with all the Belichick is classless controversy last season?

I don't watch professional wrestling, but I know how the script goes. Newcomer wins championship. Good guy versus bad guy. Then, overnight, the good guy joins the bad guys side.

This is practically scripted PR. The league hates the Patriots, you say? No s.......................t!! That's a byproduct of winning constantly, and that's why only Chargers fans are complaining about it today.

Our owner said it best: if you own the top supermarket in the northeast, your competition will go out of its way to undercut you and take you down. This is just part of the spoils of winning Super Bowls.

 

[QuiGon]

Re: ESPN NEWS just said Goodell...

At the time, there was no rule against the practice, so there was no risk. It was a matter of due diligence.

Yes there was. The Lions game came after the Packers game and the Packers game was the one that created the initial warning. And it was illegal for the Packers game, only that was a "first offense" slap on the wrist.

 

[DefenseRules]

All of these rumors are ridiculous.

I choose to believe statements frome the NFL.
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/

September 11, 2007
ESPN report
By Mike Reiss, Globe Staff
ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has determined the Patriots violated league rules by filming the New York Jets' defensive signals in Sunday's season opener.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday night that there has been no decision rendered.

That is what they are guilty of. All this other stuff is BS. I wonder how long it will take for a DECISION TO BE RENDERED.

 

[CanadianBoltFan]

LOL, you mean from people that are jealous and who can't stand losing to us.

Have you noticed that this board is littered by Chargers fans who are the most upset? LOL. I don't see any Lions or Packers fans here.

Move along, and stop being so jealous of our 3 rings. It's a silly way to go through life.

I am not upset at all. The Chargers can hold their own playing the Patriots whether you cheat or not. You squeaked out a victory in a playoff game you were outplayed in for 50 minutes. The game before that the Chargers thumped you something like 44-17 in your house.

Sunday cant get here soon enough and I am very confident it will be a great game. Either team could win this game.

By the way, the only reason I came here is because a thread was posted on the Charger board that showed all of you Pat fans screaming about LT and how he had no class becuase he joked with reporters and used Jim Rome's line about cheating.

I noticed that thread has been closed now. Pretty heard to label the NFL Man of the Year Award winner not classy now that the truth and all the dirty details are coming out. After all LT merely spoke the truth.

With all that is hitting the fan now you could post LT's comments on your bulletin board and no one will even notice it now.

 

[upstater1]

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?

 

[Richter]

Re: ESPN NEWS just said Goodell...

Yes there was. The Lions game came after the Packers game and the Packers game was the one that created the initial warning. And it was illegal for the Packers game, only that was a "first offense" slap on the wrist.

That's not how I understand it at all. The Packers game was when it was first reported, but the Packers did not complain, and the league took no action, nor was there a rule in place at that time. The rule was instated prior to this season, and teams received a warning about it then. I'd like to have a clear timeline of the events to know for sure, but from what I've read, that's how things transpired.

 

[PatsFan-NH]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannon Arm
Actually, morality dictates that you do the right thing even when you are the only righteous person. What code of morality and ethics do you subscribe to?




Especially considering this WAS legal just last year. It's not like it's even been categorized as cheating until now. So, what was not cheating last year, is now cheating this year...Ooooo such a lack of integrity & class.

Basically, what this means is that everyone was doing it last year and the Patriots still did it one game into the season...BIG DEAL!

I am not sure what you are saying was legal last year, but having a video camera on the sidelines, wasn't one of them.

I was watching a non-Pats game last year, and on the sideline of one of the teams, a player who was not dressed (he was in sweats) was standing up front. He was a holding a video camera and was pointing towards the field (or the other side - who knows). The Ref actually stopped play, went over to the coach and told him to get rid of the camera. The camera went away, and the Ref made the announcement to the audience about by rule no video cameras allowed on the field.

The announcers didn't know what the reason was at first, which is why they didn't cut to commercial. But after were talking about the rule.

 

[upstater1]

I am not upset at all. The Chargers can hold their own playing the Patriots whether you cheat or not. You squeaked out a victory in a playoff game you were outplayed in for 50 minutes. The game before that the Chargers thumped you something like 44-17 in your house.

Sunday cant get here soon enough and I am very confident it will be a great game. Either team could win this game.

By the way, the only reason I came here is because a thread was posted on the Charger board that showed all of you Pat fans screaming about LT and how he had no class becuase he joked with reporters and used Jim Rome's line about cheating.

I noticed that thread has been closed now. Pretty heard to label the NFL Man of the Year Award winner not classy now that the truth and all the dirty details are coming out. After all LT merely spoke the truth.

With all that is hitting the fan now you could post LT's comments on your bulletin board and no one will even notice it now.

I guess he's classy. After all, he said so.

Do you know how many fans have come here saying, you guys just squeaked by us last time, we're not worried? You guys aren't the first competition we've had in the last few years, and to tell you the truth other teams gave us more of a game in the playoffs. The Titans and Panthers came closer to beating us than you did. The Rams and Raiders too. Close doesn't count in football, and your Chargers are going to learn a lesson this Sunday.

Let me list the victims: Raiders, Steelers, Colts multiple times, Titans, Steelers again, Rams, Eagles, Panthers. Etc. We've heard all this before. It's boring. You talk about a whupping you laid on us a while back. Uh, yeah, sorry, our 24 game winning streak that broke NFL records had to end. No one here thought it was going to last another 3 years.

 

[ursa99]

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.

 

[sanvara]

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?

Why a big camera? Arrogance.

 

[QuiGon]

Why a big camera? Arrogance.

Maybe the guy was just taking the pictures for the FatHead commercials...?

 

[PowerAlley.com]

I just watched NFL replay. Then the talking heads came on and hammered the patriots. I am sick to my stomach. God, I feel like I did something wrong. I am so proud to be a Patriots fan, but this one hurts. Im going to take so much crap here is Jets/Buffalo land about the Patriots. Saying that "the only way you won is by cheating!". That is going to hurt even more. This crap cant go away soon enough. We are going to have to deal with it all year.

I just hope the team can stay focused on SD. Come out and beat them would be nice.

Mike

 

[CanadianBoltFan]

I guess he's classy. After all, he said so.

Do you know how many fans have come here saying, you guys just squeaked by us last time, we're not worried? You guys aren't the first competition we've had in the last few years, and to tell you the truth other teams gave us more of a game in the playoffs. The Titans and Panthers came closer to beating us than you did. The Rams and Raiders too. Close doesn't count in football, and your Chargers are going to learn a lesson this Sunday.

Let me list the victims: Raiders, Steelers, Colts multiple times, Titans, Steelers again, Rams, Eagles, Panthers. Etc. We've heard all this before. It's boring. You talk about a whupping you laid on us a while back. Uh, yeah, sorry, our 24 game winning streak that broke NFL records had to end. No one here thought it was going to last another 3 years.

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.

 

[Fahrenhype]

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 they had a camera on the sideline that wasn't authorized to be there, they broke a rule. The question is whether or not this is some type of real-time play calling espionage. What is everyone going to say if the guy broke a rule by having the camera there but was video taping cheer leader's asses?

I'm interested to hear the full details and see what the NFL does, because this could be opening an enormous can of worms about the tactics that a number of teams to use to get an edge.

If they were in the wrong they should accept whatever punishment is handed out and move on. The NFL could have avoided the whole mess by allowing a linebacker to have a mic, but hey, "it is what it is."