Is stealing signs illegal now?

[SteelersFan]

What's so crazy about the over reaction that the rest of the NFL fandome is having against the Pats is that the core action at the heart of this is still considered ok.

If the Pats or Steelers or anybody else had an assistant with binoculars who had a photographic memory and could translate the signals coming in - he can still relay his interpretation to his coaches on the side lines. What the Pats apparently did wrong was use video cameras to do this. But the NFL is apparently ok if you steal signs without it.

This is what I don't understand about the over-reaction that people are having. Teams are still allowed to steal signs. (Does a video camera give a team that much of an advantage in doing this?!?!?)

If the Pats actually stole playbooks - I can understand the anger - but video cameras? You got to be kidding me.

Sorry dudes, you guys are getting hosed.

 

[primetime]

Nope, the league reissued a memorandum which tells you exactly what you can do to gain a competitive advantage. In other words, some forms of cheating are apparently worse than others in the NFL's eyes.