Mike Reiss' Q&A on taping

[Hardboiled]

He asked a point blank question to an NFL spokesman:

"...if a team was taping from a location enclosed on all sides, it still can not shoot signals of opposing coaches?"

The response from the unnamed NFL spokesman? "That is correct. You can scout opposing team signals but not with a video camera."

This, in my opinion (and its not really opinion if one reads the rule) is completely contrary to what the NFL has said in their rule, as well as their 2006 clarifying memo.

I agree and find that part of the problem. I wished Reiss asked if there is some citation or just unwritten "policy"

Even with a spokesman's comment, are NFL teams supposed to ignore the rules in the rulebook and base their practices on the statements of spokesmen to the media?

Of course not.

Yet that is similar to the Greg Aiello explanation of the Jets' taping. He use the word typicially to describe where teams tape from, which I thought was strange as the Jets were taping from the Mezz.

So to be clear here, Reiss is correctly conveying what the NFL spokesman told him.

But he did use the rule as his source. And I would fault him for not asking the questions we are. I would have asked the NFL spokeman where is that view written? What memo, manual or rule addresses it.

It shouldn't be that hard to back it up and communicate clearly other than "Because we said so."

 

[upstater1]

The NFL rule says taping signals is OK in certain locations. The NFL spokesman says taping signals is NOT OK regardless of locations.

Correct me if I'm wrong: the Jets were taping with a video camera in 2006. Mangini admitted to this.

Does the NFL spokesman deny this? I wonder if Reiss could address that.

Furthermore, we saw a Jets employee taping on the sidelines on the very day that the Patriots were caught. There's indisputable video evidence of the guy filming.

 

[upstater1]

Yet that is similar to the Greg Aiello explanation of the Jets' taping. He use the word typicially to describe where teams tape from, which I thought was strange as the Jets were taping from the Mezz.

It's not only Aiello that parses it this way. Reiss needs to take a gander again at the Commish's TV interview with Costas. Costas asked him how the NFL will enforce the rule to prevent hi-tech secretive taping. The Commish answered that the Patriots weren't doing it secretively, and they weren't using hi-tech equipment. He said they were doing it out in the open.

Reiss should ask why Aiello and the Commish are making such distinctions, because clearly they are implying something about the permissability of taping in other locations.