Outside the Lines from 2015

[WHPats]

Hey guys

Remember that Outside the Lines report ESPN did a few years ago with all those wild allegations and supposed testimony from ex-coaches and players that said the Patriots went to great lengths to steal opponents playsheets and all that? I'm certain there's a thread that's already discussed this and I'm trying to find it, but I can't. So I apologize if this is redundant. If there's already a thread about it, please close this one and direct me to the new one. Thanks!

 

[TB_Helmet]

Written by (or related to) the same guy who wrote today's Pulitzer investigation.

Sham is a great nickname for him!

 

[jmt57]

For a trip down memory lane, here are a couple of ancient and honorable threads (locked to avoid needless necroing of the dead), but still available for your reading pleasure.

NFL's mouthpiece (ESPN) at it again with OTL piece on cameragate

Patriots Harrassed by NFL/Jets Over Bugging/Electronics Suspicions - Conflicting Reports

 

[Froob]

Outside the lies?

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Was that the one where a team was crying about warm Gatorade FFS?

 

[jmt57]

Was that the one where a team was crying about warm Gatorade FFS?

No, it was a documentary and long column with lots of innuendos and unnamed sources that purported that what the Patriots had been doing from 2000-07 went far beyond taping opponent's sideline signals.

Consider this: the word cheat, or a derivative of that word is used a full twenty times in the article.


Put it another way: these are the opening words of the third paragraph:

Then the Patriots' coach, Bill Belichick, the cheating program's mastermind...


I couldn't tell you a single thing about the author, other than these two speculation-filled click-bait smear pieces. It was basically a 'they couldn't have been that prepared, they must have cheated' commentary from Hines Ward and a 'source' close to Carolina coach Dan Henning.

Hopefully all understand why I am not going to provide Wickersham and espn with yet more views via a link to that 2015 article.

 

[Ross12]

No, it was a documentary and long column with lots of innuendos and unnamed sources that purported that what the Patriots had been doing from 2000-07 went far beyond taping opponent's sideline signals.

Consider this: the word cheat, or a derivative of that word is used a full twenty times in the article.


Put it another way: these are the opening words of the third paragraph:

Then the Patriots' coach, Bill Belichick, the cheating program's mastermind...


I couldn't tell you a single thing about the author, other than these two speculation-filled click-bait smear pieces. It was basically a 'they couldn't have been that prepared, they must have cheated' commentary from Hines Ward and a 'source' close to Carolina coach Dan Henning.

Hopefully all understand why I am not going to provide Wickersham and espn with yet more views via a link to that 2015 article.

And people wonder why we question how Wickersham would have so many “sources” within the team. How does a guy who’s already smeared the team with baseless cheating allegations maintain “inside sources” with that team afterwards? I highly doubt Belichick and those close to him have forgotten Wickersham’s previous “work” regarding their team.

 

[upstater1]

Outside the Lies by Sloth Whatasham!

 

[NashuaPats]

And people wonder why we question how Wickersham would have so many “sources” within the team. How does a guy who’s already smeared the team with baseless cheating allegations maintain “inside sources” with that team afterwards? I highly doubt Belichick and those close to him have forgotten Wickersham’s previous “work” regarding their team.

And why would these "sources" feed gossip to him? What's benefit to them? If Belichick found out, they would be fired and would possibly be a career killer for them. Call me skeptical of Whatasham's "inside sources".

 

[Wordsmyth]

Outside the Lies by Sloth Whatasham!

Slick Whatascam!

 

[Soliel]

I need to write up a nice article about what I’ve heard about ESPN. I’ve got hundreds of sources and have conducted three thousand interviews of people close to the organization