File this under: “The more things change… or a better one will be “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or have turned off social media (probably a smart move), you would have missed this latest Patriots scandal involving filming the Bengals sideline during their game on Sunday against Cleveland.
What we do know is, there was a film crew from Kraft Productions that was filming an upcoming episode of the“Do Your Job,” which in this case was profiling a week in the life of a Patriots pro scout. These short subjects have been fascinating as we’ve been able to glimpse behind the curtain at a number of people who otherwise would be in the shadows.
The three-man film crew conducted an interview with the scout and then followed him to Cleveland to film him doing advanced scouting of the Bengals before the game against Cincinnati which is the norm for all teams.
The film crew asked the Browns for media credentials for the day after explaining what they were about to do. And the Browns granted their request. As part of the feature, the crew shot was is commonly referred to as “B-Roll” footage, secondary film work that plays over the interview that shows what the scout would be seeing during the game. That’s when everything went awry.
While it is acceptable for the scout to watch the opposing sidelines during the game, all scouts do that, filming the sideline is not. And the B-Roll most certainly did videotape the Bengals sideline, reportedly eight minutes worth.
The monitor in the press box was visible to all there, including a Bengals staffer who could see the sideline being filmed and reported it to NFL Security. They stopped the filming at that point and confiscated all of the videotapes including the interview with the scout and all of the earlier footage.
This crew allegedly didn’t know that filming the sidelines was prohibited as they’ve been granted access to the Patriots’ sidelines during home games at Gillette. Only the NFL and the broadcasting television network are allowed sideline access during the games.
The Patriots, knowing they were at fault here, immediately released a statement stating “full responsibility for the actions of our production crew at the Browns-Bengals game.”
Jeff Howe of the Athletic wrote on Tuesday that when Patriots coach Bill Belichick found out about this, he was furious. He should be. Because regardless of intent, nefarious or not, this entire episode is going to get laid right at his feet. And whether he had any knowledge or not, it is his legacy that will be called into question, yet again.
Many are arguing that filming the coaches on the sideline has dubious value these days since everything is relayed into the game via a transmitter in the player’s helmet, the green dot, as we’ve all heard countless times. It doesn’t matter. Videotaping the sideline is still illegal via the press box and it doesn’t matter that “anyone can do it from the crowd”.
And the ignorance of the rule sounds patently ridiculous. The video people are all adults and were certainly alive in 2007 when the original flap over filming other teams reared its ugly head. And although they’re granted access to the Patriots sidelines during home games, they also know that the other team’s sideline is prohibited.
This entire fiasco was entirely avoidable, while they were granted access from Cleveland, they should have notified the NFL and Cincinnati of what they were doing. Then, anything that occurred during the game, could have been handled on the spot and stopped if the league or the Bengals found something objectionable. The events are 2007 should have certainly prompted this crew to know, that when it comes to anything with video, the Patriots have to do it cleaner than anyone else.
The league won’t tolerate another flap like this. And trying to justify it by downplaying the value of it or the fact “it’s the Bengals” isn’t going to resonate anywhere but in New England.
Many are trying to argue the logic of it all which again begs the question, isn’t anyone paying attention here? Nobody outside of New England cares that “Kraft Productions is a separate entity from football operations.” Opponents, sick of the Patriots being on top, made it clear that they wanted their pound of flesh during Brady’s case after the AFC Championship Game with the Colts. It is only going to grow now.
And how will the NFL react? One must remember that this is the same league that suspended Tom Brady for a quarter of a season for cold weather. Does anyone really feel that they’re going to buy this alibi that they weren’t aware of the rule? So, please don’t try to apply logic to any of this latest fiasco.
Howe also wrote that many in the Kraft Productions house relating to video production are in fear for their jobs. Again, they should be. If what they were doing truly was innocent filming of a documentary, which it very well was, then it is even dumber that they put the team in this position.
This entire ridiculous controversy was entirely unnecessary and avoidable. The league should be grateful. The awful officiating of Jerome Boger’s crew is now far in the rearview mirror. Where the heck is Mona Lisa Vito when she’s needed.
“People are trapped in history, and history is trapped in them.” – James Baldwin
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A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
