ESPN: Spygate swept under the rug by Goddell; MUCH bigger than we know

[BmorePat87]

http://www.businessinsider.com/espn-report-patriots-spygate-scandal-2015-9

A new ESPN report is suggesting that the Spygate scandal was far more than what was let on and that Goddell had it swept under the rug. He went hard on them for deflate gate because of how bad Spygate really was.

Pre Brady, back up QBs were tasked with memorizing defensive calls and reporting them to the coach who would mic them into Bledsoe.

Low ranking Pats staffers would get phony press credentials posing at "Patriots TV" or "Kraft production" and go to future opponents games. They had preplanned stories for security if questioned.

Tapes were given to an "amateur football historian" who worked with the team and cut for Belichick. Years of tapes were stored in a room only Bill and a select few could access.

Staffers would go into the visitor locker room to steal play sheets.

They'd go to hotels to find play books

Peyton never discussed play calls with coaches when in the Pats visitor locker room fearing that they were bugged.

When It all went down, Goddell, new at his job, had tapes smashed and documents shredded at the Pats HQ. He had the pats fess up to merely taping 8 games.

If true, this is huge.

[Aquapod770]

Lol ESPN is such a joke. I'd say this has about a 10% chance of being accurate. If that.

[BmorePat87]

It looks like some of this was already known. The big take away is that the overreaction to deflategate stems from Goddell trying to save face for Spygate, which he severely underplayed

[Joelist]

The source being ESPN inspires no confidence in accuracy. Lest we forget they have had multiple cases where they had to retract stuff they reported as fact when it turned out not to be - and indeed a BIG one involved the Patriots (where SportsCenter reported false information about the Patriots first super Bowl win versus the Rams).

[MrRager]

(09-08-2015, 04:16 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: It looks like some of this was already known. The big take away is that the overreaction to deflategate stems from Goddell trying to save face for Spygate, which he severely underplayed

I thought much of this was already known. The author also seems to really mix fact with conjecture in this. The article is definitely entertaining, but I am not sure how much we can believe of it. 

Also, wasn't taping allowed (and still is allowed) before a rule change in 2006 changed where you could tape from? That is what the Pats got busted for, no? There was no issue with taping signals and having people analyze them, but, for some reason in 2006, the NFL changed the areas you could tape from and the Pats got busted.

I have no idea what to believe with the other stuff like stealing playsheets. I am not sure who the source was for this and if they can be trusted. This shit is just all insane. I still think it's a bit ridiculous and Brady, Belichick, and the Pats are some of the greatest ever.

[yellowxdiscipline]

If this is true, theres no way the owners can go forward with Goodell at the helm. This should be his undoing.

[XenoMorph]

(09-08-2015, 04:04 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: http://www.businessinsider.com/espn-report-patriots-spygate-scandal-2015-9

A new ESPN report is suggesting that the Spygate scandal was far more than what was let on and that Goddell had it swept under the rug. He went hard on them for deflate gate because of how bad Spygate really was.

Pre Brady, back up QBs were tasked with memorizing defensive calls and reporting them to the coach who would mic them into Bledsoe.

Low ranking Pats staffers would get phony press credentials posing at "Patriots TV" or "Kraft production" and go to future opponents games. They had preplanned stories for security if questioned.

Tapes were given to an "amateur football historian" who worked with the team and cut for Belichick. Years of tapes were stored in a room only Bill and a select few could access.

Staffers would go into the visitor locker room to steal play sheets.

They'd go to hotels to find play books

Peyton never discussed play calls with coaches when in the Pats visitor locker room fearing that they were bugged.

When It all went down, Goddell, new at his job, had tapes smashed and documents shredded at the Pats HQ. He had the pats fess up to merely taping 8 games.

If true, this is huge.

if gooddell had the patriots back back then... why not now? and the patriots surely seem ungrateful

[BmorePat87]

(09-08-2015, 06:13 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: if gooddell had the patriots back back then... why not now?  and the patriots surely seem ungrateful

Because his handling of Spygate pissed off the other 31 owners. ESPN reports that his handling of Deflategate has actually given him more job security as it raised the other owner's confidence in him.

[GMDino]

(09-08-2015, 08:07 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: Because his handling of Spygate pissed off the other 31 owners. ESPN reports that his handling of Deflategate has actually given him more job security as it raised the other owner's confidence in him.

And there was more to the destroying of the evidence than was released.

I'd love for more "one the record" sources though.

[*rfaulk34*]

(09-08-2015, 04:04 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: http://www.businessinsider.com/espn-report-patriots-spygate-scandal-2015-9

A new ESPN report is suggesting that the Spygate scandal was far more than what was let on and that Goddell had it swept under the rug. He went hard on them for deflate gate because of how bad Spygate really was.

Pre Brady, back up QBs were tasked  with memorizing defensive calls and reporting them to the coach who would mic them into Bledsoe.

Low ranking Pats staffers would get phony press credentials posing at "Patriots TV" or "Kraft production" and go to future opponents games. They had preplanned stories for security if questioned.

Tapes were given to an "amateur football historian" who worked with the team and cut for Belichick. Years of tapes were stored in a room only Bill and a select few could access.

Staffers would go into the visitor locker room to steal play sheets.

They'd go to hotels to find play books

Peyton never discussed play calls with coaches when in the Pats visitor locker room fearing that they were bugged.

When It all went down, Goddell, new at his job, had tapes smashed and documents shredded at the Pats HQ. He had the pats fess up to merely taping 8 games.

If true, this is huge.

Old news. I don't care if they taped 1 or 1,000. Let's move on and get someone in position to review/investigate/mete out punishment that has a clue what they're doing.

P.S. I'd be willing to bet a majority of teams cheated similarly in the past. Maybe not quite to the extent, but they did it. Danny Kannell said today that, when he was a rookie, standing on the sidelines before the first game with his clipboard...he was told to write down everything the defensive coaches signaled in during the game. 

[GMDino]

(09-08-2015, 09:32 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Old news. I don't care if they taped 1 or 1,000. Let's move on and get someone in position to review/investigate/mete out punishment that has a clue what they're doing.

P.S. I'd be willing to bet a majority of teams cheated similarly in the past. Maybe not quite to the extent, but they did it. Danny Kannell said today that, when he was a rookie, standing on the sidelines before the first game with his clipboard...he was told to write down everything the defensive coaches signaled in during the game. 

"Everybody does it" stopped being a good excuse in grade school.

Also tired of the "it didn't help that much" argument.  Why would a "genius" waste his valuable time on something that didn't help?  Because he's crazy? Evil? 

Plus there are things you can and cannot do.  What the Pats did...and admitted they did...was in that "things you cannot do" category.  

Everything in the Patriots past decade is severely tainted to everyone outside of Pats fans (™ 2002).

And note I don't blame their tactics for the Steelers playoff loss.  The Steelers allowed too many special team gaffs.  Unless you think a rookie QB wouldn't have had a chance against the Steelers "D" otherwise. 

[BmorePat87]

(09-09-2015, 09:34 AM)GMDino Wrote: "Everybody does it" stopped being a good excuse in grade school.

Also tired of the "it didn't help that much" argument.  Why would a "genius" waste his valuable time on something that didn't help?  Because he's crazy? Evil? 

Plus there are things you can and cannot do.  What the Pats did...and admitted they did...was in that "things you cannot do" category.  

Everything in the Patriots past decade is severely tainted to everyone outside of Pats fans (™ 2002).

And note I don't blame their tactics for the Steelers playoff loss.  The Steelers allowed too many special team gaffs.  Unless you think a rookie QB wouldn't have had a chance against the Steelers "D" otherwise. 

My thing is that people go "everyone does it" and then say things like "writing down signals and watching DCs". 

Let's be honest. Having staffers pose as NFL Films crew members or other video staff, going to all of your opponents games, creating a catalog of play calls for specific downs/field position situations, having an outside source cut the tape to be used, and archiving 7+ seasons of it in a room only accessible by a select few people is not on the same level as writing down notes as you watch a game. 

[GMDino]

(09-09-2015, 10:52 AM)BmorePat87 Wrote: My thing is that people go "everyone does it" and then say things like "writing down signals and watching DCs". 

Let's be honest. Having staffers pose as NFL Films crew members or other video staff, going to all of your opponents games, creating a catalog of play calls for specific downs/field position situations, having an outside source cut the tape to be used, and archiving 7+ seasons of it in a room only accessible by a select few people is not on the same level as writing down notes as you watch a game. 

Bingo.

And a few plays here or there can make a huge difference even if the other team is giving away a few plays all on their own.

[grampahol]

Being the ONLY thing the NFL has to sell is fantasy and entertainment and billions are spent on gambling every year is it any surprise that the team that seems nearly invincible might be cheating more than anyone previously thought?
It's not as IF any of us would die or be harmed in any way if football stopped being tomorrow.
The lowest paid players make more than most of us will make in our lifetimes so follow the money and then ask yourself if you would cheat for the ultimate prize in football and the chance for imaginary immortality.

[yellowxdiscipline]

So this report is pretty damning if true, but don't you find it funny that Mike Reiss, poked several holes in it in his own ESPN column, only later to have it edited to remove those holes. Sounds like ESPN doesn't like its credibility being questioned, which leads me to question the legitimacy of this report. Maybe since Deflategate is winding down, they need something else to keep cramming down our throats.

[XenoMorph]

(09-10-2015, 08:52 AM)yellowxdiscipline Wrote: So this report is pretty damning if true, but don't you find it funny that Mike Reiss, poked several holes in it in his own ESPN column, only later to have it edited to remove those holes. Sounds like ESPN doesn't like its credibility being questioned, which leads me to question the legitimacy of this report. Maybe since Deflategate is winding down, they need something else to keep cramming down our throats.

well tebow didnt make a roster so they have to find something to cling too.

[Ryuko]

Patriots continue cheating ways in primetime, fresh off deflate-gate scandal.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13627398/pittsburgh-steelers-coach-coach-headsets-get-interference-new-england-patriots-radio-broadcast

The Steelers' coach-to-coach headsets were interrupted by a stream of the Patriots' radio broadcast during the game. The Steelers' coaching staff complained, the Patriots were instructed to shut off their headsets, and the problem was then immediately solved. Tomlin says this happens all the time in Gillette.

[Aquapod770]

(09-11-2015, 11:17 AM)Ryuko Wrote: Patriots continue cheating ways in primetime, fresh off deflate-gate scandal.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13627398/pittsburgh-steelers-coach-coach-headsets-get-interference-new-england-patriots-radio-broadcast

The Steelers' coach-to-coach headsets were interrupted by a stream of the Patriots' radio broadcast during the game. The Steelers' coaching staff complained, the Patriots were instructed to shut off their headsets, and the problem was then immediately solved. Tomlin says this happens all the time in Gillette.

Headsets are controlled by the NFL.  


Also... http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000525883/article/nfl-statement-on-steelerspats-headset-controversy

[GMDino]

(09-11-2015, 12:56 PM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Headsets are controlled by the NFL.  


Also... http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000525883/article/nfl-statement-on-steelerspats-headset-controversy

Kinda.

Quote:This 2014 NFL.com article seems to dispute that the NFL provides clubs’ headsets to them on game day:

Quote:This year, Bose shipped about 50 headsets to each stadium, for use by coaches on the sideline and in the booth, medical and officiating personnel. Teams travel with their own headsets in a special case and many coaches, creatures of habit and superstition, have taken to labeling their headset, particularly if their teams win when they wear a specific one. [...] The NFL mandates that every coach have exactly the same headset, and that any modification be made available to all teams so that no competitive advantage can be gained.

In fact, the NFL’s own Gameday Policy Manual states:

Quote:Home clubs are responsible for the installation and maintenance of the coaching staff communications infrastructure.

It further explains that the visiting coaches on the sideline may use their own headsets, but those used by visiting coaches in the coaches’ booth are supplied by the home team.

http://deadspin.com/what-exactly-happened-with-the-steelers-headsets-1730005682

[Frank Pembleton]

(09-08-2015, 04:10 PM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Lol ESPN is such a joke. I'd say this has about a 10% chance of being accurate. If that.

Exactly