Deadspin
So you suppose the question now is: What did Bill Belichick know, and when did he know it? After a Patriots staffer was busted videotaping the Jets sideline on Sunday, the NFL checked out the confiscated tape and — cover your ears, Simmons! — determined that the guy was stealing coaches' signs. There were all kinds of top secret hand gestures on there (plus a couple of Denny Marcin closeup ass shots, which is odd). Well, you know how I stand on all of this; I'm just waiting to get 10-year-old Jason Krause's take on the matter before I form an opinion.
ESPN.com, citing league sources, reported Tuesday that commissioner Roger Goodell has determined the Patriots violated league rules Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the Jets' coaches. But the report also said the Patriots have not yet presented their case to the league. The Web site's report said Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks." A league spokesman, however, said only that an investigation is under way. Both teams said no decision has been made.
If Belichick ordered this — and there's no proof so far that he did — is it just one more heartwarming story to add to the big needlepoint pillow of his career so far? Or could it actually get him fired? Some stuff from the Belichick file:
• Jan. 7, 2007: Pummels cameraman for getting in his way following game with Jets.
• Jan. 24, 2007: On HBO's Inside the NFL Bob Costas rips Belichick as unprofessional and insulting for assorted boorish actions following the AFC Championship game, won by the Colts. "A guy with three Super Bowl rings should be better than that."
• Ongoing: Look out men, he'll steal your wife!
• Sept. 2006: A feud with another coach over waived players? Really? I thought that only happened in my fantasy league.
The two most amusing things about this whole affair: First, that Belichick would be so brazen as to send a camera guy over to the Jets sideline to openly break the rules. If true, that's just a ballsy, glorious, tragically flawed move. Second, Terrell Davis, now employed by NFL.com, saying quite seriously on Tuesday that New England "should be put on probation, like in college. No matter how many games they win, they can't go to the postseason."
And no float in the homecoming parade! Don't forget that, Terrell.
Report: NFL Believes Patriots Spied On Jets [MSNBC]
Men Keep Your Wives From Bill Belichick [Deadspin]
Comments
There is only one solution: dirty hit on Dreamboat.
If you don't let them have a homecoming float, they'll just show up with Tom Brady driving a giant cake and Laurence Maroney wanting to buy 10,000 marbles.
Have we heard from Kige on this yet?
Well I just hope everyone the repercussions are as severe as they were when Shawne Merriman was caught juicing.
So, you know, no one ever mentions it again and the Pats get a cool new Nike ad.
@Lady Andrea: I prefer Dazed and Confused, honey pie.
Draft picks? Draft pciks? If he did this, give me one good reason why Belichik shouldn't be banned for life.
@Dan Daoust: Because then he'd be free to roam the streets. You really want to give that man too much free time? Look at that face!
@Dan Daoust: Because you'd be wasting a lot of good hyperbole.
His thought process: "Fuck it, I'm Bill Belichick"
Bill Simmons is discussing this matter with his dad and will let you know why this is an irrelevant matter in a world where Leonard Little walks free and Michael Vick is spat upon.
I see the makings of a new Coors Light commercial from this.
I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.
@Lady Andrea: Nothing from Kige on Belichick, but he completed his first commercial!
[www.youtube.com]
@Lady Andrea:
[www.youtube.com]
His take begins 48 seconds in. I love Touchdown Tuesdays.
If they're going to take away draft picks, at least make it first and second rounders.The Pats cut all their third round and up picks last year anyway, so at least do something that "penalizes" them.
If this is anything like peeking at your opponents D in Tecmo, he needs a controller whipped at his head.
@Nationalcoholic: I'm forming a committee. We'll have beer. Wanna come?
It's just a matter of time until the NFL uncovers a secret wiretapping program -- Operation Patriot(ism)
@Johnny Foodstamps: Fuck, Medical Wednesday... is that like After MASH?
I think Belichick's punishment should be to sit in Boston traffic on a Friday afternoon.
The best chrome emblems in the state of Kentucky!
I'd make a joke about how they're the only ones but this is Kentucky. Their economy is based on chrome emblems.
And Belichick is a prick.
@Johnny Foodstamps: Well, shit. I guess I need to be a loyal Touchdown Tuesday listener. I missed Kige's take on Belichick? I was too busy purchasing my 25% off Kentucky Wildcats chrome emblem. GO CATS!
I say we let him go!
NOOOOOOOOO!!!!
@Tuffy: Oh! And it's blue ribbon!
(The beer *and* the committee.)
Funny, but I remember the Dolphins being accused of doing the same thing last year. The reaction on ESPN was: look this happens in baseball all the time (stealing signs), so while it may not be ethical, the Patriots simple defense is to send in a series of signs so that the calls are not so easy to steal. No big deal.
Now, because it's the Pat's that are accused of doing it, the same infraction is treated as the biggest story ever. Ridiculous.
I'm just glad they got caught in the first game of the year.
Because if it happened later in the year, I'd get awfully sick of "how the Pats stole the Super Bowl" stories.
Why is Kige also "talking" with his hands ? I thought only Italians did that.
On the Pats controversy. Fuck Belichick, the guy is a scumbag.
I think this is an elaborate scheme by the NFL that was made up to give supermike a stroke.
I reiterate my serious question from the other post -- how, exactly, does this confer a competitive advantage to the point of being "cheating"? I fully agree that there's a rule, and whether or not the rule makes sense, they done borked it and should be penalized. But...
(1) How can you "steal" a sign that isn't hidden?
(2) during a game that is televised???
(3) and is filmed from the pressbox by both teams???
(4) in a league where teams are required to provide game films to their opponents prior to playing?
Again, it's a rule violation, period. And punishment should be meted. But I consider myself a sophisticated, knowledgable football fan, and I cannot see how this could possibly provide a real-time advantage to the team under these facts. If it's a live feed to the upstairs coach's box, maybe I can see how a smart team could use the info. But the Pats were videotaping openly-visible signals. The only advantage I can see is that you don't have to dedicate a coach to observing the signals, which would be perfectly legal!!!!
I don't see this as cheating, really -- it's using a technological shortcut to do something they could have done manually. But again, the rules are the rules, and if you get caught breaking them you should pay.
@ASox: Word.
I wonder if Bill Simmons thinks this is overblown and the Patriots would win anyway because they are so awesome he just peed his pants? I guess we'll have to wait until his next column to find out.
Bill Belichick also takes pennies from the penny tray at convenience stores but never leaves any. That tells you something right there.
@SlothLoveChunk: Would it have been too much to ask for a custom signoff? "This is Kige Ramsey for kentuckychromeemblems.com."
@Sandy Magic Jackson: I don't know, but this man needs his own show. I would buy a Slingbox just for him.
Hey, we crush people who take steroids, and rightly so. The NFL needs to be consistent and crush the Pats and Belichick as well.
Rodney Harrison gets suspended. At least do the same to the Coach.
Ok, time for NHL 08! Yippee!
Bill Belichick runs over puppies with his SUV then backs over them a few more times to make sure they're dead.
@Johnny Foodstamps:
I think supermike sent in that question. My worlds are colliding!
Hey, if you want to punish the Pats have the Rams' coaching staff call their offensive plays for a couple of games. Believe me, New England will never cheat again.
Bill Belichick is the brains behind the Big Ten Network.
Forbid him from wearing a sweatshirt! That'll teach him!
@Dave Ryan: Exactly! The Pats just sent that cameraman over there to get another nice angle for Belichek's home video collection.
Belichek's defense: "Hey, all the good Patriots are tapping wires and doing covert surveillance these days."
@Dave Ryan:
(What, are you Bob Ryans son ?)
It wasn't just the video taping of the signals but there was also an audio track on the tape so they could learn the lingo of the defense.
On the same token if the Yanks used cameras to steal the Sawx's signs you and all you other NE's would have a stroke and call for Torre to be skinned and banned for life.
The rule is clear and the Pats broke it. The punishment should NOT be taking away draft picks but suspension for Mr. Hoodie and a lagre fine (2 Mill or so.)
... sorry, Large fine
The problem is that in baseball you can deal with this sort of bush league behavior by throwing at somebody's head. What's the NFL equivalent? Making Belichek share a bed with his ex-wife?
Funny, but I remember the Dolphins being accused of doing the same thing last year. The reaction on ESPN was: look this happens in baseball all the time (stealing signs)
Actually no. It wasn't the same thing. The Jets purchased video in which you could hear Brady's audibles. It was something available to all teams and not against league rules. The Pats on the other hand directly videotaped the opposing coaches which is against league rules, are the only ones who have access to that tape and used it that day in the game.
@Dave Ryan: You sound like those "steroids have no proven benefits" people. Its really quite simple. If having this information DIDNT give them some sort of advantage then why would they do it? Obviously they feel there was some benefit to it.
That being said, leave them alone, Brady is my keeper qb.
Waterloo...maybe. Watergate, not so much.
@ASox: When the Dolphins did it, they used network feeds to pick up audio cues. It's legal.
Maybe if you think before you post, you'd remember that debate from last season.
"Coach Belichick, did you get my blood? I sent you a cup of my blood!"
[/Simmons]
Mark Schlereth gave a good explanation today. You know how every formation and play is photographed from above and given to the coaches and players? The possibility is that the Patriots were taking those images and syncing them with the video. From this they were able to to match each hand signal with the defensive alignment and any shifts. There were also irregularities in the radio signals from Sunday's game. There's a possibility that multiple players were receiving signals or that Brady was receiving information after the signal was to be cut off.
When Mark Schlereth is the voice of reason and intelligence you know something is wrong.
@Rob Iracane: Now I'm all confused, I thought the Dreamboat played baseball?
Someone how a check from a Kenneth Dahlberg ended up in this guy's bank account?
@UkraineNotWeak:
*Somehow a check
Mark Schlereth does not think this behavior should be condoned in the National Football League.
Instead of taking away draft picks they should just let Matt Millen run their next 5 drafts which I guess is basically the same thing anyway just funnier