Does It Surprise Anyone That Mini-Belichicks Are Involved In The "Spygate II" Probe?

Here's some background: Denver Broncos director of video operations Steve Scarnecchia (right) worked for the Patriots from 2001-05 while Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels remained in New England until 2009. In 2007, the Patriots got caught videotaping opponents signals.

Well, the Denver Post reported today that Scarnecchia - who McDaniels brought in shortly after going from New England to Denver - went on a "personal leave of absence" while team and league officials investigate "whether a Broncos employee videotaped a San Francisco 49ers walk-through at London's Wembley Stadium four weeks ago."

Upon his formal introduction as the team's 12th head coach, McDaniels was asked about the effect of "Spygate" on his candidacy for the job, as well as whether either Broncos owner Pat Bowlen or Ellis asked him about Spygate during either of his two interviews with team officials.

At that time McDaniels said: "That situation was something that happened. I was not aware of that. I wasn't aware of it and all the things that did happen in terms of that whole scenario. It really didn't affect us, to tell you the truth. It was all about preparation and trying to do whatever we felt was best that week. It really didn't have anything to do with that.

"I don't think it is good. To have that kind of attention was a distraction, and I think that is how we all treated it. We tried to do the best we could to limit those distractions every week, and it will be no different here. Certainly we are never looking to do anything that is not within the rules established by the National Football League. They determined the punishment on that, and it was what it was and we moved on."

Scarnecchia continued to perform his usual day-to-day duties after the team's return from London but was not on the team's chartered flight to San Diego last Sunday and has not been seen on the practice field this week.

Gets better.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, in a statement on the Senate floor dated May 14, 2008, made specific references to Scarnecchia regarding what he termed "extensive videotaping of opponents' offensive and defensive signals" by the Patriots between 2000 and 2007. Specter was relating interviews he had with a former Patriots employee, Matt Walsh.

Not that it really matters, but San Francisco won the game 24-16.

Related: • Spygate: The Patriots' illegal taping scandal [ Boston.com] • McDaniels' involvement with Spygate not clear [ Denver Post] • Scarnecchia [ LinkedIn]