Since the Patriots are back in the news, an interesting article from 2015.
The report details Spygate as we've never heard it, painting a
picture of systematic cheating that went way further and looks way worse
for the Patriots than people previously realized.
First, the
Patriots had a detailed, efficient system for finding out opponents'
plays. ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham describe a scene in
Patriots coach Bill Belichick's office before a season-opener against
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
" Friesz was told that the Patriots had a tape of
the Bucs' signals. He was instructed to memorize them, and during the
game, to watch Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and tell
Weis the defensive play, which Weis
would relay over the radio headset system to quarterback Drew Bledsoe."
Van
Natta and Wickersham report that although the Patriots lost that game,
they realized a "schematic" edge over other teams. They "streamlined the
system," finding a more efficient way to note the plays and relay the
information, cutting out the quarterbacks, with only a few people,
including Belichick.
Soon, advanced scouts would be sent to the
games of upcoming Patriots' opponents to film the play signals. The
scouts would go undercover as media members, with media credentials
listed under "Patriots TV" or "Kraft Productions" and were prepared with
excuses of what to say they were filming if security asked.
Peyton Manning is reportedly paranoid about the Patriots' methods of cheating; he leaves the Patriots' visiting locker room to discuss schemes with coaches in case the room is bugged.
Still, the spying was reportedly the biggest deal. The entire operation
came to a head when Eric Mangini, coach of the New York Jets and a
former Patriots coach, realized that the Patriots were filming teams. He
ordered security to be on alert, and they caught a Patriots employee
taping the Jets.
Roger Goodell, then only 18 months into his role as
NFL commissioner, fined Belichick $500,000, the Patriots $250,000, and
docked the team a first-round pick before investigators ever even went
to Foxborough to look for the tapes.
There, investigators found "a room accessible only to Belichick
and a few others" with a "library of scouting material containing
videotapes of opponents' signals, with detailed notes matching signals
to plays for many teams going back seven seasons."
However, as Van
Natta and Wickersham report, "almost as quickly as the tapes and notes
were found, they were destroyed, on Goodell's orders: League executives
stomped the tapes into pieces and shredded the papers inside a Gillette
Stadium conference room."
The report says the Patriots never told
the league how many games they filmed and offered up only eight tapes,
and the league never asked.
https://www.businessinsider.com/espn-report-patriots-spygate-scandal-2015-9
I wonder how many millions or billions were won or lost by certain entities involved in the gaming industry because of this systematic cheating?
Considering the aging of brady I could see them going back to the goodies but oldies to keep the egde.
Once a cheater always a cheater
17 straight 10 win seasons.
I thought the function of the salary cap was to ensure that no team was capable of that kind of long term success.
Don't get me wrong both brady and belicheat are great at their jobs but both are willing to venture into that gray area to gain the extra to stay on top. Playing in a cupcake division has certainly helped in those numbers.
@"Akvike" said: Don't get me wrong both brady and belicheat are great at their jobs but both are willing to venture into that gray area to gain the extra to stay on top. Playing in a cupcake division has certainly helped in those numbers.
@"Akvike" said: Don't get me wrong both brady and belicheat are great at their jobs but both are willing to venture into that gray area to gain the extra to stay on top. Playing in a cupcake division has certainly helped in those numbers.I think Godell and boys found so much evidence in foxborough they thought it would destroy confidence in the game if they let it out---thus they made it look like an isolated incident.
Imagine that. What in gods green earth would the Cheatriots be in Cleveland for a Bengals vs Browns game if it wasn't to film for the Bengals game.
It just makes no sense that their explanation of "filming advanced scouting for our website" makes any sense. Wouldn't you you filming your own coaches for advanced scouting fan pieces?
I still think to this day that 41-0 was because the Giants were intercepting our calls over the helmet radios.
@"Mattyman" said: 17 straight 10 win seasons.I thought the function of the salary cap was to ensure that no team was capable of that kind of long term success.
I brought this up earlier this year. What will we find out about these guys down the road that led to winning 50% of the titles over their run?
Looks like my hunch was right. These guys are addicted to winning and can't back off doing whatever it takes.
@"greediron" said:
I brought this up earlier this year. What will we find out about these guys down the road that led to winning 50% of the titles over their run?
Looks like my hunch was right. These guys are addicted to winning and can't back off doing whatever it takes.
I agree.Belichek and Brady being the GOAT isn't enough to circumvent the effects of the salary cap,IMO.
There seems to be a lack of common sense.
It's not that the Patriots are good, it's that they've been too good for too long.
@"Mattyman" said:@"greediron" said:
I brought this up earlier this year. What will we find out about these guys down the road that led to winning 50% of the titles over their run?
Looks like my hunch was right. These guys are addicted to winning and can't back off doing whatever it takes.
I agree.Belichek and Brady being the GOAT isn't enough to circumvent the effects of the salary cap,IMO.
There seems to be a lack of common sense.
It's not that the Patriots are good, it's that they've been too good for too long.
And given the way the ball bounces, it would stand to reason that chance would take some of those games as well.
One has to wonder what they figured out in the second half against the falcons?
@"Mattyman" said: 17 straight 10 win seasons.I thought the function of the salary cap was to ensure that no team was capable of that kind of long term success.
His two seasons with less than 10 wins was 2000 (5-11) and 2002 (9-7).
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/BeliBi0.htm
@"AGRforever" said:Imagine that. What in gods green earth would the Cheatriots be in Cleveland for a Bengals vs Browns game if it wasn't to film for the Bengals game. It just makes no sense that their explanation of "filming advanced scouting for our website" makes any sense. Wouldn't you you filming your own coaches for advanced scouting fan pieces?I still think to this day that 41-0 was because the Giants were intercepting our calls over the helmet radios.
they did. the story died really quick too.
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