Pats = cheaters? Confirmed

[jman19]

NFL security confiscated a video camera and its tape from a New England Patriots employee on the team's sideline during Sunday's game against the Jets in a suspected spying incident, sources said.


The camera and its tape were placed in a sealed box and forwarded to the league office for investigation, the sources said.

"We don't have any comment," an NFL spokesman said Monday.

The Patriots' cameraman was suspected of aiming his camera at the Jets' defensive coaches who were sending signals to their unit on the field, the sources said. The league also is investigating some radio frequency issues that occurred during the game.

The league's competition committee could conduct a conference call about the incident, which violates NFL policy, and ultimately recommend a penalty that could cost the Patriots a future draft pick or picks if it verifies that the team was spying on the Jets.

"It's not their first time," a member of the committee, who did not wish to be identified, said.

In fact, Green Bay Packers president Bob Harlan confirmed a similar incident that occurred when the Patriots played at Lambeau Field last Nov. 19. The same cameraman who was questioned by NFL security on Sunday was also the one whom the Packers removed from the sideline and escorted from the field during their 2006 game, according to Packers security official Doug Collins.

"From what I can remember, he had quite a fit when we took him out," Harlan said. "We had gotten word before the game that they [the Patriots] did this sort of thing, so we were looking for it."

A Jets official declined comment Monday, directing an inquiry to the league office. The Patriots also did not have immediate comment.

Chris Mortensen covers the NFL for ESPN.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3012989

 

[Lamont Burns]

So how does this work exactly? You get the def signal from the Jets, you then radio the translation to Bill/OC, who then has to radio/signal brady who then has to audible if needed before the playclock expires?

Or do they catalog them in 1 half and implement faster in the 2nd... or catalog for a future meeting? How does the implementation work and how significant is the advantage for Brady on a play/set of plays?

Shady to say the least I guess.

 

[BeauJangles]

Honestly, most teams look for any advantages they can find, even if it involves pushing the boundaries of the rules.

 

[Captante]

Just heard about this myself on WFAN radio ... I know the Jets D isn't that great but that would certainly explain how NE was able to keep Brady from even getting touched for the entire game.

 

[Phokus]

Teams used to hire lip readers to steal calls before every coach started covering up their lips when calling plays. Pretty much every team tries to steal calls. If they weren't punished for it last year, they won't be punished for it this year.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Honestly, most teams look for any advantages they can find, even if it involves pushing the boundaries of the rules.

Yup. Watch the team build a wall around a crucial player that is being treated by the trainer at the bench. They'll try and block out cameras from viewing the work being done.

I really wonder what high definition has done for this...activity. On my own TV I can almost make out the plays on the QB's wrist bands. If I had a camera guy closer to the action shooting images up to the play callers box I'm sure I could garnish some sort of info from it.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: Phokus
Teams used to hire lip readers to steal calls before every coach started covering up their lips when calling plays. Pretty much every team tries to steal calls. If they weren't punished for it last year, they won't be punished for it this year.

I'm sure the cameraman will be suspended and there will be some internal letter written scolding them, but I doubt anything more will come of this unless they try to make it a media circus.

 

[KB]

The Jets are just mad they got wasted and hope to blame it on something other than their poor play! (I am not a patriots fan)

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber

Originally posted by: Phokus
Teams used to hire lip readers to steal calls before every coach started covering up their lips when calling plays. Pretty much every team tries to steal calls. If they weren't punished for it last year, they won't be punished for it this year.

I'm sure the cameraman will be suspended and there will be some internal letter written scolding them, but I doubt anything more will come of this unless they try to make it a media circus.

Yup, and i heard the camera man was in the end zone section. I don't know how you would have a good enough angle to steal calls, you'd have to be behind the sidelines.

 

[jlarsson]

I don't buy into the argument of the Pats trying to "steal" calls using a camera man. I'm under the assumption plays are relayed to the players on the field through a headset on one of the players. Notice that green dot on the back of the QB's helmet? That's a new thing this year where you can only have one person on the field at any given time with a headset built into the helmet (designated by that green dot).

Regardless, I'm not sure you'd have enough time to video take a call, steal that call, choose a play to counter the opposing call, and relay that to the team on the field. Not only that, I'm not sure that information would be that useful, especially with teams calling audibles and changing formation at the line of scrimmage before the snap (based on the personnel on the field, opposing teams formation, etc).

If there were something to the "radio frequency issues" the article is referring to, I can definitely see that being an issue.

 

[pmoa]

yeah, right....nevermind the fact that the pats were a superior team...

Im sure the camera man goes:

"Look we are the Jets kickoff team i wont tackle anyone even Ellis Hobbs, that ran it back 108 yards"

 

[bigdog1218]

Haha, and the Pats apologists immediately come out to try and defend cheating, class, pure class.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Haha, and the Pats apologists immediately come out to try and defend cheating, class, pure class.

You're delusional if you think no other team tries to steal signals. All 32 teams do it.

 

[Lorax]

this is a pretty dumb discussion whenever it comes up during the baseball season too...

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Haha, and the Pats apologists immediately come out to try and defend cheating, class, pure class.

You're delusional if you think no other team tries to steal signals. All 32 teams do it.

Doesn't make it right. NFL should teach the "other teams" a lesson by making this a huge spectacle.

 

[blakeatwork]

I don't know much about the NFL, but could the league not overturn the result, and instead award the win to New York?

Assuming of course, they can ascertain guilt..

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: bigdog1218
Haha, and the Pats apologists immediately come out to try and defend cheating, class, pure class.

You're delusional if you think no other team tries to steal signals. All 32 teams do it.

Doesn't make it right. NFL should teach the "other teams" a lesson by making this a huge spectacle.

Unless they're hacking into your radio frequency, it doesn't matter. There's tens of thousands of people at the game who can 'steal' your calls easily if they wanted to. Plus, with HDTV, you can even sometimes read play charts. It's so ridiculously easy to do, it's a non-issue and it should be up to the team to protect and change their calls.

 

[jman19]

I had a feeling the biggest Pats fluffer would be out appologizing for cheating. You see the same phenomenon with Bonds homers.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: blakeatwork
I don't know much about the NFL, but could the league not overturn the result, and instead award the win to New York?

Assuming of course, they can ascertain guilt..

no they will nto overturn it. it was not a close game it was a blowout. tthem knowing the calls really had very little to do with that.

but if they have enough truth the pats should get nailed.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: jman19
I had a feeling the biggest Pats fluffer would be out appologizing for cheating. You see the same phenomenon with Bonds homers.

:roll: It's not proven yet and you have to be the most naive person in the world if you think any other team (including your squeelers) don't have scouts at games trying to pick up calls. This is a nonissue.

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: jman19
I had a feeling the biggest Pats fluffer would be out appologizing for cheating. You see the same phenomenon with Bonds homers.

:roll: It's not proven yet and you have to be the most naive person in the world if you think any other team (including your squeelers) don't have scouts at games trying to pick up calls. This is a nonissue.

I wonder how many times you've called me a Steelers fan, even though I keep saying I'm not That's besides the point anyway. Enough diversion, please

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: jman19
I had a feeling the biggest Pats fluffer would be out appologizing for cheating. You see the same phenomenon with Bonds homers.

:roll: It's not proven yet and you have to be the most naive person in the world if you think any other team (including your squeelers) don't have scouts at games trying to pick up calls. This is a nonissue.

I wonder how many times you've called me a Steelers fan, even though I keep saying I'm not That's besides the point anyway. Enough diversion, please

I assume anyone from pissburgh to be a squeeler fan

 

[ShockwaveVT]

the jets coaches are making their arm/hand signals in plain sight anyone can see them and write down what they were and which defense the team played that down.

all the pats guy was doing was recording them on video to make it easier (its gotta be a pain in the ass to write down a myriad of arm movements)

apparently this is against NFL rules

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: jman19
I had a feeling the biggest Pats fluffer would be out appologizing for cheating. You see the same phenomenon with Bonds homers.

:roll: It's not proven yet and you have to be the most naive person in the world if you think any other team (including your squeelers) don't have scouts at games trying to pick up calls. This is a nonissue.

I wonder how many times you've called me a Steelers fan, even though I keep saying I'm not That's besides the point anyway. Enough diversion, please

I assume anyone from pissburgh to be a squeeler fan

I'm not from Pittsburgh either :laugh:

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: jman19
I had a feeling the biggest Pats fluffer would be out appologizing for cheating. You see the same phenomenon with Bonds homers.

:roll: It's not proven yet and you have to be the most naive person in the world if you think any other team (including your squeelers) don't have scouts at games trying to pick up calls. This is a nonissue.

I wonder how many times you've called me a Steelers fan, even though I keep saying I'm not That's besides the point anyway. Enough diversion, please

I assume anyone from pissburgh to be a squeeler fan

I'm not from Pittsburgh either :laugh:

Well, your profile says you're from pissburgh. In any case, you're dorky like a regular pissburhg fan, so lets just pretend you are