Belichick Issues Statement, But Refuses to Address NFL Spying Accusations

[LenS]

In Parcell's defense, I'm guessing that this is BB's innovation after his big failure in Cleveland. He couldn't stand being in Parcell's shadow anymore and he was willing to do anything to succeed in NE.

In Parcell's prosecution, his former assistants seem to be rather slimy and unethical people. Which doesn't say much for the guy who originally hired and trained them.

In Parcell's defense, this seems to be too complex an operation. Parcell's modus operandi has always been to simplify the game to it's basics and minimize risks.

 

[Nors]

Absolutely. If someone can produce evidence, hit the Cowboys hard. If you knew as much about Parcells and Bellichick as you think you do, I think you could acknowledge that the apple has fallen very far from the tree.

fact is Saban, Belichick and Coughlin have been implicated/questioned and Parcells was their mentor. Stealing signs is nothing new to sports. BB broke the letter of the law with the new era technologies. BP is a streat kid from Joisey, I'd be stunned if he did not have similar tendencies on watching signs.

Local radio today had an ex 90's Patriot camera guy claiming BB was doing this as far back as with the Browns.... That BP was paranoid about what Browns were up to with camera's. Also said he did it and they split feeds upstairs and printed out all plays for coaches, but never recorded it. He hinted to stealing sigs but never said it.

 

[superpunk]

fact is Saban, Belichick and Coughlin have been implicated/questioned and Parcells was their mentor. Stealing signs is nothing new to sports. BB broke the letter of the law with the new era technologies. BP is a streat kid from Joisey, I'd be stunned if he did not have similar tendencies on watching signs.

"Watching" is gamesmanship.

"Recording", to watch again later, is cheating.

Is there any point to your speculation that it might be possible that Parcells could possibly have done something similar? If that happens, his teams should be punished. Until then, your hypotheticals are just pointless.

 

[Zaxor]

Ive said this before, but Goodell has stated that the higher up in the organization you are th more accountable you are. Were talking about something that compromises the head caoch, scouting department, and on up. They bloody hired some guy whose purpose was to cheat. That shows institutional malice.

If Goodell does not bring the wrath of god down on them then I will be very pissed. Im talking lengthy suspensions and first day draft picks. I want the most severe punsihment in the history of professional sports. If Goodell doesnt then hes a liar and an inconsistent, reactionary sycophant to opinion polls.

I agree 10,000%

 

[Cochese]

"Watching" is gamesmanship.

"Recording", to watch again later, is cheating.

I think it is a very fine line. I mean, the defensive coaches are standing on the sideline in a stadium in plain view of 50,000+ people and reaching a television audience of millions, there should be an expectation that people/ other teams are going to watch the sidelines for competitive advantage. The guy with the camera was taping what anyone with a pair of binoculars in the coaches box could see, from what I understand of this. If they were tampering into the radio signals that go to the QB, I could understand some of the outrage besides the obvious Patriots jealousy that exists around here.

Another thing I want to bring up is...who the hell checks the credentials for people allowed on the sidelines at Jets home games? I remember Parcells paranoia about not letting extraneous cameramen on the sideline due to the fear of possibly giving something away to the opposition.

What about Mangini in all of this? The sign stealing was a-ok as long as it got his *** a head coaching job, but now he is biting the hand that fed him he is some sort of hero? Where is the outrage over this?

 

[superpunk]

I think it is a very fine line. I mean, the defensive coaches are standing on the sideline in a stadium in plain view of 50,000+ people and reaching a television audience of millions, there should be an expectation that people/ other teams are going to watch the sidelines for competitive advantage. The guy with the camera was taping what anyone with a pair of binoculars in the coaches box could see, from what I understand of this. If they were tampering into the radio signals that go to the QB, I could understand some of the outrage besides the obvious Patriots jealousy that exists around here.

Seeing signs, and figuring out what some of them mean during the course of the game is one thing. That is gamesmanship, and is completely acceptable.

Recording signs, to sync up with a game broadcast to watch again later is just flat out cheating and unacceptable, and it would be for any team in the NFL. The fact that it is found to have been done by a modern day "dynasty" who is renowned for pulling off last second wins makes it that much worse.

What about Mangini in all of this? The sign stealing was a-ok as long as it got his *** a head coaching job, but now he is biting the hand that fed him he is some sort of hero? Where is the outrage over this?

You could say that for any coach or player under Bellichick who might have known. But the vitriol goes to the head man, always.

 

[burmafrd]

Things like this have been leveled at BB for a while. Yet none against BP. Also have not heard anything like this about Crennel, Weis, or many others who were under BP. So those trying to say this all started with BP have NOTHING.
Just the normal BP haters looking for more fuel for their fire.

 

[The Great Number 8]

I'm obviously missing something, but to me, this is the most overblown issue in the history of sports. So taping signals and watching them later is bad, but signing players who were cut from opposing teams and asking them about playbooks, signals etc is fine? If Tampa Bay were playing the Eagles, don't you think they'd sit Trotter down and say "You know, when the guy crosses his arms and holds up four fingers, what does that mean?" Of course they would. And if the Eagles were smart, they'd reverse all their signs that week.

I mean Mangini, if anyone, knows that the Pats are doing this. And if he knows, do you think he went out there and said, "Let's just do everything the same we always have. We won't change anything because gosh darnit, it's just the right thing to do!" Either he's the dumbest individual on the planet for not using it to his advantage, or it just doesn't help a lot.

 

[trickblue]

I'm obviously missing something, but to me, this is the most overblown issue in the history of sports. So taping signals and watching them later is bad, but signing players who were cut from opposing teams and asking them about playbooks, signals etc is fine? If Tampa Bay were playing the Eagles, don't you think they'd sit Trotter down and say "You know, when the guy crosses his arms and holds up four fingers, what does that mean?" Of course they would. And if the Eagles were smart, they'd reverse all their signs that week.

I mean Mangini, if anyone, knows that the Pats are doing this. And if he knows, do you think he went out there and said, "Let's just do everything the same we always have. We won't change anything because gosh darnit, it's just the right thing to do!" Either he's the dumbest individual on the planet for not using it to his advantage, or it just doesn't help a lot.

The issue isn't watching them later... it's recording them in the first half and watching them at half-time...

It's not so much the signal stealing as it is high-tech real-time spying...

The thing that isn't getting mentioned here is that it can alter the outcome of games and the NFL does not want Las Vegas affected in handicapping weekly contests...

 

[khiladi]

Things like this have been leveled at BB for a while. Yet none against BP. Also have not heard anything like this about Crennel, Weis, or many others who were under BP. So those trying to say this all started with BP have NOTHING.
Just the normal BP haters looking for more fuel for their fire.

The constant thrashings in December pretty much repudiate Bill Parcells knowing what the other team was doing...

 

[Cochese]

I'm obviously missing something, but to me, this is the most overblown issue in the history of sports. So taping signals and watching them later is bad, but signing players who were cut from opposing teams and asking them about playbooks, signals etc is fine? If Tampa Bay were playing the Eagles, don't you think they'd sit Trotter down and say "You know, when the guy crosses his arms and holds up four fingers, what does that mean?" Of course they would. And if the Eagles were smart, they'd reverse all their signs that week.

I mean Mangini, if anyone, knows that the Pats are doing this. And if he knows, do you think he went out there and said, "Let's just do everything the same we always have. We won't change anything because gosh darnit, it's just the right thing to do!" Either he's the dumbest individual on the planet for not using it to his advantage, or it just doesn't help a lot.

Exactly. People are going WAY overboard with this issue.

 

[The Great Number 8]

The issue isn't watching them later... it's recording them in the first half and watching them at half-time...

It's not so much the signal stealing as it is high-tech real-time spying...

The thing that isn't getting mentioned here is that it can alter the outcome of games and the NFL does not want Las Vegas affected in handicapping weekly contests...

But what makes this so much worse than using steroids? Should the Chargers forfeit every game that Merriman played last year? I would think having a LB running one step faster than he should on a blitz or taking on a 350 LB lineman at the point of attack rather than getting pancaked is going to have a far greater impact on the game and alter spreads, outcomes etc. The Broncos won a Super Bowl (and I think the 49ers as well) by breaking the salary cap rules. That has a far greater impact on games than anything the Pats or any other team does with spying.

I just can't believe that the Pats could look at the signals for a half, break them down in 15 minutes at half-time, and then have the ability to recognize a sign, decide the correct play call, and get the play to the sidelines and then to Brady in the 15 seconds or so they have to talk to him. Again, if Mangini were smart, he'd tell his defense before a series that the next time they take the field, the signal for "playing quarters" has been changed to "corner blitz". And when all the Pats run their normal routes, they'd get a free shot on Brady.

Again, I just can't see what the issue is.