what do you guys think of this?

Rampage

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Jimmy Johnson thinks Spygate is overblown

We originally posted this WFAN interview as having been conducted during Super Bowl week. It actually dates back to September. Regardless, it’s still interesting to note how commonplace former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson feels the use of cameras is by NFL teams. He admits he used them to steal signs all the time.
Q: How about the spying thing Jimmy. You’re a coach does that bother you what Belichick did?
JJ: Oh please. I’ve said it on our show. Eighteen years ago a scout for the Chiefs told me what they did, and he said what you need to do is just take your camera and you go and zoom in on the signal caller and that way you can sync it up. The problem is that if they’re not on the press box side you can’t do it from the press box, you have to do it from the sideline. This was 18 years ago.
Q: You think the NFL came down too hard on them?
JJ: No, no, I said it on the show. He was wrong for doing it for the simple reason that the league knew this was going on not just in New England but around the league. And the league sent out the memorandum to all of the teams saying you cannot do this. And so that’s when Bill Belichick was wrong. After he got the memorandum saying don’t do it any more, he did it.
Q: Did you ever steal signals?
JJ: Oh in a heartbeat, yeah. Yes I did.
Q: Via video, Jimmy? Or no?
JJ: Oh yeah, I did it with video and so did a lot of other teams in the league. Just to make sure that you could study it and take your time, because you’re going to play the other team the second time around. But a lot of coaches did it, this was commonplace.
Q: But did you do it by taping the signal caller?
JJ: Yeah.
Q: Oh you did.
JJ: That’s what I’m saying. I was saying one of Marty Schottenheimer’s scouts, Mark Hatley, who has passed away now, Mark told me that’s how they did it, and Howard Mudd their offensive line coach with Kansas City, who now coaches for Tony Dungy, he was the best in the entire league at stealing signals.
Q: Where’d you put your guy who was videotaping? Where was he?
JJ: My guy was up with my camera crew in the press box. So you’d just put an extra camera up with your camera crew in the press box who zoomed in on the signal callers. That’s the best way to do it, but anyway you can’t always do that because the press box camera crew might be on the same side as the opposing team. If they’re on the same side as the opposing team that’s when you need to do it from the sideline.

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/s...23/jimmy-johnson-thinks-spygate-is-overblown/
 

THUMPER

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I don't know when the NFL came out with the rule that taping signals was illegal but I believe it was well after when Jimmy is talking about.
 

Rampage

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THUMPER;2083781 said:
I don't know when the NFL came out with the rule that taping signals was illegal but I believe it was well after when Jimmy is talking about.
i tried searching google and couldn't find anything. if anybody knows when videotaping signals became illegal, let me know.
 

notherbob

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Suspicions confirmed. Pro football is highly competetive and teams want to know everything they can about their opponents. Choirboys don't last long there.
 

jobberone

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Definitely not a big deal until the league said to stop it. I saw that segment and Jimmy was funny and quite candid. And opinionated as usual of course. But that's a good think for him to do on that program.
 

JoeCorrado

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Rampage;2083788 said:
i tried searching google and couldn't find anything. if anybody knows when videotaping signals became illegal, let me know.
My understanding is that it became "officially" against the rules for the 2007 season.

You all remember the days of Tom Landry and George Allen? The accusations used to fly about spys trying to sneak into practices, getting rooms in motels that had a view overlooking practice fields and such.

Ah, the good old days.
 

Hostile

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I think Jimmy is right. I want this story to die. It is an NFL version of Al Capone's vault and Geraldo Rivera.
 

adamknite

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I wish it would just go away, because we all know nothing else is going to come from it..... we all know they cheated, and we all know that the cheating in some way helped them to win superbowls (be it through winning games to get into the playoffs or literally helping them win that game). Goodell swept it under the rug and destroyed all the evidence once, then punished them the number 31 draft pick, but let them keep the #7 with some fines..... that's all that's going to happen to the Patriots.

So why keep bringing it up? unless Goodell seriously starts talking about taking Superbowls away or permabanning people involved.... then it's really a non issue right now.
 

jman

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Old news.

Personally, the Pats cheated got caught, paid the price (not enough...Little Bill should have been supended. You know, like Roger said, coaches should be held to a higher level crap when he supended Wade Wilson). But now it's time to let it go and move forward.
 

FuzzyLumpkins

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notherbob;2083791 said:
Suspicions confirmed. Pro football is highly competetive and teams want to know everything they can about their opponents. Choirboys don't last long there.

So are securities so i suppose its okay for people to cheat there and the SEC should just lay off. integrity is meaningless when there is competition.
 

Chocolate Lab

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Belichick is a very good friend of Jimmy's. So of course he's going to defend him.
 
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