Spies like us in Foxboro
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Sep 12, 2007 
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I’ve received a few e-mails (and some comments on the blog) that have basically said, “Hey, the Patriots cheat! What do you have to say about that?”
Well, it’s not the proudest moment the mighty Patriots have ever had. Between having spies on the sidelines and Rodney Harrison on the Rick Ankiel Workout Plan, these are not happy days for the Bob Kraft A.C. This reminds me of the time we had the convict with the snow plow clear a spot for John Smith to kick a field goal.
Then it turns out that the cameraman accused of the skullduggery is from my hometown. Great. I haven’t lived there in 24 years but it’s nice to know my people are helping out the Pats.
I offer no defense other than to say that I’ll bet my collection of Bruce Springsteen bootlegs that the Patriots are not the only team who use cameras to spy on the other team. They just were stupid enough to get caught.
However, much like Yankee fans with Jason Giambi, I’m sticking with my squad. After covering the toughest beat in sports for nine months, I need to have a few frosty beers in a parking lot with my brother in law and pay homage to the great Brady from our seats in the end zone.
So, I throw myself on the mercy of the court. My team cheats. But it’s still my team.
Peter
I think you are right. It does not excuse the fact that the Patriots were caught videotaping, but from listening to a number of sport shows today it was the near unanimous opinion that a lot of teams have been doing that.
Peter don’t take it so hard, they only stole a few Super Bowls, it’s not like they stole an election _cough_ {{Florida}} _cough_ or lotted an S&L.
Okay. it’s worse than that.
Yeah, as if the Jets have any plays worth stealing.
J-E-T-S, Jets Jets Jets!
Seriously, though, thanks for taking these allegations like a man. You’re like Bill Simmons in that I like your work too much to be blinded by any New England fandom you might have.
On second thought, this is the sports equivalent of Watergate.
a) electronic surveillance of opponents
b) hiring incompetents to perpetrate the crime
c) ego maniac who thinks he’s above the law
Boom! Boom! Boom! (banging gavel) “The committee will come to order” – Suspend Belichick
I really hope this part section of the blog doesn’t spin out of control
Thanks for commenting on it Pete, hopefully we can all move on and not talk about it as much as we did, myself included..
Things got kind of nasty around these parts this morning.
Nice to see you man-up Pete…
In standing up for your team even tho they have done wrong (or were just dumb enough to get caught) you have shown yourself to be a true fan. Welcome to the club.
The classic “it’s not that bad we aren’t the only ones doing it defense.”
No wonder Brady went from being a mediocre QB at Michigan to a pro bowler. He knew what the defense was doing!
Chris Mortensen and others report that this is bigger than just video camera stealing hand signals. The accusations include tampering with radio frequencies to listen in to Jets coaching conversations. In a play-off game against the Jag’s a few years back they were accused of jamming radio signals so the opposition coaches couldn’t communicate. You can have these bums Pete.
“My team cheats. But is still my team.” That is exactly how I would respond if it was my team. Right or wrong, once you’ve made an allegiance to a team, you stick by them. I also appreciate that you chose not to make exuces or equivocate or say they weren’t cheating. Recognize when you’re team is wrong, but still love them nonetheless.
Excellent way to sum up, Pete. As a fellow Pats fan, I agree.
It just boggles my mind that the Pats were this stupid. They just put all their accomplishments up to suspicion, for nothing. Sigh.
Pete, I’m hurting inside, too. Not condoning it. A lot of teams do it, but weren’t as arrogantly blatant about it. Don Shula said it happens all the time. I think that Charlie Weiss’ reaction was really lame, though. He should’ve said, “I have no comment at this time. I need to focus on Notre Dame football”.
I agree, you root for your team and try to move on. So, needless to say, the guy from your hometown’s no longer employed by the Kraft family, right?
Boy, as if the people here really needed another reason to hate you, huh?
The Pats are a disgrace. Ive never had any respect for them or their titles going back to the “tuck” game.
They are a classless organization starting with Bob Kraft and Bill Belichick.
They will never be mentioned in the same breath as the Packers of the 60s, the Steelers of the 70s, the Niners of the 80s, or even the dominant NFC teams of the 90s.
They are the product of a watered down league and are now proven to be cheats on top of it.
_The accusations include tampering with radio frequencies to listen in to Jets coaching conversations. In a play-off game against the Jag’s a few years back they were accused of jamming radio signals so the opposition coaches couldn’t communicate._
its one thing to point a camera, that’s almost like a “plain-view” search, but to actually tap into the opponents lines of communications (breaking an entry)!! – if this is true, than Belichick must be suspended and probably banned from football.
What’s worse: taking a dive or using “loaded” boxing gloves?
I amazed Belichick didn’t give issue the cameraman a cyanide capsule in case of capture.
Pete, you took it like a man, sort of.
1. You take a jab at all your readers with that Giambi remark.
2. You bring up so called unanimous opinions that “all teams do this”.
Unfortunately the only team with evidence of guilt is YOUR team, and the Yankees don’t play football.
Your team cheated, deal with it, and don’t make excuses.
Peter T-
_I amazed Belichick didn’t give issue the cameraman a cyanide capsule in case of capture._
What makes you think he didn’t?
Spys have never liked using the capsule (see: francis gary powers).
Pete, do you a full list of your Brucelegs? My collection’s only at about 50 or so. I’ve also made it to about 35 concerts since the reunion tour (including both nights at Fenway).
Don V:
How were the Patriots responsible for the ref calling the tuck rule? That is their fault?
Meanwhile, what has Bob Kraft done that was classless? Please name one thing. He kept the team from moving, he has started a program requiring community service by players, he used his own money to build a stadium and he has given millions to charity.
Your comment was ridiculous.
Meanwhile, like it or not, they are a dynasty team and the fact that they’re doing it in the era of the salary cap only makes them more so than teams in the 70s and 80s who could keep their own players.
Although I’m shocked that this is actually against the rules in the NFL, there’s absolutely no way that most teams don’t do the same thing. So, the NFL will make an example of the Patriots and every team will just switch to some other way of trying to steal signs. I’m not sure why the story is a big deal. Particularly in a league where players are so routinely caught cheating that it’s bearly newsworthy.
Nothing can take away what the team did on the field… Definitly still a dynasty.
But their mystique, their aura.. The idea that they are the smart, roughneck team full of super-inteligent players and coaches…
Can’t we agree that’s been diminished some?
Pete-
Thanks for addressing it. I think the reason you are getting so much grief from Yankees fans is the sheer hypocrisy of New England Sports fans. They love to find any stick to beat the dreded Evil Empire (payroll, buying chamopinships, steroids, poor behavior, lack of home-grwon talent, etc) while overlooking the same from their own.
I am a die hard Yankee fan and I haven’t stuck with Giambi.
After his little amphetamine relapse I have turned my back on that cheating clown for good. The steroids were one thing, he admitted it and I moved on in support of him. But to get caught again is a slap in any fan’s face. Anyone who denies this is an idiot.
But you’re probably right, Pete, the Patriots were the only team stupid enough to get caught. Who cares anyways, its not like they can’t review tape before games anyways. Likewise, isn’t their offensive coordinator in the booth and watching the defense as part of their job?
Good work Pete,
I still think that Belichick is heartless and has sold his soul to win football games, but you can’t argue with his success. That being said, I hope they get smoked by the Bolts this weekend.
wow, the picture of the cameraman on South Coast Today isn’t too far off from the “picture”:http://bp0.blogger.com/_Wivabl.....py_kid.jpg posted on my blog!
I knew it! I told Pete his pro football rooting allegiance was suspect. Pete should just root for teams that I tell him to…
Pete-
Do you have any boots of the E. Street Band doing “Trapped” or “Johnny Bye Bye”? I like these cuts.
Toughest beat in sports? Please explain. I’d like to know why you think your job is the toughest in sports.
“The NFL is just jealous of all the success we’ve had.” – Kraft at golf tourney today. Strictly class. Maybe lumping him in with Belichik was too severe. Kraft is definitely arrogant and self-righteous, but nowhere near the abomination of Billy Boy. From shoving cameramen, breaking up marriages, being a miserable human being, feuding with another coach over waived players, acting like a jerk after wins and especially defeats. Just to name a few.
So the N.E. Patriots knowingly cheated during official football games and no one here seems to care.
Is this what professional sports has come to?
Whatever happened to playing by the rules?
Let’s hope that the NFL Commissioner remembers.
It’s just amazing to me how much we keep finding out that legends and heroes (in sports and other areas of life) weren’t the true blue kind of guys, but instead used shortcuts and cheated along the way to get to their lofty heights. From Lance Armstrong to Eddie Murphy, not a day goes by that people we once looked up to get tarnished for things that days earlier we would never believe.
It’s getting significantly harder to raise a child with strong morals in today’s society when all the rich, famous and revered come with significant strings attached.
Before this, I would have bet anyone that Bellicheck was a genius and was the real brains and reason why Parcells won where he did.
Now? I think Bellicheck is just as bad as Bonds and I’ll stand behind that. We don’t know how deep this goes, but from someone who played football, if I knew the opposing defense and offense BEFORE each play, knew what all the signals the coaches sent to the players meant for certain…well, let’s just say it’s a very unfair advantage and makes the playing field anything but level and anyone telling you anything different has no idea what they are talking about.
I wonder if he learned it from Parcells? Was this the secret to the Giants defense along with LT being all coked up for game time?
Every day, it seems, we learn something else about the people we root for that makes it harder and harder to root for them.
I hope the next shoe to drop isn’t a book about how Arod and Jeter take HGH or something worse. I wouldn’t want to know if they were. I’m not sure I can take anymore of the truth these days. It’s taking the fun out of everything.
BS
Joan, plenty of people seem to care. Go read a few thread from this morning…
pete stick with covering the yankees…. Belichik is a scum bag, i never liked him but i had respect for the guy….now after this he lost ALLL respect in my eyes….mark my words the jets will beat the pats when they face them in new england, mangenius will put something together to get revenge on this low class organization……J.E.T.S jets jets jets
GreenTeaSucks-
Bellicheck has broken up marriages? oooh, sounds juicy, delicious. Give us the scoop, and don’t spare the sprinkles and hot fudge, either!!!
“back and to the front…..back and to the front”
Pete if that don’t beat all.
“Homey Snoop Dogg ,Belichik has your approval!!!!!
Not for Nothin ,would I have ever believed it was so.
people who speak of “strong morals” have the creepiest skeletons
Peter adopts the moral relativism argument…
Bill Belichick has been named The Other Man in an ugly New Jersey divorce case and the jilted hubby has asked the court to let his lawyers quiz the New England Patriots head coach about his relationship with the missus, a blond fortysomething mother of two. Apparently Belichick flew the woman to the Super Bowl in Houston.
I think this is the year the Patriots went from being just plain evil to being cartoony, James Bond villain evil. That really is one of the most unlikeable sports teams I’ve ever seen
By strong morals, I’m talking about knowing right from wrong. Not cheating. Not stepping on other people to get ahead.
I’m not talking religion and sex. I’m all for porn and vulgarity. I’m a first amendment junky.
But I think it’s despicable that we tell people lying is wrong, cheating is wrong, etc….and then the guys who succeed seem to do it the most.
At some point, lying and cheating is going to have to be rewarded since it seems, at least to me, to be the way to really get ahead in this world.
I just want to comment on the absurdity of fans having to answer for the misconduct of the teams or players they root for.
News bulletin: Patriots fans haven’t done anything wrong here. They were not involved in the videotaping. They were not in on the decision to videotape.
Similarly, Yankees fans had no knowledge of Giambi’s steroids use until it became public.
It is ludicrous to suggest that fans are somehow accountable for incidents like this. It’s equally ludicrous to suggest that fans should switch their allegiances based on incidents of cheating, use of banned substances, arrests, paternity suits, etc. These days, that would mean changing teams about once a week.
The “everybody does it” defense, so smugly scorned when Giambi was caught with his hand in the juice jar, now tops the charts in New England. Too funny.
Pete – I’m with you saying that the Pats couldn’t possibly be the only team to use cameras (or whatever hi-tech toys) to load the dice. They just got caught doing it.
I’m not biased by being a Pats fan or a Jets fan because I’m neither. Giants either … something I disclose at risk of alienating 98% of football fans in the entire NY/NJ/NE region.
When you can’t beat you cheat!!!!!!
Not that it’s OK to get caught doing something naughty when everyone else is doing it. That excuse wouldn’t hold up in a courtroom if you said that to a judge who’s looking at the ticket you got for driving 85 in a 55 zone, would it?
Mr Commish of NFL, check the visiting team’s locker room it might be bugged too!!!!!
Expecially if you’re caught speeding through some inbred Alabama hick town with NY license plates on your car.
“Well yer honor, yer cousin done did it too.”
“She ain’t my cousin, she’d my wife …. too.”
“But she done it too … whah cain’t ah do it?”
“Maybe she did … but she ain’t yew. What’n tarnation’s wrong when she does it?”
In which case you could see the Pats point of view is like the judge’s AND the plaintiff’s.
OK maybe I’m getting a little too far out there….
Catya, good point…thats deffenitly possible
No one is condoning cheating, just commending Pete for not trying to hide behind the company line (Ankiel, Glaus, Gibbons, Kraft, Bellichick anyone?). Granted Pete WAS NOT the cheater in this case, but he felt compelled to weigh-in and did so candidly. Kudos to you.
Pete – my comment about the “tuck” rule game, is just where it all began for the Pats in this streak of good luck (i.e. tuck rule) and mysterious and classless behavior.
How about that the Pats were caught soaking their field so it would freeze over night the night before they played a much faster team in the Colts?
How about Belichick being a sore loser last year when he lost to a)Mangini and b)Peyton and the Colts. He barely acknowledged his counterparts and their efforts after each game?
How about the accusations of the Pats jamming up radio communications of the opposing team so they couldnt get their defensive call in during games?
Pete, you mean to tell me Bob Kraft, as involved an owner as he is, hasnt had some of these actions run by him in meetings. C’mon Pete, you know better than that.
The Pats will never go down in history as a team on the level of the GREAT NFL dynasties of years gone by. As I said before, they are a consistently good team who has experienced a tremendous amount of luck in an era of watered down talent and parity.
Enjoy those t
JJ,
why do you think their home record was so good?
Teams (Indiana ,et al) find it hard to beat them at home.
You see it worked so well at home. Why not on the field too.
I meant to write, Enjoy those titles.
PS. I am not a Jets fan, nor the fan of a competing AFC team.
The fact that “a lot” of teams do it (no prove) doesn’t make it right. Still being cheat and illegal. They should be hardly punished, and I expect that or I will lose a lot of respect for the NFL.
And playing devil’s advocate here, when Giambi used steroids it wasn’t illegal. This IS illegal. There’s no comparison.
“Bellicheck has broken up marriages? oooh, sounds juicy, delicious. Give us the scoop, and don’t spare the sprinkles and hot fudge, either!!!”
LMFAO!!!!!
Pete, excellent response from a fan’s perspective. I love how some see that as making excuses and want to dig deeper to throw more stones from glass houses. The Giambi reference is plenty valid, IMO. I liked Jason a lot before all that news broke and I wasn’t sure how to react when it did. In the end, he’s still a guy on my team and I’m going to root for him for his efforts on the field regardless of whether or not I condone his actions (which I didn’t). If he had been banned for life or some other big punishment, I would have been one of the first to say it was the consequence of his actions, his own fault, and he had to deal with it. Giving him the benefit of the doubt by assuming that he is now playing clean, I’m still supportive of him.
Thank you, thank you, Wolf
“some” people say I am “catch,” unfortunately they work for the local pound.
“I offer no defense other than to say that I’ll bet my collection of Bruce Springsteen bootlegs that the Patriots are not the only team who use cameras to spy on the other team. They just were stupid enough to get caught.”
The “Everyone Does It” defense. Just about the lamest and most ineffective route you could go.
“However, much like Yankee fans with Jason Giambi, I’m sticking with my squad.”
Bit of a difference between a *player* cheating and an *organization* cheating, don’t you think?
(sigh) I’d always wondered about Bill Belicheat’s astonishing ability to “outsmart” seemingly everyone else. Maybe now we’re starting to see the unseemly truth behind the curtain.
You are a Red Sox fan and a mole.
I would like to take this time to officially congratulate the St. Louis Rams, the “real” winners of Super Bowl 36.
New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXVI Champs *
Super Bowl XXXVIII Champs *
Super Bowl XXXVIV Champs *
Quotes from around the league (via ESPN):
“Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players. Following the league’s decision, I will have further comment.”
_Bill Belichick, New England Patriots head coach_
………
“It’s a league issue, and they are handling it.”
_Eric Mangini, New York Jets head coach_
………
“It’s really hard to say [they should] forfeit games. Draft picks would hurt a lot of teams; take away their first or second-round pick ……… that would be a stiff penalty to make sure nobody does it again.
“You would hope that, during their run, when they were winning all their Super Bowls, all that stuff wasn’t going on. You look back in the past, and we played them in the championship games, and you kind of wonder. It seemed like they were a step ahead of us at all times, but those games are behind us. There’s nothing we can do about it. You just look forward and see what the commissioner will do.”
_Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver_
………
“If they are in fact found guilty … the rest of the member clubs are confident the league will take punitive action against it … There’s no place for it. Everybody clearly understands the rules. The competition committee’s responsibility is to protect the integrity of the game. With technology the way it is right now, things could get out of hand in a matter of weeks if we don’t protect the integrity of the game.”
_Jeff Fisher, Tennessee Titans_
………
“Can it cross the line? I’m sure it can. It can give you a huge advantage.”
_Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers quarterback_
………
“You look at that situation and go, ‘How much did it help, and if it did help, in what situations and what games did it help?’ Because that team has won some big games. I’m not saying that stealing signals definitely did it, because they have extremely talented players. But obviously it didn’t hurt if they were doing it.”
_Michael Strahan, New York Giants defensive lineman_
He cheats, and still can’t beat Mike Shannahan in Denver. That’s funny.