Is SpyGate Almost Over?
Is the "SpyGate" scandal now just about over?
Perhaps.
The lawyer for former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh sent a letter to the NFL Wednesday saying that eight videotapes from Walsh will arrive at the league's offices in New York today. Today is the deadline for Walsh to turn over all materials in his possession related to the videotaping scandal involving the Patriots.
The eight tapes show six games between the 2000 and 2002 seasons in which the Patriots videotaped opponents' play signals. The opponents include the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots taped the Steelers' play signals in the AFC title game in January 2002.
But the materials turned over by Walsh do not include a tape of the St. Louis Rams' walk-through before they played the Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2002. The Boston Herald reported just before last season's Super Bowl that the Patriots taped the Rams' walk-through prior to that Super Bowl. The Patriots denied it.
On Wednesday, the league received a written certification from Walsh that he possesses no other materials related to the Patriots' videotaping program.
When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell punished the Patriots last September after they were caught videotaping the play signals of the New York Jets coaches in the opening game of last season, in violation of league rules, it was for taping opponents' play signals throughout Bill Belichick's coaching tenure in New England.
It was not made public until later, following a meeting between Goodell and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), that the videotaping had taken place as long as Belichick was the Patriots' coach. Some league officials now say they should have been more clear about that from the outset. But that nevertheless was established before Levy's letter arrived at the league offices Wednesday, and Goodell has said it would take evidence of further wrongdoing by the Patriots to bring new penalties. League spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday night that the materials provided by Walsh are consistent with what NFL officials already knew.
Walsh has not provided new information, at least not so far. Walsh is scheduled to meet with Goodell on Tuesday in New York. Walsh likely will meet with Specter later that day, and it's possible that Specter will continue to apply pressure to the league publicly. But if Goodell's meeting with Walsh does not produce further revelations, it's highly unlikely that the league will take further action against the Patriots.
By Mark Maske |
May 8, 2008; 9:51 AM ET
| Category:
League
,
Patriots
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Posted by: test | May 8, 2008 3:32 PM
Nobody wants to actually do any investigative journalistic work anymore... Let's all just wait until it comes over the wire and then we can rewrite it, put OUR name on it, and call it good.
The practice of taping other teams signals has been going on by every team in the NFL for years. It continues to go on. Everyone knows it's against the rules and the Patriots got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. But it's over! Walsh has nothing! Specter needs to be more concerned with matters of national security and economic stability. If he is so damned interested in some taped football signals then he should retire his sorry ass from the Senate and get into the NFL.
Why don't you lazy reporters do some freaking research and dig up some tapes from OTHER teams. I guarantee they are out there... either that or Bill Belichick is the ONLY PERSON EVER in the histoy of football to try to one up his opponent. Damn!!!! Belichick IS a genious!
Posted by: Lazy Reports Make Me Mad | May 8, 2008 6:12 PM
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