http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/ en-us Copyright 2008 Wed, 14 May 2008 14:06:34 -0400 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.36 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today called for the NFL to appoint an independent investigator to look into the videotaping scandal involving the New England Patriots. "What is necessary is an objective investigation," Specter said during a Capitol Hill news conference. "This one has not been objective." Specter, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, stopped short of pledging to lobby the committee chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), for hearings on the issue if the NFL does not comply. That, he said, would depend on the public's reaction. On Tuesday, Specter met in Washington with former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh hours after Walsh met in New York with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league officials. Goodell said after his meeting with Walsh that he did not plan to impose further penalties on the Patriots. Specter has been critical of the league's investigation of the scandal and http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/specter_calls_for_independent.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/specter_calls_for_independent.html League Wed, 14 May 2008 14:06:34 -0400 The Boston Herald has issued an apology for its admittedly "false" Feb. 2 report that the New England Patriots videotaped the St. Louis Rams' walk-through before the two teams played in the Super Bowl in 2002. The apology, printed in today's editions, reads: "On Feb. 2, 2008, the Boston Herald reported that a member of the New England Patriots' video staff taped the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI. While the Boston Herald based its Feb. 2, 2008, report on sources that it believed to be credible, we now know that this report was false, and that no tape of the walkthrough ever existed. "Prior to the publication of its Feb. 2, 2008, article, the Boston Herald neither possessed nor viewed a tape of the Rams' walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI, nor did we speak to anyone who had. We should not have published http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/boston_herald_issues_apology.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/boston_herald_issues_apology.html Patriots Wed, 14 May 2008 07:10:34 -0400 The New England Patriots have issued a statement. It says: "We want to address the allegation that the Patriots taped the Rams walkthrough prior to Super Bowl XXXVI. For the past three-and-a-half months, we have been defending ourselves against assumptions made based on an unsubstantiated report rather than on facts or evidence. Despite our adamant denials, the report ran on February 2, 2008, the day before Super Bowl XLII. That game was the second-most watched program in television history and it is unfortunate that today's news will not also reach an audience of that size. We hope that with Matt Walsh's disclosures, everyone will finally believe what we have been saying all along and emphatically stated on the day of the initial report: 'The suggestion that the New England Patriots recorded the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 is absolutely false. Any http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/patriots_issue_statement.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/patriots_issue_statement.html Patriots Tue, 13 May 2008 17:00:00 -0400 After meeting with Matt Walsh, videographer and key member of the taping scandal that has enveloped Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said today he had learned no new information on the matter "Having met with Matt Walsh and over 50 other people, I don't know where else I would turn" for more evidence, Goodell said. "I always reserve the right, if new information turns up, to look at it. That's my responsibility." Goodell, saying that there would be no further penalties against the Patriots based on what Walsh supplied, said that Walsh "confirmed he was aware of no other competitive violations, no bugging of locker rooms, no taping of crowd noise violations, no miking of players or audible picking up of signals." However, Goodell did indicate that Walsh supplied two pieces of information the league will investigate: videotape of a Patriots player who http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/walsh_meets_with_goodell.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/walsh_meets_with_goodell.html Commissioner Tue, 13 May 2008 13:22:14 -0400 Representatives of the league and the NFL Players Association had a labor negotiating meeting last Thursday in New York. Union chief Gene Upshaw revealed the bargaining session in a written statement on the Players Association's website, calling it "just the first step in the process." According to Upshaw, the league was represented by owners Pat Bowlen of the Denver Broncos and Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers, plus attorney Bob Batterman. "The NFL discussed the 32 teams' financial condition and how the CBA has caused every club to lose money," Upshaw wrote. "They are attempting to gather financial information to share with the NFLPA. We made it clear that we are willing to discuss their financial condition, but we cannot expect our players to embrace the NFL's position without the owners providing audited financial statements." The current labor agreement between the owners and players' union allows either side to http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/labor_negotiations_under_way.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/labor_negotiations_under_way.html Negotiations Mon, 12 May 2008 17:50:38 -0400 The brawl that Baltimore Ravens players had during a minicamp practice over the weekend doesn't exactly dispel the image that the team had last season under former coach Brian Billick of being undisciplined and out of control. The lingering image of last season's Ravens is the penalty-filled meltdown by several players at the end of a near-miss loss to the New England Patriots. Billick was fired after the season and was replaced by John Harbaugh. But when most of the players on the field participate in a fight during a minicamp practice, as was the case with the Ravens on Saturday, it fails to convey a feeling that law and order have been established. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/ravens_not_shedding_undiscipli.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/ravens_not_shedding_undiscipli.html Ravens Mon, 12 May 2008 10:26:39 -0400 Former league most valuable player Shaun Alexander visited the Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints last week, but has not signed with either team. The whispers out of Cincinnati are that the Bengals are unlikely to add Alexander, the tailback who was released recently by the Seattle Seahawks. The Saints probably would have to release Deuce McAllister if they sign Alexander, so it's unclear if anything will happen there either. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/still_waiting_for_s_alexander.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/still_waiting_for_s_alexander.html Bengals Mon, 12 May 2008 10:21:14 -0400 The Green Bay Packers have released wide receiver Koren Robinson. The former first-round draft choice of the Seattle Seahawks had 21 catches for the Packers last season. He has 263 catches in seven NFL seasons, including four in Seattle, one in Minnesota and two in Green Bay. His best season came as a second-year pro for the Seahawks in 2002, when he had 78 catches for 1,240 yards and five touchdowns. He hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since then. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/k_robinson_released_by_packers.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/k_robinson_released_by_packers.html Packers Fri, 09 May 2008 17:19:53 -0400 The delivery of eight videotapes to the NFL's offices Thursday from former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh is producing calls for the league to impose new penalties upon the Patriots. It's not my place in this situation to express an opinion about what the league should or shouldn't do. But everyone needs to keep one thing straight: The penalties imposed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the Patriots and their coach, Bill Belichick, in September were for taping opposing coaching signals throughout Belichick's coaching tenure in New England. Yes, the Patriots and Belichick were penalized only after being caught taping the play signals of the New York Jets coaches in the opening game of last season. But the discipline imposed by Goodell was not for that single incident alone. According to league officials, Belichick admitted to them in September that the videotaping program had been in place http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/something_to_keep_in_mind_abou.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/something_to_keep_in_mind_abou.html League Fri, 09 May 2008 10:43:32 -0400 Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) has released a statement about the latest developments in the "SpyGate" case. It says: "I think it is very unfortunate that the NFL has already started its 'nothing new' spin before watching the tapes or finding out what Mr. Matt Walsh has to say. Let's see where the evidence leads." Specter has been critical of the NFL throughout its investigation of the videotaping scandal involving the New England Patriots. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/specter_issues_statement.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/specter_issues_statement.html League Thu, 08 May 2008 19:00:28 -0400 The eight videotapes handed over to the league by former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh arrived in the NFL's offices in New York today, as promised. They're being reviewed by league officials. It's too soon to say for certain there won't be any further penalties imposed on the Patriots by the league in the videotaping scandal but it certainly appears at this point that's the direction in which things are headed, barring any surprising revelations when Walsh meets Tuesday in New York with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Walsh is scheduled to meet later the same day in Washington with Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/tapes_being_reviewed_by_league.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/tapes_being_reviewed_by_league.html League Thu, 08 May 2008 15:40:58 -0400 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 http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/is_spygate_almost_over.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/is_spygate_almost_over.html Patriots Thu, 08 May 2008 09:51:00 -0400 Tailback Dominic Rhodes has agreed to a one-year contract to rejoin the Indianapolis Colts. Rhodes spent his first six NFL seasons with the Colts and was a standout in their Super Bowl triumph over the Chicago Bears at the conclusion of the 2006 season before spending last season with the Oakland Raiders. He was released by the Raiders after an NFL draft in which Oakland selected Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden with the fourth overall choice. Rhodes returns to Indianapolis as a backup to Joseph Addai. Rhodes ran for 641 yards for the Colts in the 2006 regular season. His best season came when he rushed for 1,104 yards as a rookie in 2001. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/d_rhodes_rejoins_colts.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/d_rhodes_rejoins_colts.html Colts Thu, 08 May 2008 09:35:52 -0400 The NFL has been sent eight videotapes by former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh, a league official said tonight. All of them are games between the 2000 and 2002 seasons in which the Patriots taped opponents' play signals. Included were games against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers. One game, against the Steelers in the AFC title game in January 2002, came during the playoffs. But Walsh did not turn over a tape of the St. Louis Rams' walk-through before the two teams played in the Super Bowl in 2002, the official said. The league received a letter from Walsh's lawyer saying the eight tapes will be delivered Thursday and Walsh possesses no other materials related to the Patriots' videotaping program. If Walsh produces no further evidence, it appears unlikely there will be further sanctions against the Patriots. The NFL http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/walsh_turns_over_eight_tapes_t.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/walsh_turns_over_eight_tapes_t.html League Wed, 07 May 2008 21:35:53 -0400 The Oakland Raiders signed linebacker Ed Hartwell. Hartwell was out of the league last season after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals before the season. He'd been plagued by knee and heel injuries while with the Atlanta Falcons in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Hartwell spent his first four NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens between 2001 and 2004. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/raiders_add_hartwell.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nflinsider/2008/05/raiders_add_hartwell.html Raiders Wed, 07 May 2008 15:28:21 -0400