[OT] Spygate Part 2: New England Patriots caught illegally filming again
Several tweets have been floating around regarding it:
Watching Bengals HC Zac Taylor’s press conference. A reporter just asked if he could confirm if a Patriots employee was videotaping their play calls at the last game? Coach said “No comment and they are aware”
— Dianna (@diannaESPN) December 9, 2019
Um....
During Spygate investigation, NFL found that Patriots had excuses ready in case an advance scout got caught filming another team. One of those excuses: Tell them you need the footage for a team show. #Patriots https://t.co/VQ2mebxENu pic.twitter.com/zt5Mzr8MGX
— John Breech (@johnbreech) December 9, 2019
A source tells me a Bengals employee was watching the videographer/cameraman who identified himself as a Robert Kraft employee. The Bengals employee kept an eye on that monitor, the shot was of the Bengals coaches and staff on the sidelines for the entire 1st quarter.
— Dianna (@diannaESPN) December 9, 2019
Statement from the New England Patriots. pic.twitter.com/rhXdwVvnr8
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 10, 2019
December 9th, 2019 at 11:13 PM ^
People are blowing this way out of proportion, the browns gave the patriots permission to shoot for the patriots team feature
December 9th, 2019 at 11:17 PM ^
If what the Bengals's staff are claiming is true, I don't understand what kind of "team feature" would require the Patriots' cameraman to capture a whole quarter's worth of hand signals, and sideline footage of an opposing team.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:23 PM ^
Well don’t believe everything you hear, the browns themselves have said it wasn’t what the bengals have made it into
December 9th, 2019 at 11:46 PM ^
The Patriots no longer deserve the benefit of doubt.
December 10th, 2019 at 12:13 AM ^
It’s being blown out of proportion, and for the record I’m a lions fan. I have no dog in this fight
”The crew was credentialed by the Browns to shoot video for a Patriots web series called "Do Your Job," but the Patriots did not inform the Bengals or the NFL, which they called "an unintended oversight."
"The sole purpose of the filming was to provide an illustration of an advance scout at work on the road," the Patriots statement read. "There was no intention of using footage for any other purpose."
The Patriots also said the production crew, which included independent contractors who shot the video, is not part of New England's football operation.
December 10th, 2019 at 8:27 AM ^
When the NFL finds and already knows that one of their readymade excuses is that it's "for a TV show" and then they say "it's for a TV show", every sane person's bullshit meter should immediately peg. They're known liars.
December 10th, 2019 at 10:28 AM ^
If this was let’s say the ravens then I would have doubt, but come on man have you seen the Bengals play? It makes no sense to risk it all for a 1-12 opponent
December 10th, 2019 at 12:44 PM ^
Eventually, cheaters, criminals, and crooks do stuff that doesn't make sense, because being a crook is just what they do and most are arrogant enough to think they won't get caught. It's like those insurance company commercials: "because it's what you do."
I mean, on the one hand it is highly plausible that they had this independent contractor (as they state) who wasn't as in tune with NFL regulations as an actual NFL team employee ought to be. It is also equally plausible (if not more so) that someone who films one sideline for an entire quarter is up to something other than getting a few shots for a TV show.
December 10th, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
You realize this was their exact excuse the first Spygate go around?
https://www.businessinsider.com/espn-report-patriots-spygate-scandal-2015-9
Spygate 1.0 was way worse than Goodell wanted anybody to know about. He destroyed the tapes and let the Pats off easy. When Deflategate happened, the other owners were pissed at how easy the Pats got off from Spygate, so Goodell had to come down hard.
That's why Kraft said they'd accept any punishment without appeal (otherwise insane move). The punishment was WAY too severe for the "alleged crime." This obviously pissed Brady off.
I'll be very interested to see how this is treated. Repeat offenders. W
December 10th, 2019 at 3:28 AM ^
I can get those same hand signals with my iPhone
December 9th, 2019 at 11:14 PM ^
i don't understand the point of this in the NFL. Coaches call plays into the QBs helmet. Doesn't make the Pats any less shady.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:15 PM ^
I really dont think anyone needs to cheat to beat the Bengals
December 9th, 2019 at 11:47 PM ^
The Jets should have considered cheating!
That game really disappointed me. I wanted the Bengals to go 0-16 ... now they'll go 1-15. If you're going to have a hideous season (and the Bengals have had tons of them over the years), at least have a historically hideous season.
December 10th, 2019 at 11:40 AM ^
If the Jets hadn't lost to the three worst teams in the league they'd be in playoff contention.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:23 PM ^
The balls weren’t deflated! Roger is out to get us! The tape of the handjob massage is a fake!
December 9th, 2019 at 11:28 PM ^
...And Rudy Giuliani is involved somehow!
December 10th, 2019 at 12:23 PM ^
And Epstein didn't kill himself.
December 9th, 2019 at 11:44 PM ^
Never ends with that scumbag organization.
Their dynasty will always have an asterisk in my book.
December 10th, 2019 at 1:53 AM ^
Yeah...all 9 Super Bowl seasons are tainted. That is idiotic maan.
December 10th, 2019 at 12:04 AM ^
Man, if you can't trust the New England Patriots, who can you trust?
December 10th, 2019 at 12:35 AM ^
Pravda.
December 10th, 2019 at 12:13 AM ^
Smokescreen by the NFL to make people forget about the atrocious referee screw job last night by Jerome Boger and his crew. Two TD's taken away from the Pats. Terrible spot on a 3rd & 4 that cost Belichick a crucial Coach's Challenge. Blatant DPI at end of the game on Dorsett.
The NFL is becoming like the NBA in the 90's when the refs turned it into the WWF. When Brady retires, I won't watch another NFL game. Regardless of whether the officiating is rigged or just incompetent, it has made watching an NFL game painful.
If you read into Spygate and Deflategate enough, you will find both were bullshit.
"The Truth About Spygate: Punishing Success and Promoting Parity" https://bleacherreport.com/articles/199345-the-truth-about-spygate-punishing-success-and-promoting-parity
"MIT Professor Debunks Deflategate" (of course Brady went on to play in the next 3 Super Bowls)
December 10th, 2019 at 12:26 AM ^
Ah, yes, the perpetually screwed over Patriots. Truly a cursed franchise.
When will it ever go their way?
December 10th, 2019 at 10:07 AM ^
The Pats have had a couple of ref breaks in the past... on Sunday they did get hosed and had 2 legit TDs nullified. This according to my son who watched the game, admittedly I didn't.
December 10th, 2019 at 1:17 AM ^
Who cares
December 10th, 2019 at 1:25 AM ^
They haven't cancelled the NFL yet?? Man, they have got to get on that...
December 10th, 2019 at 2:33 AM ^
Roger Goodell is the one with deflated balls.
December 10th, 2019 at 6:57 AM ^
I'll never understand why people hate the patriots, Warriors, Bulls of the 90s, etc. Dynasty teams.
I get that Giants fans wouldn't like the Cowboys since they are division rivals. But why would random people in Det say hate on the Pats or the Warriors?
Respect that they have developed a team and are successful in ways that are rare to see.
December 10th, 2019 at 8:30 AM ^
Says the Yankees fan.
I don't feel a whole lot of need to bend over and kiss Bill Belichick's ass when New England fans already think the sun shines out the crack of it - and theirs, by extension.
December 10th, 2019 at 8:52 AM ^
Says the Red Wings fan.
I don't feel a whole lot of need to bend over and kiss Scotty Bowman's ass when Detroit fans already think the sun shines out the crack of it - and theirs, by extension.
December 10th, 2019 at 9:04 AM ^
I'm a Red Wings fan because I live in Detroit, not because I'm front-running to go worship at the altar of the Patriots and Warriors and every other dynasty I can find.
Maybe you're a Yankees fan because you live in New York, I dunno, but just because I root for the Red Wings doesn't mean I sit around wondering why everyone else doesn't.
December 10th, 2019 at 9:16 AM ^
yeah,, no one is wondering why ppl aren't actively rooting for those teams, but why the straight hate (aside from intra division rivalries)?
December 10th, 2019 at 9:36 AM ^
Cause they hog all the championships? In all seriousness, probably a lot of different reasons for different teams. I don't actually hate the Warriors, I like the Warriors (other than Draymond). I admire the Spurs, and I usually root against the Cardinals but I admire their consistency too. I hate the Patriots because they are known cheaters and because their fans repeatedly do obnoxious things like rub Falcons' fans noses in the collapse a couple years ago. I used to hate the Yankees a lot more, but I also sort of admire Yankees fans self-awareness - they're obnoxious and they know it and it's kind of like, hey, we're the Yankees, what else are we supposed to do, which is better than Boston fans being obnoxious and not understanding why everyone hates them.
I can't really speak for everyone, but me? Fuck the Patriots because of the way they cheat - I know people around here give them more of a pass because Tom Brady, but I don't care - and because Boston fans think they own the sports world. But it's not automatic dynasty hate.
December 10th, 2019 at 8:13 AM ^
This is a case study in hysteria...it wasn’t illegal but you heard it was...
December 10th, 2019 at 8:21 AM ^
I think all of this angst against "spying", "stealing signs", and other forms of opponent reconnaissance (and use of technology) in the pro leagues is absurd. The television broadcasts film as much as they can and so do fans in the stands/sidelines. The teams should operate with the expectation that everything they do is being recorded and adjust accordingly. If their opponents want to devote the time and resources to deciphering a team's calls, fine. That is less time/resources that they can spend improving their own game.
December 10th, 2019 at 8:30 AM ^
Or maybe the one team that keeps breaking this rule can just follow it like the other 31 teams are doing.
December 10th, 2019 at 9:06 AM ^
Haha, that's cute that you think the other teams aren't cheating. You're so precious.
December 10th, 2019 at 9:14 AM ^
Wait a minute, you're telling me that the Super Bowl dynasty is the only team incompetent enough to keep getting caught while the Bengals and Lions are really good at hiding it?
December 10th, 2019 at 12:18 PM ^
Yeah because history has shown the old “Everyone else does it” justification is a totally valid reason.
December 10th, 2019 at 9:26 AM ^
Couldn’t the play caller just cover his mouth with a laminated piece of paper?
December 10th, 2019 at 8:30 AM ^
Give me a break. If the Patriots set out to spy on someone, it wouldn’t be the Bengals.
December 10th, 2019 at 8:32 AM ^
You must really not like the Patriots to cut and paste this. Good job good effort. Steelers fan?
December 10th, 2019 at 8:38 AM ^
The Patriots were filming the Bengals?
December 10th, 2019 at 8:39 AM ^
Honestly who's trying to steal signals from the Bengals?
December 10th, 2019 at 10:38 AM ^
The Pats! Youre not listening? Pay attention!
December 10th, 2019 at 11:48 AM ^
I mean, if you're going to do it, at least do it for a team you believe you might have trouble with.
The Bengals only have the one play, and it never works anyway.
December 10th, 2019 at 4:38 PM ^
Dont question Tom Bradys team.
Nothing to see here folks...
December 10th, 2019 at 4:48 PM ^
If ya ain't cheatin', ya ain't tryin', right?
Can we get someone to video all of OSU's play calls?