Spygate - N.E. Patriots

August 10th, 2008 filed in Football

“Spygate,” refers to an incident in the 2007 National Football League season when the New England Patriots were disciplined by the National Football League (NFL) for videotaping New York Jets’ defensive coaches’ signals during a September 9, 2007 game from a sideline location, an act deemed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to be in violation of league rules. After an investigation, the NFL fined Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 for his role in the incident, fined the Patriots $250,000, and docked the team their original first-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft.

As part of their probe into the allegations, the NFL required the Patriots to turn over all notes and tapes relating to the taping of opponents’ defensive signals; the Patriots complied with the order and the NFL reviewed and then destroyed the materials. This action was criticized on February 1, 2008 — two days before Super Bowl XLII — by U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, who requested to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Specter requested the meeting despite the fact that the full nature and timeframe of the videotaping was already known; the fact that Belichick had admitted to taping signals dating back to 2000 was reported by ESPN on September 14, 2007. After meeting with Goodell on February 13, 2008, Specter said that Goodell told him that Belichick had been engaged in the illegal practice since he became head coach of the Patriots in 2000, treating this as new news despite the fact that it was reported in September. Belichick said he believed he was operating within the rules as long as the tape was not used during the same game.

Nearly six months after the incident, the Boston Herald reported, citing an unnamed source, that the Patriots had also illegally videotaped the St. Louis Rams’ walkthrough practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002, an allegation denied by Belichick. Meanwhile, Matt Walsh, a Patriots video assistant in 2001 who was fired after the team’s 2002 season, told the media the same week that he had information and materials regarding the Patriots’ videotaping practices, but demanded an indemnity agreement before speaking with the NFL.

The NFL reached a deal with Walsh on April 23, 2008 and arranged a meeting between Goodell and Walsh. Prior to the meeting, Walsh sent eight videotapes, containing opponents’ coaches’ signals from the 2000 through 2002 seasons, in accordance with the agreement. Goodell and Walsh met on May 13, 2008, at which time Walsh told Goodell he and other Patriots employees were present at the Rams’ walkthrough to set up video equipment for the game but that there was no tape of the walkthrough made; as a result, Goodell told the media no additional penalties would be brought against the Patriots. Less than 24 hours later, the Herald issued an apology for the article about the alleged walkthrough tape. - Wikipedia