Joe*Battlelines

[M6D]

The best part... it was Belichick's form D Coordinator that brought the issue up to the league. He even admits he knew of the practice when he was with the team.

[pbarny]

[Maximus]

This whole thing seems so shady to me. I don't know 100% the ins and outs of football, but I'm guessing a team doesn't change its signals that often. Sure that tape might not have helped the Pats out this past weekend, but seeing as how these teams are in the same division they'll play again this year. I agree that even if you know what's coming you still have to stop it, but it definatley gives an unfair advantage to the offense.

I'm not going to crucify the Pats for doing what I'm sure goes on in most teams, but I don't think its right to blame the NFL. I read an article yesterday that basically said its the NFL's fault teams cheat because they don't do more to stop it. WHAT?!? That's the same backwards logic as saying its McDonald's fault that I'm overweight. Sure I know right from wrong and if I keep eating McDonald's less than healthy food my stomach will continue getting larger, but that's not my fault right? McD's food is so much easier to get than grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning up the dishes..... It's nobody's fault but my own that I don't eat healthy. Its a CHOICE I make. Its not the NFL's fault that teams cheat. People within the organizations make a CHOICE to cheat. The BS that the media is throwing around drives me CRAZY!!!!!!!!

Shame on you New England for cheating when you're supposedly a football dynasty. I don't know how other fans feel, but it certainly takes away some respect for what they've been able to accomplish over the past few years. Losing so many big name players and coaches, but still being in the title hunt each year.

On a side note I wonder if this will help get headsets put into a defensive player's helmet. Then the Defensive coordinators could cover their mouths to call in plays the same way the offensive coordinators do.....
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[M6D]

[General Hawk]

[pbarny]

[Southzen]

I think a head set should be used on defense; why can't the defensive captain and a couple others where them and relay the message/audibles and such. Of course, the fact that a QB wears one is coming into question more and more.
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[pbarny]

I think wrist bands are more practical for defenses. They'll allow you to change what the color and number and maybe letter are each week and you can make it pretty complex provided no one loses the flash cards. This solves the problem of having too many wired for sound on the field, there's no rule against it right now and you can even work in a league sponsor to make your the wrist band with multiple flaps for for insertion of your paper schemes.

Also, don't forget the college football solution to stealing signals...they usually have 2 or 3 backups/red shirts flashing signals in. Depending on down being even or odd, the signal is hot or a decoy.
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[Smokescreen]

I asked my buddy this as I have never played organized football, so I don't know... But what's the difference from what was done... Watching the coach, and watching game film of the plays and how you played against them? Unless the camera was wired directly to the defensives guys up in the box for the Pats, they really couldn't have used them for the game, right? Or, am I missing something?

Like I said, I didn't know what the difference was. I mean, watching game films, you can learn the defense and how they react to your plays for the next game?
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[pbarny]

[cmderinchief]

DAAAAAA-YUM!!! ESPN reports that the coach was fined $500K, the team another $250K PLUS the loss of their first round pick if they make the playoffs.

That is almost as stiff as the FIA penalty handed down to McLaren-Mercedes in F1 ($100 Mil fine and DQ from '07 and '08 Constructors Championships).
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[Maximus]

And if they don't make the playoffs they'll lose 2nd and 3rd round picks! I'm glad Goodell brought the hammer down. Not because I hate the Pats or anything like that (although I do think a bit less of them after this), but because Goodell made it know he's going after players that put a black mark on the league so it seems only right to hold the coaches to similar standards and punishments as well.

What really bugs me about this is Mangini gave someone in the Jets oranization (not sure if it was security directly or someone else on the sidelines) a head's up to keep an eye open for this. Is that because he heard of the rumors from Green Bay last year OR (and I think a more likely scenario) has this been a common practice for the Pats for at least the past three years? If that's the case it certainly makes this team seem a lot less special in my mind.
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"Why not just make 10 louder?"

"These go up to 11."

[Red Sox]

If the Patriots "cheated" then every team in the league cheats because they all try to steal signs. The only rule the Patriots broke was filming from the sidelines, and there is a rule against that not to protect teams from having their signs stolen, but only to protect the NFL's sideline footage for tv and NFL films BS. It's all about the NFL's profits and has zero to do with integrity or protecting defensive signals.

Proof of teams/coaches stealing signals from SI/Mike Shannahan.
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[Goldbug]