Goodell: Belichick and Patriots have been taping since 2000

[Nick]

Goodell: Pats have taped since 2000
Belichick told NFL commish he thought it was OK to do
Posted: Wednesday February 13, 2008 6:37PM; Updated: Wednesday February 13, 2008 11:42PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bill Belichick has been illegally taping opponents' defensive signals since he became the New England Patriots' coach in 2000, according to Sen. Arlen Specter, who said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told him that during a meeting Wednesday.

"There was confirmation that there has been taping since 2000, when Coach Belichick took over," Specter said.

Specter said Goodell gave him that information during the 1-hour, 40-minute meeting, which was requested by Specter so the commissioner could explain his reasons for destroying the Spygate tapes and notes.

"There were a great many questions answered by Commissioner Goodell," Specter, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters after the meeting. "I found a lot of questions unanswerable because of the tapes and notes had been destroyed."

Goodell said Belichick told him he believed the taping was legal; Goodell said he did not concur.

"He said that's always been his interpretation since he's been the head coach," the commissioner said. "We are going to agree to disagree on the facts."

Specter, from Pennsylvania, wants to talk to other league officials about what exactly was taped and which games may have been compromised.

"We have a right to have honest football games," he said.

Goodell noted that "we were the ones that disclosed" the Patriots' illegal taping of the New York Jets' defensive signals in Week 1 of last season. Further, Goodell said, they had an admission by Belichick.

"I have nothing to hide," Goodell said.

Goodell also told Specter that that he doesn't regret destroying the Spygate tapes or the notes.

"I think it was the right thing to do," Goodell said.

Still, Specter wants to know why penalties were imposed on Belichick before the full extent of the wrongdoing was known and the tapes destroyed in a two-week span. Asked if he thinks there was a coverup, Specter demurred.

"There was an enormous amount of haste," Specter said.

He scoffed at the reasons Goodell gave for destroying the tapes and notes, particularly about trying to keep them out of competitors' hands and because Belichick had admitted to the taping.

"What's that got to do with it? There's an admission of guilt, you preserve the evidence," Specter said. As for keeping the tapes out of the hands of others: "All you have to do is lock up the tapes."

Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000 because of the Spygate incident. The Patriots also forfeited a first-round draft pick.

Specter has questioned the quality of the NFL's investigation into the matter and raised the possibility of congressional hearings if he wasn't satisfied with Goodell's answers. Specter also raised the threat of Congress canceling the league's antitrust exemption and reiterated that in the meeting with Goodell.

Goodell also said he has not heard from Matt Walsh, the former Patriots employee who performed some videotaping duties for the team.

Walsh told The Associated Press last week during the Pro Bowl in Hawaii that he couldn't talk about allegations that he taped a walkthrough practice by the St. Louis Rams before the 2002 Super Bowl. New England, a two-touchdown underdog, won that game 20-17.

Goodell said he has offered Walsh a deal whereby "he has to tell the truth and he has to return anything he took improperly" in return for indemnity. Specter said he, too, wanted to talk to Walsh and perhaps offer a different deal.

Goodell also said he reserves the right to reopen the investigation if more information is uncovered.

[ramsbruce]

I'm not surprised.

Belicheat thought it was legal, what a load of crap.

I hope Walsh has some tape of our Super Bowl walkthrough. I want this Pats dynasty crap flushed down the toilet. No we probably won't get our SB trophy, or our SB merchandise, but exposing the Pats as frauds since Belicheat got there will do just fine.

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by ramsbruce

I'm not surprised.

Belicheat thought it was legal, what a load of crap.

I hope Walsh has some tape of our Super Bowl walkthrough. I want this Pats dynasty crap flushed down the toilet. No we probably won't get our SB trophy, or our SB merchandise, but exposing the Pats as frauds since Belicheat got there will do just fine.

I agree, what a load of crap. I want to know what the NFL considered legal as far as recording another team back in 2002, there must be some documentation. Who gives a damn if Belicheat thought it was legal, that has no bearing on whether the Patriots broke the rules to gain an advantage or not. They either did or they didn't, period.

My question would be if it was not agaist any rule, why wouldn't Goodell have just said as much when the original charge was made public instead of claiming there wasn't enough evidence to warrant any kind of investigation?

This whole thing stinks!!

[ramsbruce]

Originally Posted by r8rh8rmike

I agree, what a load of crap. I want to know what the NFL considered legal as far as recording another team back in 2002, there must be some documentation. Who gives a damn if Belicheat thought it was legal, that has no bearing on whether the Patriots broke the rules to gain an advantage or not. They either did or they didn't, period.

My question would be if it was not agaist any rule, why wouldn't Goodell have just said as much when the original charge was made public instead of claiming there wasn't enough evidence to warrant any kind of investigation?

This whole thing stinks!!

Goodell wanted this thing to just go away. He was hoping the fines, loss of a #1 draft pick would look like a severe punishment and most people would be satisfied, add to that the Pats trying to run the table and that sure took away from Spygate (for a while). Good old Rog thought he was in the clear. Not so fast Rog says Senator Specter.

I wouldn't doubt there is more to it (beyond taping defensive signals) concerning the Philly and Carolina SB's also. I put nothing past Belicheat and that organization now.

No wonder Brady and the offense could score all those years with no WRs (excluding this year). It's almost like Belicheat knew the gig was going to be up so he went out and stocked up on WRs Moss, Welker, and Stallworth.

[TekeRam]

Originally Posted by ramsbruce

Goodell wanted this thing to just go away. He was hoping the fines, loss of a #1 draft pick would look like a severe punishment and most people would be satisfied, add to that the Pats trying to run the table and that sure took away from Spygate (for a while). Good old Rog thought he was in the clear. Not so fast Rog says Senator Specter.

I wouldn't doubt there is more to it (beyond taping defensive signals) concerning the Philly and Carolina SB's also. I put nothing past Belicheat and that organization now.

No wonder Brady and the offense could score all those years with no WRs (excluding this year). It's almost like Belicheat knew the gig was going to be up so he went out and stocked up on WRs Moss, Welker, and Stallworth.

Truth be told, we all should have known something was up when, like you said, they had all the success with no pro bowl quality skill players to speak of AND had a new offensive coordinator every single gosh darned year!

I'm sure that the rules have not been changed in the last number of years, especially since there was no change in the rules last year even when they were caught at the Green Bay game! My question was, did the tapes that Goodell saw include or start before the Green Bay game, if not, you knew he was lying. Well apparently Goodell was the one that was lying when he said that games were not affected. How can you say that games are not affected when you have an average at best offense competing against the best in the league and when there are multiple coaches talking about how their radios will "magically" go out in Foxboro when their own offense is on a roll? As much as Kraft would like to claim innocence, he had to know something.

[81~BIG-GAME]

Roger Goodell is a joke!, period..

[jkramsfan]

Originally Posted by 81~BIG-GAME

Roger Goodell is a joke!, period..

if these allegations of more tapings turn out to be true and that Goodell tried to put this to bed to quickly,should he face punishment ?

and after watching this baseball crap with Clemens and everyone saying he won't be in the HOF,how does cheating by Belichick affect his potential HOF ballot ? I say if more is proven Belichick doesn't get in.

[viper]

Originally Posted by Nick

Goodell: Pats have taped since 2000

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bill Belichick has been illegally taping opponents' defensive signals since he became the New England Patriots' coach in 2000, according to Sen. Arlen Specter, who said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told him that during a meeting Wednesday.

"There was confirmation that there has been taping since 2000, when Coach Belichick took over," Specter said.

Specter said Goodell gave him that information during the 1-hour, 40-minute meeting, which was requested by Specter so the commissioner could explain his reasons for destroying the Spygate tapes and notes.

Isn't it interesting that this little "nugget" was never disclosed prior to Goodell's meeting with Specter. If Goodell had nothing to hide he should have disclosed this fact when he was investigating the Jet's incident.

This is basically a confirmation by Belichick that the Patriots did tape (cheat) the Rams signals before the Superbowl as well as the Eagle's and the Raven's Superbowls. Not to mention every other team they played for the last seven years. Their whole legacy is tainted as far as I'm concerned as it should be by all NFL fans and the league itself.

[RamOfDenmark]

Originally Posted by Nick

"He said that's always been his interpretation since he's been the head coach," the commissioner said. "We are going to agree to disagree on the facts."

I sure hope the next time a policeman pulls me over for speeding me and him can "agree to disagree on the facts" and leave it at that lol

And as for how much of an advantage it was - does anyone think the Patriots would have employed people to do it for 7 frickin' years if it didn't give them any advantage? Of course it helped them win games.

[Keenum]

I stole $500,000 worth of CDs at Wal-Mart over the past 2 years.
Oh, I "didn't know" it was illegal. Oh well, how about I just keep the CDs and never do it again?

That makes about as much sense at this bull****

[RamOfDenmark]

It's absurd that the league handed out punishment to the Patriots based on the few tapes Belicheck handed over himself right after the Jets game (I believe it was only 6 tapes, showing taping done in 2006-2007). Then later we learn that they have been taping since 2000 and that does not result in further punishment?

The league clearly did not investigate this fully, handed out punishment prematurely, did not disclose new facts (that taping was done dating back to 2000) until a senator forced them to, did not increase punishment when the new facts were discovered, destroyed the evidence etc.

This is getting to the point where Goodell (and Tagliabue too to the extent he knew about it) should face some very serious personal consequences I think.

[jkramsfan]

Originally Posted by RamOfDenmark

It's absurd that the league handed out punishment to the Patriots based on the few tapes Belicheck handed over himself right after the Jets game (I believe it was only 6 tapes, showing taping done in 2006-2007). Then later we learn that they have been taping since 2000 and that does not result in further punishment?

The league clearly did not investigate this fully, handed out punishment prematurely, did not disclose new facts (that taping was done dating back to 2000) until a senator forced them to, did not increase punishment when the new facts were discovered, destroyed the evidence etc.

This is getting to the point where Goodell (and Tagliabue too to the extent he knew about it) should face some very serious personal consequences I think.

I agree,if the NFL knew that they have been taping all this time and that was all the punishment they received and making us think that it was for the Jets tapings is crazy. The NFL is looking very bad here and you add the fact they destroyed the tapes,well there is much more to come about this.

[RedArcher7]

Or, the Patriots really did hand over everything they had. Why would they say, by the way someone that used to work for us had a tape of something else go check him out so we can be even more screwed. What if the Steelers games and others were turned in and Goodell refused to accept that.

If the Patriots handed over everything they had I don't think we can be too mad. They did neglect Walsh but I wouldn't have told anyone about that either and hoped he kept his mouth shut. RGOP?

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by RedArcher7

Or, the Patriots really did hand over everything they had.

Yeah, after they destroyed the rest of what they had been accumulating since 2000. Too bad they didn't know what Walsh had.

Originally Posted by RedArcher7

If the Patriots handed over everything they had I don't think we can be too mad. They did neglect Walsh but I wouldn't have told anyone about that either and hoped he kept his mouth shut. RGOP?

Not be too mad? This whole incident would have been only about the Jets game had Walsh not blind sided the Patriots and leaked the fact that he had some tapes illegally made before SB 36, the most crushing, devastating loss in Rams history. That's what I'm mad about and I want the Patriots and Belicheat to face the heat and embarrassment of exposing EVERYTHING that they have illegally done.