HBO shines light on Patriots' shadowy cheating

[DolFan619]

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/05/hbo-shines-ligh.html

HBO shines light on Patriots' shadowy cheating

Everybody knows the Patriots cheated right? Everyone knows they cheated from 2000 until September of 2007. Everyone now knows this, no matter how badly the NFL and its media sycophants want the scandal to go away.

But most of us have lives to worry about, so we've probably been believing what we've heard on the periphery of Matt Walsh's allegations concerning Spygate. Friday night is your opportunity to hear, no holds barred, right from the videographer's mouth, exactly how he helped Bill go from Belichick to Belicheat.

HBO will air an exclusive sit-down interview with Walsh on Real Sports from 8-9 p.m. My friend Andrea Kremer conducts what is, in my opinion, a thorough and candid interview with the man who worked for New England for several years, basically taping opponents' offensive and defensive signals against NFL rules.

Walsh tells Kremer the practice began in 2000 in a game against Tampa Bay and then extended to games against division opponents -- namely the Dolphins, Jets and Bills. Then, it became so successful, they did it against practically everybody.

And Walsh says it was a huge advantage, particularly for the New England offense, which started running no-huddle at odd times to maximize knowing the other team's defensive signals.

“They’d know exactly which play to call, that was, uh, there are certainly a number of plays to call that would be of greatest benefit to a particular defense," Walsh said. "Seeing how the blitz is coming from one particular side, if you know the coverage is gonna roll into a certain area, you’re aware of vacant areas on the field, and then, you run a play to that area, you stack numbers to that area. You know, it’s gonna give you a benefit.

"So when Belichick talks about the minimal impact of this .. what bothers you about that?" Kremer asks.

"All I know is the success rate that it had for the first game against Tampa Bay, and all I know is that it was something they continued to have me do throughout the two years I worked in video, under coach Cheater Belichick," Walsh answered. "If it was of little or no importance, I imagine they wouldn't have continued to do it, and probably not taken the chances of going down on the field in Pittsburgh or shooting from other teams' stadiums the way we did."

Walsh, interestingly, says that even as his team was CHEATING, he suspected one other team that played the Patriots of also CHEATING. He also infers that team was in the AFC East. He says he reported this suspicion to commissioner Roger Goodell when the two met earlier this week.

“There was only one other time that I ever suspected another team of possibly shooting our signals," Walsh said. "Um, both of us were shooting together on the roof of the old Foxboro Stadium.  I was filming their defensive coaches sending in their signals, and I would look over when we were on defense, and I’d see him panning over to our sideline, and then going back to the field, panning over and going back. I didn't say anything to him, because I was doing the same thing he was, but you know, after the game I went into our defensive coach’s office, uh, talked with Romeo Crennel, there were a couple of other coaches in there at the time, but I said to Romeo, ‘You know, look, you know, they just, uh, you know, the team we just played, you know, I think was shooting our signals’, or ‘The team we just played I think was doing to us what we do to them.  So, the next time we play them we might want to change up our defensive signals a little bit.’”

And this is one of many things that stink about this cheating scandal. Not only does it rightfully impugn the Patriots, but now there is a shadow of a bigger scandal present because there could be another unnamed team that played the Patriots more than once in a year that might also have cheated.

Goodell knows the name of that team because Walsh says he told him. It has yet to be seen if anything is done with that information.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOwfRyd9avY

[DZA]

LOVE that song everytime i hear it 

[Guru-In-Vegas]

Was it the Dolphins?  The only team in the AFC east to even keep up with them?  Regardless, people want to downplay the effects of these cheaters' practices yet we have no idea how much it influenced them winning their titles.  Which reminds us as to why Bill sucked in Cleveland.  And Weiss hasn't done shit in ND.  And Romeo Crennel has what resembles a team almost 4 years later.

[Brian Fein]

I will crap in my pants if this kid tries to throw the Dolphins under the bus with the Patriots.

I bet it was the Jets.  Eric Mangini knew all about it!

[ethurst2]

This would be hilarious if it was the Miami Dolphins!

The Patriots did complain about the Dolphins stealing signals when Saban was coach and they blanked NE 21-0.

You have to remember...this was Nick Saban...not the most honest guy in the world.

What will Goodell do to Wayne and the organization if it is true? Award jake Long to the St. Louis Rams?

If it is true, that would be a shocker!

[Phishfan]

The Dolphins have been accused of using microphones against the Pats to record audibles, so don't be surprised. Be careful what you ask for. Remember, Saban is from the Bilichick coaching tree.

[dolfan13]

couldn't be saban, he wasn't the coach when romeo was the dc of the pats. if it was the phins, it would have to have been pornstache's crew, and i think that is way too advanced a strategy for pornstache to employ.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

This is tonight, correct?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I will crap in my pants if this kid tries to throw the Dolphins under the bus with the Patriots.

I bet it was the Jets.  Eric Mangini knew all about it!

According to Sen. Comcast it was the Jets.  Godell didn't name the team but the senator did. 

[Brian Fein]

It wouldn't surprise me if it was the Jets.  There was no time frame mentioned, and Mangini was in the "taping" system for how long?  And benefited from it how much?  And had success his first season as coach?  Man-genius?  Or Man-cheater?