Most teams take extra precautions to combat Patriots’ spying

[CF DolFan]

We've been discussing this in the Brady thread but it really needs its own. As well ... a new story to back it up the fact the league's perception is that the Patriots cheat. It's not just everyone outside of of New England.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/08/report-most-teams-take-extra-precautions-to-combat-patriots-spying/

posted by Michael David Smith on September 8, 2015, 11:41 AM EDT
Belichick
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When it rains, it pours.

The Patriots are finding that out the hard way this morning, as for the second time a major investigative piece has accused the team of widespread cheating. First there was ESPN’s investigation revisiting Spygate. And now comes a Sports Illustrated report that also says there’s a perception in the NFL that the Patriots routinely break the rules to gather information about the opposition.

According to the report, at least 19 NFL teams — most of the league — have confirmed that they took precautions against the Patriots that they didn’t take against any other opponent, because they were more concerned about spying when they faced the Patriots than they were when they faced any other opponent. Steps teams have taken against the Patriots include running fake plays during walk-through practices in case the Patriots were spying, not leaving anything sensitive in the trash at their hotels in New England, declining the Patriots’ offer to use their facilities, blocking off the visitors’ locker room at Gillette Stadium to keep Patriots employees out, sweeping for bugs, and telling the Patriots’ visiting locker room manager to leave because they didn’t trust him not to spy.

One team told Sports Illustrated that it butted heads with the Patriots over locking the doors to the visitors’ locker room, with the Patriots telling them they couldn’t because it’s a fire code violation, and the team telling the Patriots to go ahead and report them to the fire chief if they wanted, but that the visitors’ locker room doors would be locked. (Patriots spokesman Stacey James denies that ever happened.)

Both the ESPN report and the Sports Illustrated report suggest that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was determined to crack down on the Patriots for Deflategate in part because many teams think Goodell failed to come down hard enough on the Patriots for Spygate. Goodell denies that. But there’s no denying the perception around the league that the Patriots are cheaters.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Doesn't really need another thread.  But key takeaway if teams are sweeping the locker room and not finding bugs.  It proves NEP haven't bugged the locker room,  this report is not about NE, but other team's paranoia.

[Brian Fein]

Doesn't really need another thread.  But key takeaway if teams are sweeping the locker room and not finding bugs.  It proves NEP haven't bugged the locker room,  this report is not about NE, but other team's paranoia.

No it just proves that they found a really good hiding spot.

[Tenshot13]

Your biased homerism is showing Hoodie...

[CF DolFan]

I thought the bigger issue was them coming in and stealing actual playbooks and things like that.

[Sunstroke]

No it just proves that they found a really good hiding spot.

That's really not how it works with bugs. Bugs, whether they are audio or video surveillance devices, all have one thing in common...they transmit. If you electronically sweep for bugs, it finds them even when they're hidden well.

I highly doubt the Patriots would go as far as to bug a locker room or practice facility.

[Dave Gray]

Maybe they go really low tech, like they cut the eyes out of paintings and Bill Bellichek guys stands behind the wall, like in Scooby Doo.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I thought the bigger issue was them coming in and stealing actual playbooks and things like that.

I find it doubtful any coach at any level would just leave a playbook lying around on gameday unattended.  Talk about extremes, in one instance, you sweep for bugs,  in another you leave your game plan out in the open unattended. 

[Spider-Dan]

That's really not how it works with bugs. Bugs, whether they are audio or video surveillance devices, all have one thing in common...they transmit. If you electronically sweep for bugs, it finds them even when they're hidden well.

I think this applies to wireless bugs, not wired bugs.  And since NE has plenty of means/motive/opportunity to install wired bugs (into the walls, etc.), I'm skeptical that they could be found the same way that wireless bugs can be.

[Pappy13]

Maybe they go really low tech, like they cut the eyes out of paintings and Bill Bellichek guys stands behind the wall, like in Scooby Doo.

I can just see the conversation. "Hey Tanny, check this out, no matter where you walk in the locker room it looks likes the eyes in that Kraft painting over there are looking right at you. Weird man."