More SpyGate... and now it gets serious

Goodell has a Hurricane Andrew brewing.


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PHOENIX -- A new spying charge has nicked the New England Patriots.

A member of the Patriots' video staff taped the St. Louis Rams' last walkthrough before they played in the 2002 Super Bowl, an unidentified source told the Boston Herald for a story Saturday.

New England beat the heavily favored Rams the next day 20-17 for their first NFL title. The unbeaten Patriots will try to win their fourth Super Bowl in seven seasons Sunday when they play the New York Giants.

Early this season, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell fined New England coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and docked the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick after the Spygate scandal. The Patriots were accused of videotaping New York Jets defensive coaches as they signaled to players.

The Herald cited a source close to the Patriots in the 2001 season as saying the team held a walkthrough at the Superdome in New Orleans before the game on Feb. 3, 2002. After the Patriots took a team picture, a member of their video department stayed inside the stadium and taped the Rams' session.

It was not known whether the cameraman was told by the Patriots to film the practice or what he did with the tape, the Herald said. The Rams were two-touchdown favorites, but lost on Adam Vinatieri's last-second field goal.

Told of the newest allegation, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said: "We have no knowledge of it."

Rams spokesman Rick Smith, reading a statement from team president John Shaw, said, "At this point, we have no comment."

 

I agree it's a serious charge. But what can Goodell do about it? Retroactively strip the Pats of their first championship? Fine the organization?

 

I do think they have to consider further loss of draft picks.

Not much else can be done.

I guarantee you that if they lost the seventh pick, Coach Hoodie would finally talk about this.

 

Possible responses from Patriot Nation:
1) It's sour grapes.
2). It's a witch hunt.
3). Everybody does it. The Patriots just got caught.

 

I guess, then, the Rams would get the Pats' No. 7 pick?

 

Would taping a walk-through really be that big of a help?

 

Well, you would think it would have to be worth the risk, right? I've never been to a walk-through but you would think there would have to be something relevant. It's the same when people say steroids don't help much. Then why do athletes risk so much for them?

 

The very last walk-through before the Super Bowl? Yeah, I suspect there's quite a bit football minds like Hoodie and his staff could have gleaned from that about the Rams game plan.

 

How serious is this offense? The final walk-through before the Super Bowl is much bigger than defensive signals during a regular-season game. This is often the final key to game-planning, closed for a reason. Throw in the Patriots' previous offense, and the NFL must do something to let people know that A. The Patriots are not som sacred cow that can get away with everything and B. other teams better not even consider this.

If they really want to make a statement, they should strip the Patriots of an entire draft. Maybe two, if they really want to create a lasting penalty.

 

I'll take three; it's always the selection of choice on the political threads.

 

Do you think this will further incite the Pats tomorrow? Will it distract them?

Hell, if you're really cynical, does Goodell order the refs to give the game to the Giants so he doesn't have to present the Lombardi Trophy to Belichick?

 

If (and it's a big if), anything comes of this, they would just make the No. 7 pick a forfeited pick and no one would get it.