Link to Article Belichick has been taping since 2000, Goodell tells Specter By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer February 13, 2008 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. Updated on Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008 8:39 pm, EST --------------------------------------------------- Crazy!!
Here's my problem with this whole thing. Why the hell does Arlen Spector think he should in any way be involved? Has anyone broken a law? No. Does the NFL have anti-trust exemptions like baseball? No. Stay the f*** out of it, Spector. Just live with the beating your Eagles took a few years ago in the Super Bowl. This is not a government nor a law enforcement issue. This is an issue of rules within a business.
Gotta love all the witch-hunts going on. It's neo-neo-McCarthyism! (P.S. I don't care about taping or steroids, I just like to sit back and watch the train wrecks as they happen)
"WE HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE HONEST FOOTBALL GAMES!!!!" Yeah, throw tea in the harbor, Arlen. That might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard...particularly coming from a Republican who typically would deride the judiciary creating new rights. So he creates one here (honest football games) to bring about some compelling state interest in Congress getting involved. Please. Who stole my barf bag?
He's Comcastic! Let's see, who is Sen. Specter's biggest donor and who had a lawsuit recently with the NFL?
Spector is up for re-election duh. Think about all the free press/publicity he is getting right now because of this. Hell even us minions on Clutchfans are talking about him.
Specter is a shameless attention w****. It was blatantly obvious when he came on TV 3 days before the greatest superbowl game in history to make noise about Spygate.
I think this story about it is better. http://www.latimes.com/sports/football/nfl/la-sp-spygate14feb14,1,5102922.story In all seriousness, the whole thing is a complete act. In order to hold hearings, he'd need to get the approval of Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee (and also a New Englander). When asked about it... It's all to get attention, particularly in Pennsylvania where both the Eagles and Steelers have had some big game losses to the Patriots in recent years. That's not to say this is a non-issue -- certainly, it merits league investigation and protecting Matt Walsh legally so he can talk -- but the Congressional aspect is a little silly.
I am slightly more interested in the suspension of habeus corpus and the Federal Government listening in on private phone calls and reading our e-mail, but that's just me. Sports scandals are *important,* man. Nothing else is going on, no way...
If only Belichick had his precious tapings, he would've known what to play at the last minutes of the Superbowl...
It is almost like FIXING the Games . .. .for gambling purposes. QUESTION: How is this. . something that won SUPER BOWLS . . not worse than Steriods? Rocket River
Because fixing means one side takes a dive...not that one side is using every angle it can to win. There's no fix involved with this.
I find it so ODD that people here are DEFENDING CHEATING esp After the ***** storm that people threw when they felt Bonds Cheated To paraphrase someone in this thread Just live with the BONDS GETTING THE RECORD a few years ago. Rocket River
You mean like using Steriods? Stick'em? Tripping? Chop Blocking? Paying another player to give you the play book? Rocket River
Please point to the post in this thread that is defending what the Pats did. Shocking that you'd bring Bonds into this. There's obviously a double standard, just look at how Clemens is getting ignored.
