According to a report in the New York Times former Patriots assistant Matt Walsh has sent the NFL eight tapes showing the club illegally recording opponents signals. Walsh who worked with the Patriots from 1997 to 2003, agreed to turn over all evidence and tapes to the NFL as part of an agreement reached between Walsh and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. In return Walsh received indemnification from any possible future legal fees, in relation to “Spygate.”
The New York Times report states Walsh has turned over eight tapes to the league which detail the Patriots taping of offensive and defensive signals of five opponents in six games. The tapes all between 2000 and 2002 allegedly include games against the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers, and the AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Interestingly enough the Walsh provided no evidence of the supposed recording of the Super Bowl XXXVI St. Louis Rams walk through in 2002. In September of 2007 Comissioner Goodell came down hard on the Patriots fining the club and Coach Bill Belichick in addition to taking away the club’s first round draft pick. But Goodell also mentioned that if additional evidence surfaced more punishment could be levied on the franchise. As the NFL has yet to receive the tapes, at this time they have no comment. But it seems quite apparent now, that Spygate is anything but over or is it? In February Steelers chairman Dan Rooney released a statement saying, “We consider the tapes of our coaching staff during our games against the New England Patriots to be a non-issue, In our opinion, they had no impact on the results of those games. (AFC Championships)” So has Walsh shown some light on the situation or just revealed more of what the NFL already knew?
The question now becomes what if anything should happen to Coach Belichick and the Patriots? What do you think? Stealing signals has long been a part of football and the NFL. What would you do the Patriots organization?
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2 Responses to “Report: Walsh Provides NFL With 8 Tapes”
Posted: 05/08/08 at 9:00 am
Nich - I am quite surprised you have not received more responses on this. Personally, it sounds like alot of what the NFL already knew and maybe even chose to blow off as some writers have suggested is what is in these tapes. At the same time there is supposedly some new material too, now that could mean a $250,000 for every tape and one game suspension for each tape that is new to the NFL from what I am told. The smoking gun though was not part of the evidence which I think many people, myself included thought could potentially get Belicheck fired.
The way I see it, if these tapes allowed NE to win games….it means it allowed them to get homefield advantage in the PO’s, which then maybe gave them an extra berth or two in the Super Bowl, so some sort of punishment needs to take place.
Posted: 05/09/08 at 11:08 am
I think the NFL releasing a statement of how there is no new information before (this may be incorrect buts its how I heard it, think it was Spector) really viewing each tape makes it seem as if the NFL just wants this to go away. Whether or not its true, you’d have to think Goodell is praying that nothing comes of this, because all it can do is hurt the NFL’s integrity. Personally I don’t see anything more coming of this, these tapes will be destoryed like the first one, and the media can go on preaching how Belichek is a genius.