who said this is the guy working for the pats? and why the hell would he do that right in front of our guys?
Fixed the pic for you- and Wildthing, don't you think that the signals could have been uploaded to some PATS site via wireless means?
I'm a little suspicious of that picture. Maybe it's someone from NFL Films. They always get great access on the field.
Wireless and hand signals. NFL is also investigating "frequency" problems at game: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3012989
The idea that the Pats coaching staff couldn't use footage like this during the game is silly - that's what halftime is for, which at the time of this picture was at least 45 minutes away. It's also irrelevant whether they were able to use it or not. If that guy works for the Pats, it's pretty blatant. (Since they caught the guy in the act, it is pretty straightforward to find out why he was doing it.) It also strikes me as ridiculously stupid, since I would think that someone in the stands could take pictures like that pretty easily, although perhaps having the sound on the videotape is the difference. There won't be a forfeit, of course; losing draft picks seems to be the NFL way. I would think that adding a one-week suspension (where BB is not allowed to contact the team in any way) would be very appropriate.
Why would some of you guys take a tie instead of a win? If they were cheating from the beginning, then why reward them for cheating? That's like letting a cyclist keep the Tour de France title despite being on HGH for the entire race.
Move on. You're embarassing yourselves as fans. Parcells reacted to this last night on NFL Live by reminding everyone that this stuff has been going on since Ralph Branca coughed one up to Bobby Thompson and that there are simple ways to counter it. The Packers asked the Boston Herald to not report on the same stuff last year because they got thumped and didn't want to embarass themselves by having it sound like they were making excuses. It happens every week. Are you telling me that Mangini doesn't have anyone doing the exact same thing? Perhaps it's more covert but you can be certain it goes on.
Even during halftime, it would be near impossible to make any use of such film. There's only 12 minutes. The coaches are spending most of that going over changes with their units. I just don't see it. As I mentioned on a Patriots board this morning, the most useful reason to film another team's sideline is to keep a database on other teams and coaches and to draw from it in game planning. If, for example, Marty Schottenheimer has used the same flipping hand signals for a safety blitz for the last thirty years, that would be solid information to know. Here's the other thing that I think is missing from the story. To use this during the game effectively, you need TWO cameras - one to watch the signal, and one to watch the play. Then, you need to splice them together to match the signal with the play. Otherwise, if the guy was just videotaping the signal and radioing the signal back to the coaches, why the hell would you bother carrying a camera?
Why would the Patriots, clearly among the top, if not THE top team in the NFL the last 5 seasons engage in this sort of activity? It's the same question that was asked about the Nixon administration and Watergate. Arrogance. And as we saw back in 1974, a small, seemingly insignificant act can set the wheels in motion that can bring down the high and mighty. Perhaps this is the beginning of the great unraveling... (with tongue firmly in cheek. mostly.)
I guess but why is there a tape then? Whomever is getting the signal doesn't need a tape from the camera when he has a VCR or a computer.
