No one ended up looking good in Spygate
End of Spygate?
Spygate appears to be running out of steam. After a long meeting Tuesday with former Patriots employee Matt Walsh, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he had nowhere else to turn in the matter.
According to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, his Tuesday morning meeting with Matt Walsh disclosed little the league didn't already know.
Yes, Walsh helped the New England Patriots illegally videotape coaching signals. But belying what Walsh teased months ago, Goodell said nothing was revealed that would trigger more Spygate-related penalties against the Patriots or coach Bill Belichick. Goodell said he was "absolutely comfortable" with already having imposed a $750,000 fine and stripping New England's 2008 first-round draft choice.
One of the last remaining Spygate questions was whether New England had taped the St. Louis Rams' walk-through practice before Super Bowl XXXVI. Goodell says Walsh expressed no knowledge that had occurred.
"Having met with Matt and about 50 other people, I don't know where else to turn," Goodell said of the NFL's investigation.
The league tried placing the final nail in the Spygate coffin after Walsh's three-plus hour meeting with Goodell ended at NFL headquarters in New York City. Before Goodell spoke at a news conference, reporters were shown highlights of the eight videotapes Walsh submitted to the league — including footage of the San Diego Chargers cheerleaders that provided some comic relief.
Spygate, though, has left little to laugh about for anyone involved.
The NFL's initial response is the biggest black mark in Goodell's 21 months as commissioner. By levying penalties after a mere 12-day inquiry, Goodell's attempt to quickly turn the page became a public relations disaster.
Destroying evidence, allowing the Patriots to submit their own materials for review and gradually releasing investigatory details rather than initially being more forthright triggered suspicions of a cover-up. Kudos to the dogged efforts of the media and Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter for demanding more on Spygate after Goodell essentially declared "Mission Accomplished."
Goodell isn't the only one who could have better handled the situation.
Belichick's initial refusal to discuss the situation in any detail painted him as unrepentant and helped keep the issue alive. Even when finally providing details after the season, Belichick came across poorly.
In a February interview with the Boston Globe, Belichick rated the impact videotaping signals had on his team's game preparations as a "one" on a 100-point scale. Yet that description seems suspect considering how much time, effort and manpower the Patriots have dedicated to the process throughout this decade.
Even Goodell admits Belichick's excuse that he misinterpreted NFL rules regarding signal stealing was flimsy.
"I didn't accept Bill Belichick's explanation for what happened and I still don't to this day," said Goodell, who slapped Belichick with a $500,000 fine.
Must-read:
Must-see:
Top headlines:
- Harrington defends British Open title
- Danica confronts other woman driver
- Redskins' DE hurt in first practice
Worth a thousand words:
Specter has expressed concern with how the Spygate investigation was handled. A Philadelphia Eagles fan, Specter is curious whether the club's loss to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX was possibly affected by illegal videotaping. Specter also believes the NFL shouldn't be immune from government involvement if it violates the public trust.
Specter, though, is having his own motives questioned. Specter has received roughly $500,000 in political contributions from Comcast and an affiliated political action committee. That cable television giant is currently embroiled in a fierce distribution battle with the NFL Network.
While Specter told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the donations have "nothing to do with what I'm doing" with Spygate, critics have a half-million reasons to disagree.
The Boston Herald will now be on the defensive since no one — including Walsh — has substantiated the newspaper's February report about the Super Bowl XXXVI walk-through taping. The story severely damaged the Patriots' reputation and may have unfairly smeared a team that pulled one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history.
Walsh didn't speak after leaving NFL headquarters because he wanted to first meet Tuesday afternoon with Specter in Washington, D.C. Goodell said Walsh accused the Patriots of two more illegal activities the NFL didn't know about. New England used a player on injured reserve for a 2001 practice and Walsh served as a liaison to help a handful of Patriots players scalp their Super Bowl tickets.
That is problematic. Not so much the offenses — which are minor compared to the videotaping — but the NFL's failure to unearth such infractions after interviewing so many others beforehand about Spygate.
New information continues to surface eight-plus months after the Patriots were caught taping on the New York Jets' sideline. Why should we believe that more revelations won't follow? Or that a Specter-led Congressional hearing wouldn't find more violations?
This much is certain: The chants of "Cheaters!" that began at Radio City Music Hall last month when the Patriots were on the draft-day clock won't be dying down any time soon.
advertisement
