Posted on 02/02/2008 4:53:15 PM PST by BGHater
Well, we liked to think it wouldn't happen. We acted like the Patriots' spying scandal would never resurface again.
So much for that.
The Boston Herald quoted a source who said that on the eve of their first Super Bowl win, the Patriots videotaped a St. Louis Rams walkthrough. Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh has hinted to a few media organizations that he has some seriously damaging info on the Pats' videotaping practices.
And suddenly, a compelling Super Bowl just got a lot more compelling.
This is not going away. It will not go away. And it raises all sorts of questions, starting with ...
1. Will this affect the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII?
We know, we know: Nothing affects the Patriots. They draw their feelings from their coach, which means they don't have any. When they signed with New England, the players all had their tear ducts removed. They would think nothing of following through on Mike Tyson's promise to eat Lennox Lewis's children, especially if it would help them gain, say, two-thirds of a yard.
When the first spying story broke, the Patriots were unaffected. When the NFL docked them a first-round pick, the Patriots were unfazed. When people said nobody could go unbeaten in today's NFL, the Patriots were undeterred.
But what about this? With their very legacy in question, will the Patriots finally get rattled? (Personally, I don't think there's a chance in the world of that happening. But hey, it's a worthy question.)
2. Will this affect the NFL ... like, ever?
Seriously, what does this league have to do to loosen its grip on the American public?
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.foxsports.com ...
When Gooden burned those tapes, he forever left a cloud of doubt over the Patriots. It would have been better if people could have seen for themselves precisely what the Patriots were and were not guilty of, rather than now having to wonder if they were guilty of everything.
Gee...maybe after the fourth time this is posted today someone will check to see if its already been posted.
Steelers 4 lombardis in six years...
cheatriots, possibly four ASTERISKS in seven years..
enuff said...
Was it the same story by this author? Ya got a link?
Maybe if your team scored more points they could have won? Just a thought. Here's another: if you're good, it doesn't matter what the other team does, you just win. If you're not good, it doesn't matter how much of an advantage you have, you won't win. All this "they cheated" stuff is childish sour grapes and nothing more. Its the kind of stuff you here on a grade school playground at recess.
I have a theory that the films probably include some footage of female fan upskirts and downshirts and of cheerleaders.
Yeah, sorta like not prosecuting the Clinton Machine for all their antics, because, when he won, we shouldn't complain about the casualties.
Winning is one thing; winning honestly is another. When one team's game plan is known, the other team can EASILY win with that info in hand at game-time.
Oh Lord...do you all know what the walk through is?
Nothing!!!! They walk through their potential 5-10 first plays. That’s it.
From current ESPN story on the subject”
According to the Rams’ itinerary from Super Bowl XXXVI, the team took the Superdome turf at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, 2002, for its final practice, which came after the Patriots had completed their walk-through. The Rams were scheduled to take a team picture at 1:30, eat a box lunch at the stadium at 2 and catch buses back to the team hotel at 2:15.
Warner says he remembers little from the walk-through, other than that the offense ran some of its red zone plays.
Even if that practice had been taped and was available to the Patriots, the advantage might not have been significant, as the Rams weren’t in position to use their red zone offense until the fourth quarter.
St. Louis had seven plays inside the Patriots’ 30-yard line in the final quarter. At one point, New England stopped the Rams on four successive plays inside the 3-yard line. A holding penalty gave the Rams another play, and, after a timeout, they scored on a quarterback sneak by Warner — a play that had not been part of Saturday’s walk-through but was called by Martz on the sideline.
Or, even more interesting from a Gregg Easterbrook column on ESPN-—
Also Saturday, Mike Fish reported on ESPN that St. Louis’ walk-through was devoted to red-zone plays — all new plays and new formations the Rams had not shown during the season. Going into that Super Bowl, the Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” was the league’s highest-scoring team. In that game, St. Louis was held to a field goal in the first half. When the Rams reached the red zone, they bogged down, as if New England knew what plays were coming. If the Patriots secretly taped the Rams’ walk-through, then stopped the red-zone plays the Rams showed in that walk-through, then won that Super Bowl by three points, then logic says New England materially benefited from cheating in the Super Bowl. If true, this would be the worst sports scandal since the Black Sox.
You could not be more wrong. First, the walk-through discloses which formations correspond to which plays. Second, it discloses which personnel on the field will be present when certain plays are run. Third, it discloses any gimmick plays that a team might be contemplating running. These are just a few of the things a walk-though would disclose.
A coach observing a walk-though would be a huge advantage.
Speaking charitably, you are an idiot.
LOL. Whatever you say.
I have witnessed these walk throughs.
This hatred is eating you up. No reason to insult.
Pretty common for a "bend-but-don't-break" defensive style. The Patriots did that all year, with giving up yardage, but no points. Your previous post is strongly suggestive that if the allegations are true, they did not affect the game.
as if New England knew what plays were coming.
That's just dramatic editorializing. For certain coaches, even I can predict what they will do in certain situations well before they even generate their game-plans.
That's one of the fascinating things about watching the Patriots defenses - especially when their linebackers were fully up-to-snuff. You could see them shading away, and leaving certain routes open while taking away others...and then late in the game, there'd be a linebacker or safety sitting in that spot and they'd take the ball away.
Have you ever played football? If you know 10 plays the opponent is going to run then you have an advantage. Also if they are going over the redzone plays it gives you an incredible advantage as teams maybe get there 6 times a game.
Yeah sure you have.
The soccer mom's just gave the 10 more points.
“If you know 10 plays the opponent is going to run then you have an advantage.’
Sure it would. We’re talking “potential” plays here. Do you have any idea how many plays are in a pro football playbook.
“Yeah sure you have.”
Good point. You don’t know me, I don’t know you.
I told the truth without insulting you.
FWIW.
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