The Commish's Press Conference

[RSJ]

I'm not losing any sleep.

BTW: I'm watching the NFLN coverage as it much better than the speculation and innuendo they are spewing on ESPN.

No I wouldn't lose sleep pver it - but this probably isn't the time to act like a 13 year old little girl either.

BTW, I agree NFL Network coverage is a little more Patriot biased.

[Maxman]

Roger says there is no tape of a walk through, Walsh was not asked to tape it and is not aware of any tape.

All that came of this is a Super Bowl scalping scandal? A non-competitive violation.

[Maxman]

Why did he keep the tapes? He said he may want to go into coaching someday. He might need them someday for his resume.

[Maxman]

Why did Matt Walsh want to come forward if he had nothing new to add? Did the Super Bowl scalping thing keep him up at night?

Sounds like he was paid off.

[Gainzo]

Why did Matt Walsh want to come forward if he had nothing new to add? Did the Super Bowl scalping thing keep him up at night?

Sounds like he was paid off.

He thought he had new evidence as he had tapes going back to 2001. He didn't realize that BB had already told Goodell that information.

[Maxman]

He thought he had new evidence as he had tapes going back to 2001. He didn't realize that BB had already told Goodell that information.

Yes that and the other stuff he decided to not say since he was paid off. Good move by the Patriots though.

It is now forever an internal matter. But hey Walsh's kids have a college fund now. So multiple people are happy.

[Maxman]

Was Matt Walsh aware of any other teams doing this? He was NOT.

But Pats fans it was common you said. LOL. What a joke, this entire thing is a joke.

[AVM]

Here's my one big thing. If all this was for opponents they'd play later in the year, then why do they have tapes of Cleveland and the AFC Championship game against the Steelers?

Maybe it's just me...but shouldn't they have been using all available resources to beat the Steelers instead of "preparing for the next time they meet"?

[Gainzo]

Here's my one big thing. If all this was for opponents they'd play later in the year, then why do they have tapes of Cleveland and the AFC Championship game against the Steelers?

Maybe it's just me...but shouldn't they have been using all available resources to beat the Steelers instead of "preparing for the next time they meet"?

Cleveland was a potential playoff oppenent in 2001 and the Pats knew they would play the Steelers in the 2002 season.

[AVM]

Cleveland was a potential playoff oppenent in 2001 and the Pats knew they would play the Steelers in the 2002 season.

Ah...I forgot the Browns were ever relevant other than on draft day up until this past season

[Gainzo]

The Specter Press Conference later today is going to be must see TV. I kind of doubt that he will be happy about what Goodell just said.

[Maxman]

The Specter Press Conference later today is going to be must see TV. I kind of doubt that he will be happy about what Goodell just said.

Yes it will be good for the truth to come out.

[Vudu]

Swept under the rug as usual.

oh well time to move on.

[Alk]

Was Matt Walsh aware of any other teams doing this? He was NOT.

But Pats fans it was common you said. LOL. What a joke, this entire thing is a joke.

How exactly would a lowly video assistant who didn't know half of what was going in within the organization he worked for have any clue what was going on in any other organization? I agree though, the whole thing is a joke. All the way down to all of you who are salivating over this whole story and hanging on these goons from ESPN's every last word.

[flgreen]

No one ended up looking good in Spygate

by Alex Marvez

Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 13 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Updated: May 13, 2008, 3:37 PM EST 76 comments

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Spygate is now closed.

Maybe.

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.

• Goodell: Nowhere to turn on Spygate
  
• Marvez: Worst stain of Goodell's tenure
  
• VIDEO: Goodell talks on Spygate

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

[RSJ]

Was Matt Walsh aware of any other teams doing this? He was NOT.

But Pats fans it was common you said. LOL. What a joke, this entire thing is a joke.

Also there is no question that BB was cheating rather than misinterpreting the rule like Pats fans have been telling us for months. What a joke of an excuse that was.

[PatriotReign37]

Why should a fan feel embarrased? It's not as if we had anything to do with this whole ordeal. I don't know about the rest of the Patriots fans but I'm not losing any sleep over any of this.

I sleep just great.

Spygate is over. Now, the Pats can go back to winning SB trophies and the Jets can back to whatever they do.

[rillo]

I sleep just great.

Spygate is over. Now, the Pats can go back to winning SB trophies and the Jets can back to whatever they do.

Or maybe you can now go back to prisonplanet.....I mean patriotplanet, and post there?

[PatriotReign37]

Or maybe you can now go back to prisonplanet.....I mean patriotplanet, and post there?

Why?? I get up to the minute Patriot news right here.

[ECURB]

I sleep just great.

Spygate is over. Now, the Pats can go back to winning SB trophies and the Jets can back to whatever they do.

MIght take a while to win a legit one now... sucks the rest are no good.

[Alk]

Why?? I get up to the minute Patriot news right here.

Ain't that the truth.

[PatriotReign37]

MIght take a while to win a legit one now... sucks the rest are no good.

Like this season?

Brady will be on a mission now. Put your money on NE to win it all.

Is Tampa nice.

[rillo]

Why?? I get up to the minute Patriot news right here.

You said it yourself. "Spygate is over" right? Peace!

[rillo]

Like this season?

Brady will be on a mission now. Put your money on NE to win it all.

Is Tampa nice.

LOL don't write a check you can't cash....weren't you guys on a 'mission' last year? How that turn out?

[rick34125]

The Boston Herald will now be on the defensive since no one

[Cyberjet]

I sleep just great.

Spygate is over. Now, the Pats can go back to winning SB trophies and the Jets can back to whatever they do.

The official investigation may be, but not its ramifications:

- Goodell created a PR nightmare by saying it was over after a 2 week investigation

- Goodell punished the Patriots for taping defensive signals of the Jets and some perceived 'insignificant' 5 tapes from 2006 and 2007. It was revealed today that Goodell never personally reviewed the 5 other tapes.

- Goodell then destroyed the evidence most of which he never personally reviewed.

- it wasn't until the press and Sen Specter pressured the NFL was it officially revealed that BB had been doing this since the year 2000. Meanwhile Walsh had additional info (ie. tapes from 2001 - 2003) which he felt was new info based on the official release of the NFL after the 2 week investigation.

- the NFL quickly scrambled and publicly ackowledged that the taping had been going on since 2000, therefore taking the wind out of Walsh's evidence and deemed it nothing new.

- there has been an effort by the NFL to ackowledge the crime but to minimize the ramifications of the crime. In Watergate the crime was minor, but the coverup and downplaying its importance was the endall for Nixon. BB LIED about how he misinterpreted the rules - as evidenced from today's evidence it was quite obvious the Patriots knew that their actions were against NFL rules even before the infamous MEMO from the NFL in 2006. BB should be further punished for lying to the commisioner.

Goodell today inferred that he suspected the taping had little effect on the outcome of games since other teams take precautions to change the signals. First off - what evidence does he have to suggest that this is true? He had absolutely no business interjecting that opinion because he has no evidence to the contrary. He states this because if the Patriots's crime had ramifications then the situation gets far worse.

BB states that the importance of the video in game preparation was a 1 out of a 100. PPLLLLEEEAASSSSEEEE. Who in their right mind believes that BB - the mastubator of detail and cost/benefit analysis - would spend the time and resources on such a low yield project. No one who knows BB.

They taped all the signals and then gave it to the GEEK of GEEKS Ernie Adams - who is an acknowledged braniac friend of BB going back to their Phillips days - with a photographic memory ( he reportedly memorized the Giants playbook in one night!) Ernie Adams sits in the game booth with his binoculars trained on the defensive coaches signals. With the time to review taped defensive coaches' signals (with this seemingly unbelievable memory )wouldn't it be possible that he could have picked up maybe some tendency in the coaches signals? Therefore, because of this illegal taping and given the time this Adams guy had to review film isn't it plausible that he may have been able to predict a play from this knowledge? Nothing to do with football knowledge or hunches - calling a play because of pure cheating. It is a known fact that Ernie Adams has BBs ear during the game as much if not more any other personnel member of the PATS during a game.

EVEN IF IT'S ONE PLAY - IT COULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF A GAME OR GAMES AND THEREFORE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THEIR ACTIONS ARE ENORMOUS AND IN THE END INEXCUSABLE. No one wastes the time of an Ernie Adams on a 1 out of 100 chance project particularly BB and Ernie Adams.

[bobbyjet69]

Everything is not good in Pats land. To be honest, I was tired of hearing about this $hit like a month after it happened. Not really a whole lot I can do but carry on with my life though. Something alot of you guys should consider too.

No way! Not when we could rub salt in your wounds!

[fastmover]

The official investigation may be, but not its ramifications:

- Goodell created a PR nightmare by saying it was over after a 2 week investigation

- Goodell punished the Patriots for taping defensive signals of the Jets and some perceived 'insignificant' 5 tapes from 2006 and 2007. It was revealed today that Goodell never personally reviewed the 5 other tapes.

- Goodell then destroyed the evidence most of which he never personally reviewed.

- it wasn't until the press and Sen Specter pressured the NFL was it officially revealed that BB had been doing this since the year 2000. Meanwhile Walsh had additional info (ie. tapes from 2001 - 2003) which he felt was new info based on the official release of the NFL after the 2 week investigation.

- the NFL quickly scrambled and publicly ackowledged that the taping had been going on since 2000, therefore taking the wind out of Walsh's evidence and deemed it nothing new.

- there has been an effort by the NFL to ackowledge the crime but to minimize the ramifications of the crime. In Watergate the crime was minor, but the coverup and downplaying its importance was the endall for Nixon. BB LIED about how he misinterpreted the rules - as evidenced from today's evidence it was quite obvious the Patriots knew that their actions were against NFL rules even before the infamous MEMO from the NFL in 2006. BB should be further punished for lying to the commisioner.

Goodell today inferred that he suspected the taping had little effect on the outcome of games since other teams take precautions to change the signals. First off - what evidence does he have to suggest that this is true? He had absolutely no business interjecting that opinion because he has no evidence to the contrary. He states this because if the Patriots's crime had ramifications then the situation gets far worse.

BB states that the importance of the video in game preparation was a 1 out of a 100. PPLLLLEEEAASSSSEEEE. Who in their right mind believes that BB - the mastubator of detail and cost/benefit analysis - would spend the time and resources on such a low yield project. No one who knows BB.

They taped all the signals and then gave it to the GEEK of GEEKS Ernie Adams - who is an acknowledged braniac friend of BB going back to their Phillips days - with a photographic memory ( he reportedly memorized the Giants playbook in one night!) Ernie Adams sits in the game booth with his binoculars trained on the defensive coaches signals. With the time to review taped defensive coaches' signals (with this seemingly unbelievable memory )wouldn't it be possible that he could have picked up maybe some tendency in the coaches signals? Therefore, because of this illegal taping and given the time this Adams guy had to review film isn't it plausible that he may have been able to predict a play from this knowledge? Nothing to do with football knowledge or hunches - calling a play because of pure cheating. It is a known fact that Ernie Adams has BBs ear during the game as much if not more any other personnel member of the PATS during a game.

EVEN IF IT'S ONE PLAY - IT COULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF A GAME OR GAMES AND THEREFORE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THEIR ACTIONS ARE ENORMOUS AND IN THE END INEXCUSABLE. No one wastes the time of an Ernie Adams on a 1 out of 100 chance project particularly BB and Ernie Adams.

Well said.

Semper fi

[RSJ]

The official investigation may be, but not its ramifications:

- Goodell created a PR nightmare by saying it was over after a 2 week investigation

- Goodell punished the Patriots for taping defensive signals of the Jets and some perceived 'insignificant' 5 tapes from 2006 and 2007. It was revealed today that Goodell never personally reviewed the 5 other tapes.

- Goodell then destroyed the evidence most of which he never personally reviewed.

- it wasn't until the press and Sen Specter pressured the NFL was it officially revealed that BB had been doing this since the year 2000. Meanwhile Walsh had additional info (ie. tapes from 2001 - 2003) which he felt was new info based on the official release of the NFL after the 2 week investigation.

- the NFL quickly scrambled and publicly ackowledged that the taping had been going on since 2000, therefore taking the wind out of Walsh's evidence and deemed it nothing new.

- there has been an effort by the NFL to ackowledge the crime but to minimize the ramifications of the crime. In Watergate the crime was minor, but the coverup and downplaying its importance was the endall for Nixon. BB LIED about how he misinterpreted the rules - as evidenced from today's evidence it was quite obvious the Patriots knew that their actions were against NFL rules even before the infamous MEMO from the NFL in 2006. BB should be further punished for lying to the commisioner.

Goodell today inferred that he suspected the taping had little effect on the outcome of games since other teams take precautions to change the signals. First off - what evidence does he have to suggest that this is true? He had absolutely no business interjecting that opinion because he has no evidence to the contrary. He states this because if the Patriots's crime had ramifications then the situation gets far worse.

BB states that the importance of the video in game preparation was a 1 out of a 100. PPLLLLEEEAASSSSEEEE. Who in their right mind believes that BB - the mastubator of detail and cost/benefit analysis - would spend the time and resources on such a low yield project. No one who knows BB.

They taped all the signals and then gave it to the GEEK of GEEKS Ernie Adams - who is an acknowledged braniac friend of BB going back to their Phillips days - with a photographic memory ( he reportedly memorized the Giants playbook in one night!) Ernie Adams sits in the game booth with his binoculars trained on the defensive coaches signals. With the time to review taped defensive coaches' signals (with this seemingly unbelievable memory )wouldn't it be possible that he could have picked up maybe some tendency in the coaches signals? Therefore, because of this illegal taping and given the time this Adams guy had to review film isn't it plausible that he may have been able to predict a play from this knowledge? Nothing to do with football knowledge or hunches - calling a play because of pure cheating. It is a known fact that Ernie Adams has BBs ear during the game as much if not more any other personnel member of the PATS during a game.

EVEN IF IT'S ONE PLAY - IT COULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF A GAME OR GAMES AND THEREFORE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THEIR ACTIONS ARE ENORMOUS AND IN THE END INEXCUSABLE. No one wastes the time of an Ernie Adams on a 1 out of 100 chance project particularly BB and Ernie Adams.

POTW.

Great post.

[Ryno the Jet]

They taped all the signals and then gave it to the GEEK of GEEKS Ernie Adams - who is an acknowledged braniac friend of BB going back to their Phillips days - with a photographic memory ( he reportedly memorized the Giants playbook in one night!) Ernie Adams sits in the game booth with his binoculars trained on the defensive coaches signals. With the time to review taped defensive coaches' signals (with this seemingly unbelievable memory )wouldn't it be possible that he could have picked up maybe some tendency in the coaches signals? Therefore, because of this illegal taping and given the time this Adams guy had to review film isn't it plausible that he may have been able to predict a play from this knowledge? Nothing to do with football knowledge or hunches - calling a play because of pure cheating. It is a known fact that Ernie Adams has BBs ear during the game as much if not more any other personnel member of the PATS during a game.

If this information is true about Adams' capabilities, then the door for discussion should be off the hinges. An unfair advantage takes the game out of the sport. Fans love the game.

[Curtis Martin 28]

I smell a cover-up. I also smell conspiracy.

[Ryno the Jet]

I smell a cover-up. I also smell conspiracy.

It sure is easy to lean that way. The commissioner keeps downplaying the situation. NFL Network's coverage (which takes direction from the league, obviously) treats the events of today as unimportant, while former players are outraged on other networks. It would certainly be in the leagues' best interest for all of this to disappear, but would that be fair to the fans?

[Cyberjet]

It sure is easy to lean that way. The commissioner keeps downplaying the situation. NFL Network's coverage (which takes direction from the league, obviously) treats the events of today as unimportant, while former players are outraged on other networks. It would certainly be in the leagues' best interest for all of this to disappear, but would that be fair to the fans?

What amazes me about this situation is how reactive (ie.defensive) as opposed to proactive the NFL has been. Walsh today revealed that BB lied to the commissioner's face and he takes it sitting down. BB should be further punished for not being forthright about his actions - period BIG Message sent.

Secondly - Walsh revealed that he handed the tapes to Ernie Adams. Has Adams been even questioned?? Was he one of the 50 people questioned? If not why not? The commissioner should have grilled the Pats personnel and left no stone unturned. Make no mistake this guy Ernie Adams got useable info from these tapes. It's an absolute disgrace this guy has not been questioned. Why has not there been an investigation into the Pats personnel, specifically under oath?? That also should include all former personnel like mangini.

[chris66]

What amazes me about this situation is how reactive (ie.defensive) as opposed to proactive the NFL has been. Walsh today revealed that BB lied to the commissioner's face and he takes it sitting down. BB should be further punished for not being forthright about his actions - period BIG Message sent.

Secondly - Walsh revealed that he handed the tapes to Ernie Adams. Has Adams been even questioned?? Was he one of the 50 people questioned? If not why not? The commissioner should have grilled the Pats personnel and left no stone unturned. Make no mistake this guy Ernie Adams got useable info from these tapes. It's an absolute disgrace this guy has not been questioned. Why has not there been an investigation into the Pats personnel, specifically under oath?? That also should include all former personnel like mangini.

maybe because walsh told goodell that he had the tapes the entire game and he gave them to adams afterwards, hence that they were not used during the game. BB already admitted that he used the tapes for upcoming games, Hence all this info was consistent with what they already knew.

Goodell also didnt think future use was that big of an issue because as he said teams go to great lengths to keep their signals secret and are usually changed from game to game

[Cyberjet]

maybe because walsh told goodell that he had the tapes the entire game and he gave them to adams afterwards, hence that they were not used during the game. BB already admitted that he used the tapes for upcoming games, Hence all this info was consistent with what they already knew.

Goodell also didnt think future use was that big of an issue because as he said teams go to great lengths to keep their signals secret and are usually changed from game to game

If teams changed signals game to game and therefore taping signals had no benefit to a team for FUTURE games then why would BB waste Ernie Adams' time doing this if there was no benefit? Answer: Either you are incorrect and that the VIDEOTAPING of signals allowed a more comprehensive review particularly in the hands of GEEK Adams or they used them for assessment during the games. ( Remember the Pats had more than one video guy at the games and each one could have had different tasks and duties). The Patriots did get valuable info out of this - why else would BB have done this for EIGHT years!!