2020 Pats: Bengals Coach Implies Patriots Taping Play Signals

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,096
That's fair. My source is a NYT article saying it's illegal to tape the sidelines, which was my understanding. If it's allowed, it's allowed. I thought Goddell changed the rules after Spygate to no sidelines taping, not just no taping from the sidelines. I appreciate everyone's clarification.
To be fair, it's indeed possible that the game day operations manual has since been changed, especially with the advent of the green dot. The manual is provided by the Commissioner's office and, unlike the bylaws and rules, is not publicly posted. We may have been conflating with what was allowed in 2007 vs. what is allowed in 2019.

Given that the Browns allowed the pre-game taping to take place, it seems like it's a routine matter. The Pats are not the only team to make documentaries for their fans.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
Hey guys. Remember that game last night when we got screwed out of like 5 calls?
 

azsoxpatsfan

Does not enjoy the go
SoSH Member
May 23, 2014
4,774
It really doesn’t matter. They didn’t break any rule in “Deflategate” but they got frigging hammered.
Agreed it makes no difference whether they actually broke a rule I was just answering whether it would actually be a violation
 

Helmet Head

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
4,594
Central Mass
I have the same exact feeling right now that I did the Sunday night and Monday morning after the Colts deflategate game. Mildly amused of other teams paranoia all while thinking it was a pretty big joke and really wasn’t going to amount to much. Then the NFL proceeded turn a nothing into a 2 year clown show that resulted in ridiculous penalties. I don’t trust the NFL. In short, I am worried this isn’t going away. Figured the NFL would have already made a statement if they wanted to make it go away quickly.

This could end it for me with the NFL.
 

EL Jeffe

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 30, 2006
1,314
Belichick said the advance scout was “absolutely not” recording Cincinnati’s sideline, which is illegal under NFL rules. He also said he cannot speak for the members of the production team, which does not fall under his purview.

"A scout can’t film the opponents as an advance scout, and our video people aren’t even allowed to point a camera at our opponents in pregame warmup or their side of the field or anything else to test out their equipment,” Belichick said.
This report explicitly says you can't tape an opponent's sideline and you can't tape an advance opponent. So that's potentially two violations if Russi's reporting is accurate. Am I reading this wrong? I guess a lot comes down to what is on the tape. Innocuous production footage or video of the Bengals coaches on the sidelines for a full quarter, as Russi reported. I can't imagine the league caring about semantics between a scout and a tv crew as a defense.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
Well, we’re boned. Nobody’s gonna believe that. I don’t know that I do.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
I may believe that, and you may believe that, but ain't nobody else in America gonna believe that.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,017
Oregon
"... our failure to inform the Bengals and the League was an unintended oversight."
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,096
So, the video folks screwed up bigly. And the team screwed up by not ensuring the appropriate controls were in place.

However, intent matters a whole fucking lot here, no matter what anyone claims otherwise. And Belichick clearly had nothing to do with it, so his denials should be fine in a normal situation. But even posters here are incorrectly parsing what he's said, so I'm guessing the signal will be long lost in the noise.
 

JCizzle

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 11, 2006
20,530
I wonder how Russini got this over Schefter and everyone else, she was way ahead on this one.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
Wait, you don't?

You think they filmed 7 episodes of Do Your Job to set up a spy job on the Bengals?
Then they’re dumb. Someone up the ladder is. Like how many times do you have to be dinged for doing nothing before you just keep your nose clean.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,273
AZ
How the fuck does that happen. I mean, for fuck’s sake. If this team doesn’t know that it needs to turn outrageously square corners what the fuck is going to convince it.

In the end, though, I think how believable it all is depends on what is actually on the video.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,017
Oregon
I wonder how Russini got this over Schefter and everyone else, she was way ahead on this one.
She said she was watching the Bengals coach press conference. Wouldn't doubt she got tipped off to do so
 

Mystic Merlin

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 21, 2007
46,767
Hartford, CT
Wait, you don't?

You think they filmed 7 episodes of Do Your Job to set up a spy job on the Bengals?
And they told the Browns but not the Bengals and NFL? That makes it look MORE suspicious/likely to be scrutinized when someone in a Patriots shirt and credential shows up to the press box with a camera.

This doesn’t smell like a surreptitious operation, unlike SPYGATE.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,096
So, if the team was doing something nefarious, why did it bother to inform the Browns?

Honestly, we need to be thinking about things more critically than knee jerk Spygate 2 nonsense.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
How the fuck does that happen. I mean, for fuck’s sake. If this team doesn’t know that it needs to turn outrageously square corners what the fuck is going to convince it.

In the end, though, I think how believable it all is depends on what is actually on the video.
Honestly, if the Patriots were actually trying to tape the sidelines for gaining info on an opponent, then they deserve to lose ten first round picks (I exaggerate...a little). Given their history, given how the NFL has completely screwed them over for a small technical violation of a camera rule in 2007 and for the laws of physics operating as they have since the beginning of time in 2015, then you KNOW you're gonna get absolutely CRUSHED by the NFL if they even THINK you're back to videotaping opponents' ANYTHING.

Therefore, I cannot imagine that this was about THAT. Because the Patriots may be all kinds of things, but stupid generally is not one of them.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,840
Patriots are so sneaky they informed the host of the facility they were going to film from that they were going to film.
 

heavyde050

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 17, 2006
11,257
San Francisco
I can’t believe the Franchise could be some dumb. They have to know better.

Edit - they should have been extra careful to follow all the rules.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
So, if the team was doing something nefarious, why did it bother to inform the Browns?

Honestly, we need to be thinking about things more critically than knee jerk Spygate 2 nonsense.
How would you get a camera crew into the press box without informing the home team? Who otherwise handles credentials and access?
 

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,298
deep inside Guido territory
"Inappropriately filmed the field from the press box"

For fuck's sake...how do you let this happen?
"Inappropriately filmed the field" doesn't mean they were zeroing in on their coaches. Hell, there's no signals anymore for God sakes. This means they literally filmed the field. By them, I mean camera operators for KSP who have no idea what the NFL rules are.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,273
AZ
Honestly, if the Patriots were actually trying to tape the sidelines for gaining info on an opponent, then they deserve to lose ten first round picks (I exaggerate...a little). Given their history, given how the NFL has completely screwed them over for a small technical violation of a camera rule in 2007 and for the laws of physics operating as they have since the beginning of time in 2015, then you KNOW you're gonna get absolutely CRUSHED by the NFL if they even THINK you're back to videotaping opponents' ANYTHING.

Therefore, I cannot imagine that this was about THAT. Because the Patriots may be all kinds of things, but stupid generally is not one of them.
I suspect there is going to be lots of pressure on the league to release the tape. If it shows technical violations of what seems to be b-roll stuff I think perceptions are much different than if it shows something that one might imagine a coach could use.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,840
"Inappropriately filmed the field" doesn't mean they were zeroing in on their coaches. Hell, there's no signals anymore for God sakes. This means they literally filmed the field.
From BEHIND the Bengals. It's a really shitty spy operation to literally not get a view of what they were stealing. Or something.
 

Oil Can Dan

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2003
8,014
0-3 to 4-3
So, if the team was doing something nefarious, why did it bother to inform the Browns?

Honestly, we need to be thinking about things more critically than knee jerk Spygate 2 nonsense.
If they don’t inform the Browns how are they getting access to the press box?