The NFL cover-up that started it all

[jakeXT]

Before the start of the football season, Cary Williams, a veteran cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles, reminded the sports world about a scandal the NFL would prefer people forget.

“One fact still remains: They haven’t won a Super Bowl since they got caught. They are cheaters,” Williams said in August.

He was referring to Spygate, when the New England Patriots were busted for illegally videotaping the Jets’ defensive signals during the first game of the 2007 season.

Then, as now with a series of disturbing incidents of domestic violence, the NFL seemed more interested in covering up the problem than investigating it.

http://nypost.com/2014/10/12/they-are-cheaters-spygate-the-nfl-scandal-that-started-it-all/

[JonLP24]

1. I'd hardly call it a cover up

Bill Belichick had $500,000 taken from his pocket and docked a 1st-round selection, a first since the 1971 Dolphins.

This type of practice has been around a long time which the league has been aware of and made it illegal in the first place. They permanently banned the Denver Broncos video guy who filmed a 49ers practice. Jimmy Johnson was told to do this as a scout for KC and did it when he coached for the Cowboys. Mike Shannahan said he'd have a guy study the opponent's bench w/ binoculars though this is the same guy that left the blue jerseys at home for a road game at San Diego in September forcing them to wear their dark jerseys and listed Jake Plummer's torn shoulder as a concussion on the injury report so the defense wouldn't target it so he could leave him in the game all in the same week.

Point is there is all sorts of cheating going on, what about Denver's blatant chop to take out Arizona's best D-lineman (with Dockett out for the season) Calais Campbell? No one can run on Arizona and he is a big reason why.

I feel it was overblown if anything. Scouting signals is legal, just videotaping from the sidelines isn't but who is going to stop you if you do it from the press box? It is why opposing teams constantly change up & give false signals that how much of an advantage are they or any small edge cheaters really getting?

The logic of them not winning a Super Bowl after they got caught isn't proof of anything. They had a much better D in the Super Bowl years w/ Ty Law & Teddy Bruschi and a unit #1 in defensive yards per pass attempt. Since then, a helmet catch prevented them from doing it the year they got caught and Rex Ryan's Jets first few seasons caused them to change their offense to that two TE-sets. Gronkowski & Hernandez 2 TE offense was basically an offense built to beat the Jets. Teams constantly trying to edge each other out.. it is endless.

Seahawks' Sherman said that the Seahawks figured out Peyton Manning's signals by the first half based on memorizing the route concepts in down and distance situations. Said that if Manning bluffed they could have caught them badly out of position. Maybe not illegally videotaping but the same principle--scouting signals and there is someone on every team whose sole job is to do that. Basically knowing rather than guessing what the offense or defense is going to do, isn't this what its about?
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/03/richard-sherman-super-bowl-48-seattle-seahawks/