Not necessarily a smoking tape, but this episode can still be damaging to the Patriots in that a few more teams have now been publicly identified as having been taped. I wouldn't be surprised to see more public sentiment in those markets galvanized against New England, at least in the short term.
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Jay,
That will certainly be the case in places where the Patriots have scored important wins, like Pittsburgh. Especially, Pittsburgh. Luckily for New England, the Steelers have an ownership that's always thinking in terms of the overall good of the league. The Patriots won that AFC title game against Pittsburgh, 24-17. Even though the taping had no bearing on the game itself, they'll be plenty hot there.
-- Bill O.

Nobody wants to actually do any investigative journalistic work anymore... Let's all just wait until it comes over the wire and then we can rewrite it, put OUR name on it, and call it good.

The practice of taping other teams signals has been going on by every team in the NFL for years. It continues to go on. Everyone knows it's against the rules and the Patriots got caught with their hands in the cookie jar. But it's over! Walsh has nothing! Specter needs to be more concerned with matters of national security and economic stability. If he is so damned interested in some taped football signals then he should retire his sorry (butt) from the Senate and get into the NFL.

Why don't you lazy reporters do some freaking research and dig up some tapes from OTHER teams. I guarantee they are out there... either that or Bill Belichick is the ONLY PERSON EVER in the histoy of football to try to one up his opponent. Damn!!!! Belichick IS a genious!
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Lunchbox,
I'll bet you're the kind of guy who complains to the cop that stops him for speeding ... why me when everyone else is doing it. And that information that comes "over the wire" ... where do you think that comes from ... out of the ether. Anything that comes "over the wire" is because some reporter originated it. The point and mission of many blogs ... if that's what you're referring to ... is to comment.
-- Bill O

Mr. Oh, Oh, Oh...

What the hell does this situation have to do with a speeding ticket. Although I thank you for bringing that analogy up as it illustrates my point exactly. I am not denying the fact that the Patriots got CAUGHT filming signals. Everyone knows that. They ponied up to the charges, took the punishment and moved on.

Then a story comes across the wire and every bonehead in cyberspace thinks, "oh geez, I better smear the Pats with a story I can't confirm."

In addition to spreading gossip on your all important blah-g, you admit you know other teams do EXACTLY the same thing the Pats got busted for... tape the signals of opposing teams.

"...everyone else is doing it", you say.

So then I say get the tapes of the Denver Broncos "stealing" signals. And the tapes of the Cincinnati Bengals "stealing" signals. Or how about the tapes of the New York Jets "stealing" signals since they started this stupid debacle. Now THAT would make you a god amongst sports writers. If you know it's going on then go get it, bring it to the attention of the fans, and make the problem in whole go away. Crucifying the Patriots will not stop other teams from "stealing" signals. Damn. It's not even that the signals were filmed. It's WHERE they were filmed from. If the camera man had been in the stands or anywhere on the field other than the opposing teams sideline this whole thing would be a moot point.

But please, oh-oh-oh master of the blog, continue to perpetuate this Propagandas non-story.

Love you.

Pats are favored 4-1 to win the Super Bowl by the way.

Bill:
Let's put Bill, Bob and Tom in the witness box like Roger and Raffy and Sammy and Mark. Can you imagine the drama? Well yes actually. We've seen it play out in baseball for the past decade. Drip, drip drip like water torture.

Always, always the cover-up is worse than the crime. The NFL's handling of this matter, a seven year attack on the integrity of the game, is as bad as baseball's initial reaction to the steroid era.
It seems the NFL has not learned anything from baseball's head-in-the-sand approach to scandal.
Roger: The Truth Shall Set You Free!