Spygate is essentially over -- I think
If Spygate has legs beyond today, it will require new evidence, new witnesses, new something.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with former Patriots employee Matt Walsh and said that whatever Walsh told him did not add to what the league already fundamentally understood to be the circumstances of the Patriots' violations of NFL policy regarding video recording opponents.
According to Walsh (according to Goodell) there was no taping of the St. Louis Rams' walk-through prior to the Super Bowl between the two teams which was won, of course, by New England. Walsh is speaking with Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter presumably this afternoon and it remains to be seen whether Specter's concerns are allayed as a result of his questioning of Walsh.
My guess is that the senator will not be as ready to put the issue to rest as the commissioner but we'll see on that score. Regardless, unless Specter wants to throw the weight of the federal government behind a further investigation -- a prospect I'm reluctant to handicap -- this marks the end of the inquiry.
All of which means that arguments about whether or not the Patriots' legacy is tainted will be consigned to bar stools, and the 21st century version of the bar stool -- Internet message boards and chat rooms. People who are predisposed to dislike the Patriots will say New England have forfeited comparisons with the Steelers of the 1970s or the 49ers of the '80s or the Cowboys of the '90s because they "cheated." Patriots backers will say that everyone in the NFL is an angle-shooter given the chance and the Patriots deserve their Super Bowls.
If this is the end of Spygate, my bet is that in 10 years or so, this chapter in NFL history will be couched in much the same way as the debate over whether the Giants' Bobby Thompson had the pitch signal when he hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" off Brooklyn's Ralph Branca. Somewhere down the line, Spygate will make a historical transition from being divisively scandalous to merely being colorful.
Comments
Yes, I am sure Roger Goodell wants to get to the bottom of this and expose a potentially scandalous legacy of corruption in the NFL. Better to sweep it under the carpet and pretend it did not happen. Better for the image of the NFL. There is no upside to the NFL vigourously trying to get to the bottom of this. There is a huge downside, however. The Pats may have to stick to intercepting radio communications - its less visible and harder to prove.
Posted by: Brian | May 13, 2008 4:45 PM
Good article. I think the interesting thing that nobody is talking about is why the other coaches aren't up in arms over this. Only a very few (Shula, maybe Dungy) will even admit to being concerned. Most say it's no big deal. NE antagonists Rooney and Polian went out of their way to defuse this. Why? Do other teams have signal interception programs --albeit not as blatant as NE's -- that they are now concerned about having come to light? Belichick is a robo-schlub, but he may know where a lot of skeletons are buried. The silence is weird.
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My take is that it's an extension of what was once referred to as League-think. What's good for the league is good for everyone. The Steelers have always been very much a part of that mentality. The NY GIants, too, for that matter. And don't get me wrong, often that's good for the league and for the fans. But we all have to remember that these guys should be viewed as partners in a lucrative enterprise rather than primarily competitors.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: elgeo | May 13, 2008 6:05 PM
Young people learn from this....this is another example of the hypocrisy of our society...as always cash is King....all the BS morality thats perpetuated goes out the window when it comes to big business....I would say its a double standard but there's really only one standard.... profit and whatever's good for it...Goodell showed his true colors today ...no big deal....no big advantage......no surprise.....some how we knew the Patriots would'nt get the same justice that all the problem players do.... that would be a pandoras box and threaten the machine itself....no way Goodell was going to allow that to happen just for the sake of truth, honesty and the integrity of the game......so now we all know there's no difference in the NFL and the WWF....then they wonder why some of the players have the attitudes that they do...look at Shaun Alexander trying to be Mr. Nice guy now out in the cold.
Posted by: Rob | May 14, 2008 12:37 AM
I have a problem with the person that for some reason saw fit to destroy evidence pertaining to this very issue being allowed first crack at this new material. Roger Goodell is just so concerned about the image of this league that I would consider checking to see if the league has dumped any money in an offshore account recently. Nah..... A league as rich and powerfull as the NFL would never think of doing something like that. Way too much integrity. Hah....
Posted by: amazin | May 14, 2008 7:05 AM