this is from Miami Herald writer Armando Salguero's blog: HBO shines light on Patriots' shadowy cheating Everybody knows the Patriots cheated right? Everyone knows they cheated from 2000 until September of 2007. Everyone now knows this, no matter how badly the NFL and its media sycophants want the scandal to go away. But most of us have lives to worry about, so we've probably been believing what we've heard on the periphery of Matt Walsh's allegations concerning Spygate. Friday night is your opportunity to hear, no holds barred, right from the videographer's mouth, exactly how he helped Bill go from Belichick to Belicheat. HBO will air an exclusive sit-down interview with Walsh on Real Sports from 8-9 p.m. My friend Andrea Kremer conducts what is, in my opinion, a thorough and candid interview with the man who worked for New England for several years, basically taping opponents' offensive and defensive signals against NFL rules. By the way, I am doing my radio show from 10-noon on 790 The Ticket Friday. Kremer will be a guest on my show so tune in. If you are in South Florida it is 790 on your AM dial. If you are everywhere else, you can listen online at 790theticket.com. Anyway, Walsh tells Kremer the practice began in 2000 in a game against Tampa Bay and then extended to games against division opponents -- namely the Dolphins, Jets and Bills. Then, it became so successful, they did it against practically everybody. And Walsh says it was a huge advantage, particularly for the New England offense, which started running no-huddle at odd times to maximize knowing the other team's defensive signals. “They’d know exactly which play to call, that was, uh, there are certainly a number of plays to call that would be of greatest benefit to a particular defense," Walsh said. "Seeing how the blitz is coming from one particular side, if you know the coverage is gonna roll into a certain area, you’re aware of vacant areas on the field, and then, you run a play to that area, you stack numbers to that area. You know, it’s gonna give you a benefit. "So when Belichick talks about the minimal impact of this .. what bothers you about that?" Kremer asks. "All I know is the success rate that it had for the first game against Tampa Bay, and all I know is that it was something they continued to have me do throughout the two years I worked in video, under coach Cheater Belichick," Walsh answered. "If it was of little or no importance, I imagine they wouldn't have continued to do it, and probably not taken the chances of going down on the field in Pittsburgh or shooting from other teams' stadiums the way we did." <span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"> Walsh, interestingly, says that even as his team was CHEATING, he suspected one other team that played the Patriots of CHEATING, also. He infers that team was in the AFC East. He says he reported this suspicion to commissioner Roger Goodell when the two met earlier this week.</span> "There was only one other time that I ever suspected another team of possibly shooting our signals," Walsh said. "Both of us were shooting together on the roof of the old Foxboro Stadium. I was filming their defensive signals, and I would look over when we were on defense, and I'd see him panning over to our sideline, and then going back to the field, panning over and going back. I didn't say anything to him because I was doing the same thing. But after the game I went into our defensive coach's office, talked with Romeo Crennel, there were a couple of coaches in there at the time, but I said to Romeo, 'The team we just played was doing to us what we do to them. So, the next time we play them, we might want to change up our defensive signals a little bit.' " And this is one of the many things that stink about this cheating scandal. Not only does it rightly impugn the guilty Patriots, but now there is a shadow of guilt present over other teams that played the Patriots more than once in a year. Goodell knows the name of that team because Walsh said he told him.
If it comes out that theres evidence that the Dolphins are that team, I will renounce my association with them at that time....because thats what a man of charachter does when he finds out his team is a fraud....any Pats fans care to take the leap?
There are a lot of questions that I would want answered if the team is revealed to be the Dolphins. 1. What proof is there besides Matt Walsh's suspicions? Did he interprete what he saw correctly? 2. Did the Dolphins tape anyone besides the Patriots or were they simply retaliating for the taping that Patriots were doing? I'm not sure question two would vindicate the Dolphins' staff, but maybe it would. Just take a look at all the crap Mangini has taken for Spygate, especially from the highly biased Boston press. I'm not sure I would blame another coaching staff for deciding to the best way to handle the Patriots is to give them a dose of their own medicine. As for which AFC East team did taping, I could see the Jets or Dolphins being named. Mangini mentioned that they always asked for permission, from the opposing team, when they taped at games when this story first broke last fall. What were they taping? Jimmy Johnson said the Dolphins taped during his tenure, but that was before the rule was enacted in 1999. However, "Teflon" Dave Wannstedt was a Johnson disciple and may have continued the practice. It wouldn't have been the first time Wannstedt has screwed Dolphin fans. The Bills have seemed to have stayed above this fray, so I would be shocked if they were named.
I should add that I have never expected Patriots fans to abandon their team. I didn't abandon the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team after Eddie Sutton was exposed. The Wildcats were given probation which included a suspension from post-season play and some other stuff and that to me was enough. My exception to Spygate has always been how light the Patriots and Bill Belicheat, in particular, got off. No suspension? Give me a freaking break. I felt that the Patriots should have lost a few more draft picks as well. That's a light price to pay when you consider how a different outcome in one or more of their Super Bowls, of which none were won by more than 3 points, would have changed the face of football. Do you take those away? That's harder to answer because you really can't go back and play a Super Bowl over. Do you put the Patiots on probation and suspend them from the post-season? The college game is different from the economics to free agency, so I'm not sure. I just know that a little cash and one draft pick, in a draft where they had 2-1st rounders, wasn't crap.
It's all specualtion until there is either some direct evidence, like a tape. Another thing that would make it real would be J Johnson speaking directly about the incident Matt Walsh was talking about, and confirm it. Until then, we wait for more information to come out. I think Walsh is talking about the NY Jets, but that's just my feeling. The Mangini connection to the Pats, him knowing how they do it, and the bad blood between he and Bill Belichik make me believe that he would be just the guy to "fight fire with fire".
I dont think its the Dolphins, Im just saying that if it is, I will renounce them upon seeing any proof....My integrity is too important to me to compromise it over a fraudulant football team....its the Jets, who Im thinking it is as well, I will come down on them with exacty the same fervor as the Patriots....
But if you do that and don't want to be associated with the Dolphins then my friend you're taking sports way too serious. I personally watch sports (any of them from soccer to tennis to swimming to anything basically) for fun and to enjoy my time while I'm watching them. This is how a lot of fans in Europe (mostly for soccer) behave and take sports in the context of life and death and then you have accidents, fights, fans being killed, etc. Back to Walsh, has anyone asked him yet why did he wait until now to come forward with this crap? If he cared so much about the game why not go to the commissioner right after he left the team and tell him about all the "spying" he did. Personally I think he's after fame, and he's already gotten it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing @ May 16 2008, 08:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>But if you do that and don't want to be associated with the Dolphins then my friend you're taking sports way too serious. I personally watch sports (any of them from soccer to tennis to swimming to anything basically) for fun and to enjoy my time while I'm watching them. This is how a lot of fans in Europe (mostly for soccer) behave and take sports in the context of life and death and then you have accidents, fights, fans being killed, etc. Back to Walsh, has anyone asked him yet why did he wait until now to come forward with this crap? If he cared so much about the game why not go to the commissioner right after he left the team and tell him about all the "spying" he did. Personally I think he's after fame, and he's already gotten it.</div> 1. I'm sure the Beef watches sports for fun. It just sounds like he wants to root for a team that plays within the rules and sets a good standard for his kids to emulate. Perhaps he doesn't have fun rooting for a team that he feels might not be sticking to the rules. I don't think that's for anyone here to judge. I don't see how the Beef's not rooting for the Dolphins, if they are exposed as cheating, would lead to anyone, especially the Beef, to accidents, fights, fans being killed or ext. That's beyond silly. 2. I don't think Walsh asked to be brought into this. Didn't Walsh get drug into this because that Boston writer wrote the story about the Rams walkthrough being recorded and someone knew that Matt Walsh probably had videotapes? I don't recall Matt Walsh showing up anywhere and saying, "Hey, I have videotapes!!!" Someone correct me, WITH AN ARTICLE, if I'm wrong.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DolfanDale @ May 16 2008, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>1. I'm sure the Beef watches sports for fun. It just sounds like he wants to root for a team that plays within the rules and sets a good standard for his kids to emulate. Perhaps he doesn't have fun rooting for a team that he feels might not be sticking to the rules. I don't think that's for anyone here to judge. I don't see how the Beef's not rooting for the Dolphins, if they are exposed as cheating, would lead to anyone, especially the Beef, to accidents, fights, fans being killed or ext. That's beyond silly.</div> Thats the whole point though DD, I don't think there is a single team in this universe that at some points hasn't tried to do something to gain some advantage over the opposing team, whether it was illegal or not, teams don't care, as long as Ws show up in the column and they end up winning championships, rings, or whatever else they get (in other leagues). Beef saying that he would not want to be associated to them because some dude (aka walsh) might mention them that they might have cheated (or tried to) in the past, is being way to serious and letting your team down as a fan. I personally will never blame the team and leave the team (no matter what sport I'm following) if the coach of that team (or player for example) cheated and used it to help the team. I will still continue to follow the team and support them since I know that that certain coach (or player) will eventually leave the team and will not be there forever. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DolfanDale @ May 16 2008, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>2. I don't think Walsh asked to be brought into this. Didn't Walsh get drug into this because that Boston writer wrote the story about the Rams walkthrough being recorded and someone knew that Matt Walsh probably had videotapes? I don't recall Matt Walsh showing up anywhere and saying, "Hey, I have videotapes!!!" Someone correct me, WITH AN ARTICLE, if I'm wrong.</div> Didn't he talk to people and tell them that he did this and that and then those people started talking and thats how the Boston writer got the info? So in a way he did drag himself into this and I'll continue to think so, seeing how he'll start to go to TV stations, to be interviewed, like the HBO for example, its all for fame I think. Again, if you so much care about the game and are definitely against cheating, first of all why did you do it, and second of all why not come out as soon as you left the team? Wish I was a reporter and could ask him that and see what he says. Finally, you guys have nothing to worry about the Dolphins, knowing that Walsh is full of crap.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing @ May 16 2008, 09:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DolfanDale @ May 16 2008, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>1. I'm sure the Beef watches sports for fun. It just sounds like he wants to root for a team that plays within the rules and sets a good standard for his kids to emulate. Perhaps he doesn't have fun rooting for a team that he feels might not be sticking to the rules. I don't think that's for anyone here to judge. I don't see how the Beef's not rooting for the Dolphins, if they are exposed as cheating, would lead to anyone, especially the Beef, to accidents, fights, fans being killed or ext. That's beyond silly.</div> Thats the whole point though DD, I don't think there is a single team in this universe that at some points hasn't tried to do something to gain some advantage over the opposing team, whether it was illegal or not, teams don't care, as long as Ws show up in the column and they end up winning championships, rings, or whatever else they get (in other leagues). Beef saying that he would not want to be associated to them because some dude (aka walsh) might mention them that they might have cheated (or tried to) in the past, is being way to serious and letting your team down as a fan. I personally will never blame the team and leave the team (no matter what sport I'm following) if the coach of that team (or player for example) cheated and used it to help the team. I will still continue to follow the team and support them since I know that that certain coach (or player) will eventually leave the team and will not be there forever. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DolfanDale @ May 16 2008, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>2. I don't think Walsh asked to be brought into this. Didn't Walsh get drug into this because that Boston writer wrote the story about the Rams walkthrough being recorded and someone knew that Matt Walsh probably had videotapes? I don't recall Matt Walsh showing up anywhere and saying, "Hey, I have videotapes!!!" Someone correct me, WITH AN ARTICLE, if I'm wrong.</div> Didn't he talk to people and tell them that he did this and that and then those people started talking and thats how the Boston writer got the info? So in a way he did drag himself into this and I'll continue to think so, seeing how he'll start to go to TV stations, to be interviewed, like the HBO for example, its all for fame I think. Again, if you so much care about the game and are definitely against cheating, first of all why did you do it, and second of all why not come out as soon as you left the team? Wish I was a reporter and could ask him that and see what he says. Finally, you guys have nothing to worry about the Dolphins, knowing that Walsh is full of crap. </div> 1. Saying that all teams cheat is your opinion. Until you have proof, it will remain an opinion. I don't share your opinion and find it annoying when people keep projecting their lack of morality on others. 2. Again, I'm not aware of Matt Walsh coming forward on his own. I've tried to find out who contacted who but haven't had much luck. It seems like Tomase's article on the Rams' walkthrough was the prime mover in this series of events. I really think Walsh didn't want to come forward and truly feared legal ramifications. Also, he never claimed to have that tape. CK, how about showing some support for your allegations against Walsh and giving us some links to ARTICLES where he sought out the press because he was so worried about the game and cheating. I see Walsh going to HBO so he can say what he needs to say rather than have the press and guys on the internet putting words in his mouth. It sounds like bitter Pats fans would rather make a scapegoat out of Matt Walsh, than own up to the failings of their football team. The bottom line is that, if Belicheat had not ordered Walsh to illegally videotape defensive signals there would be no story. Period.
According to this article, Arlen Spector revealed the other team that Walsh identified as taping was the New York Jets. I often like to include links to articles, like this one, when I'm making a point.
Matt Walsh first appeared in a media story on January 31st, 2008, regarding Spygate. No, he didn't just come out with "I have tapes" at the beginning of it all. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/sports/f...=nyt&scp=33 http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3226465 Feb 1st: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Walsh told ESPN.com that, in the wake of the cheating scandal that broke early in the season, he has never been contacted by NFL officials to inquire about his insight into the Patriots' illegal taping practices, which he says date back to his time with the franchise. Nor, he said, has there been any communication with the Patriots.</div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"No, the league has never called me," he said. "Neither have the Patriots. And really, I would be surprised if they did. Then all of a sudden -- I don't know how much the league or Patriots know about my stance or how I feel about things -- for them to put in a call to me, what are they going to say? Are they going to try and threaten me? Or say, don't talk about it? Then, they are putting themselves out there and looking bad as far as if I turn around and say, 'Hey, guess what, the league called me and said [we're] gonna take away your pension if you say anything about this.'" Later, Walsh said his reference to a pension meant his 401k retirement plan. Walsh suggested he could have blown the whistle long ago, if he'd been so inclined. "If I had a reason to want to go public or tell a story, I could have done it before this even broke," he said. "I could have said everything rather than having [Eric] Mangini be the one to bring it out."</div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"Obviously, Mangini knew what was going on and it had been going on for a while," Walsh said. "They tried to catch them doing it last year and weren't able to. So they were just waiting for them to throw the camera up this year on the sideline. But afterwards, I get the impression the league said to them, 'Hey, kind of back down from this; let us take care of it,' because Mangini probably could have come out and said more, made more of a deal out of it if he wanted to."</div>
Walsh spent 2 months trying to get the sides to agree not to sue him and remove his 401k plan before he talked about any specifics. To me, that's just covering your own butt. It's not worth your retirement plan, no matter how strongly one feels about it.
Do read those two articles. I found them to be eye opening. I also have forgotten all those small details given the firestorm that has been going on since.
Based on all the information I have, some folks from media got in touch with Matt Walsh, not the other way around. The looked him up as he was part of the Patriots team in the early 2000's. It's not hard to find out who worked for the Pats, especially considering that Matt was in the team photographs that are public knowledge to begin with. At some point, that guy from the Boston Herald broke the Rams walkthrough story. At that point, Arlen Specter and Roger Goodell were bound to have a word with him.
I do not believe the Miami Dolphins have conspired to cheat other teams. If I find out they did, which has to be more than Walsh saying so, it would take some evididence to convince me, I would likely give up watching the NFL in general....what some dont get, and this is not a knock on them, is that morality is a major part of my existence....I dont have time to associate with things that are not real, and if the team Ive put so much into, believing the results are real, turn out to be a fraud, i must walk away....Im raising 3 kids by myself while caring for a spouse that was recently disabled, Im working 2 full time jobs during the week and a part time job on Saturdays, and Im fighting to be an honest man in a society that rarely punishes the wicked and often condemns the richteous, i dont have time to mess with untruths....thats why I would walk away from the Dolphins, and thats why I am so upset that the Patriots have been cheating....
