I knew the Pats were cheaters...

It's really a dumb move to cheat on that level sports anyway. I think about this, I'm sure because of this game's hype there were more than a few bets going around. What happens if the Patriots have to forfeit the game? This could be really bad and I hope if there are any other franchises out there doing a little spying the will stop. I think that Goodell should use the Patriots as an example and dock them a draft pick and make them forfeit the game because this isn't there first try at this game.

This is getting totally out of hand. The signals they would be stealing would have to be defensive since there are no signals for the offense. So the signals would have to be known, then communicated by a coach ( probably the OC Josh McDaniels) who then tells the QB the defense, then on top of that calls the play? C'mon. Defenses move around at the line anyway. I'm not saying it's right by any means, but I don't think it gives the Pats any advantage once the ball is snapped.

I think the end result is next year one defensive player is going to have a speaker in his helmet, just like the QB's. Then this will put an end to this silly ass crap.

So if these signals are useless to the Patriots and give them no advantage, why would they go through the effort of setting up cameras, rewiring and reconfiguring radio signals and just moving the cameras when asked to leave the field (Green Bay incident)?

Don't be naive, they're not doing this because they have a bored IT staff and want to give them something to stay busy with.

It's really a dumb move to cheat on that level sports anyway. I think about this, I'm sure because of this game's hype there were more than a few bets going around. What happens if the Patriots have to forfeit the game? This could be really bad and I hope if there are any other franchises out there doing a little spying the will stop. I think that Goodell should use the Patriots as an example and dock them a draft pick and make them forfeit the game because this isn't there first try at this game.

I agree, but the Patriots always stockpile draft picks, so that punishment won't hurt much. Forfeit(s) and suspensions should be the minimum punishment.

So if these signals are useless to the Patriots and give them no advantage, why would they go through the effort of setting up cameras, rewiring and reconfiguring radio signals and just moving the cameras when asked to leave the field (Green Bay incident)?

Don't be naive, they're not doing this because they have a bored IT staff and want to give them something to stay busy with.

I'm not being naive. It's just that you have to do some many things in a very short period of time to make it work. If the opposing teams are worried about it, they should have three guys standing next to the actual defensive playcaller. One guy is sending in the correct defense. The other two are sending in dummy signals.

Sorry, I wasn't making it personal, I just meant...they HAVE to be getting an advantage from it if they've been doing it for a while or even once at all. Why would they go through all of the effort if they gained nothing?

Sorry, I wasn't making it personal, I just meant...they HAVE to be getting an advantage from it if they've been doing it for a while or even once at all. Why would they go through all of the effort if they gained nothing?

Like I said, too much has to happen in a short period of time in order for it to really work. Let's say the Jets call a 4-3 defense with a stunt and two blitzers. The Jets coach does his signal, then someone from the Pats has to pick that signal up from acorss the sideline, then relay the defense to Josh McDaniels since he is the playcaller. Then McDaniels has to call a play and a pass protection to off set that defense. All that has to happen in 40 seconds. Can it happen? Of course it can. But it's highly unlikely that it causes the outcome of a game. Let's put it this way. If they were doing this for a few years does it mean that if they didn't do it they would not have won 3 SB's? No way.

If you are the Jets and you are playing NE, they should have two guys doing dummy signals anyway just cause Eric M. use to coach there. Common sense right?

Personally, I think Bill B. is a cheating, not personality prick. He looks like a pure 100% dickhead. But I'm not going to sit here and say just cause they try and pick signals is the reason they are good. That is ridicules.

skinsfan, the article I read suggested they were "decoding" the audibles, not the playcalls to the line. So in theory the defense would know what the shifts and hot routes were when the Jets audibled.

That said, it would not surprise me if Belichick was trying to figure out some way to intercept incoming playcalls, because the guy just seems like such a win-at-any-cost, jagoff.

Eric Mangini exposes Bill Belichick's spy games (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2007/09/12/2007-09-12_eric_mangini_exposes_bill_belichicks_spy.html)

If Roger Goodell suspended a quarterbacks coach for 5 games and fined him 100 grand because he tried HGH twice to improve his quality of life because he suffered from a really bad case of diabetes, I expect to see a much tougher punishment on Belichick. The guy was caught cheating, and he's an arrogant sob who wouldn't stop even though the Commish warned him before the season started.

Eric Mangini exposes Bill Belichick's spy games (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2007/09/12/2007-09-12_eric_mangini_exposes_bill_belichicks_spy.html)

Thanks for the link. I've always said that Belichick is overrated and this just adds to my reasons for thinking as much.

Here's some food for thought - Belichick was just 42-58 before Brady started. That means he lost about 60% of the time. Belichick's Patriots went just 5-13 before Brady started in the early part of the 2001 season. Brady-less Belichick-coached teams have posted losing records 5 times and winning records just once. Take away Brady and judge Belichick the head coach according to his wins and losses, and he isn't even mediocre.