Really, Is It Really THAT Much Of A Surprise?
The Patriots' camera "scandal", that is. The more I thought about it, two things came to mind:
1 - I bet every team does it to one degree or another. I've always wondered why you wouldn't have 3 lip readers w/ binoculars fixed on the coach and coordinators every game. Is that legal? I mean, if they only ban cameras....
2 - it can't make much of a difference anyway
A great third point from this SALON COLUMN. The heading alone sums it up pretty well:
"Pats sneak camera into super-secret location: The field"
more:
"What the Pats are accused of doing is "spying" on the Jets coaches as they sent signals to the defense. My understanding of spying must be different from the NFL's. Watching a guy flapping his arms while standing in the middle of 70,000 people and in front of a national TV audience doesn't qualify. Even if you point a camera at him."
Fun read w/ some Pats homers HERE.
1 - I bet every team does it to one degree or another. I've always wondered why you wouldn't have 3 lip readers w/ binoculars fixed on the coach and coordinators every game. Is that legal? I mean, if they only ban cameras....
2 - it can't make much of a difference anyway
A great third point from this SALON COLUMN. The heading alone sums it up pretty well:
"Pats sneak camera into super-secret location: The field"
more:
"What the Pats are accused of doing is "spying" on the Jets coaches as they sent signals to the defense. My understanding of spying must be different from the NFL's. Watching a guy flapping his arms while standing in the middle of 70,000 people and in front of a national TV audience doesn't qualify. Even if you point a camera at him."
Fun read w/ some Pats homers HERE.
posted by mmaier2112 at 10:05 AM
3 Comments:
The defense doesn't use their lips as much as the offensive coordinators do (and you notice they cover their mouths so people can't read their offensive play calls). The defense uses hand signals and gestures to tell their players what coverage to play and which player to double cover. When you know those hand signals, then you can call into Brady's helmet and tell him: "Double coverage on Moss, look for Welker first".
I have a feeling that this scandal is finally going to get the Defensive Radio Helmet passed. It failed 20-12 this past off-season, and 18-14 the season before. So, it was gaining some ground, but needs 24 votes to get passed. With this scandal, I think we'll see someone on the defense wearing a helmet next year, and then the defensive coordinators will also be covering theirs mouths.
Granted, that player with the radio is still going to have to call out their plays for the teammates to hear/see - so there will still be some signals to steal. However, if someone were as creative as Peyton - it might throw off the offense, and it could make for a good chess match between whatever defensive player (probably a linebacker) and the quarterback.
I think this is an interesting article about "cheating" in the NFL.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-historynflcheating&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Now, I have said that I don't think ANY TEAM should get away with cheating, but it is quite interesting to read about these other things.
"With this scandal, I think we'll see someone on the defense wearing a helmet next year"
THERE ARE PLAYERS WITHOUT HELMETS?
HOW CAN THIS BE?
ISN'T IT UNSAFE?
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