Feeling unpatriotic
Now that I am done feeling patriotic, it is time to express my unpatriotic feelings.
Oh, don’t worry, this is directed towards the New England Patriots. In fact, my patriotic feelings were originally a tangent within this post, but I busted them out on their own, where they belong. Also, I got down this path both because of the news, but also because Jason posted about both the Pats and 9/11 today, so read them.
Even without all this prompting, I already wanted to comment on the Rodney Harrison/HGH thing, but had been delaying it to see how things went this past Sunday. Yesterday we thought they just creamed the J-E-T-S, but today the NFL thinks it was less game plan and more spy game?
Hmm… if true, well shame on them, yeah? Except, isn’t this something that happens in almost every sport? Maybe not this specific way of spying, but anything to get an edge, right? Oh yeah, it does happen, but most just don’t get caught, don’t you think?
I already forget what the deal about spying or stealing signals was last year, but it was related to the Pats. Now, was it them doing the stealing or the accusing? I seem to remember the Pats D saying something about not being able to steal signals/plays/calls during practice, but… well, you get the point.
Even with the spying and whatnot, did it really help the Pats offense romp on the Jets D? The D calls their plays based on how the O lines up. How are they to communicate changes from the sidelines, or was Tom Brady watching their coaches and audibling? Yeah, I won’t pretend to know how it worked.
Maybe they did have extra radios going as suggested. (Everyone get their Bluetooth on?) That would be a little extra bad, but still, how does this explain Randy Moss and Wes Welker running wild or Ellis Hobbs busting that record breaking kick return? Why are they allowing the team to have a video recorder on the field in the first place? Is there specific language as to how it should be used? (There probably is, but I am on a roll here.) How is this different than those aerial photos they print to the sidelines after every freakin play?! (Again, I’m sure there are rules here.)
Mike Tomlin says his team protects itself against spying, so that also probably means they spy too, without saying as much, no? How many other teams are using the same method right now? Averages suggest it isn’t just the Pats. It also suggests that the Jets are stupid for not taking better measures. 😉
Of course, spying/stealing is a whole different ballgame when compared with performance enhancing drugs, pine tarred or corked bats, right? My answer is yes, but it is still cheating.
Rodney Harrison was wrong to use HGH. Sure, he was using it to heal rather than enhance on-field performance, but the healing sure got him back on that field faster, no? While I applaud Rodney for being open and honest about his violation, I now hate that I’ll always think of him in the same thought as Barry Bonds. They are two players I used to like and no longer can because they cheated. I am also upset that one of our own was caught, but averages suggest it catches up to every team eventually, even those feel-good Patriots.
So, does the spying tarnish Sunday’s victory? Sure it does. Does it tarnish their Super Bowl wins (like some pundits suggest)? Really? Are you going there?
Am I disappointed in the Pats for spying? Sure I am. I am disappointed because they were caught. I thought Bill Bellichick would be too smart to ever get caught…
Update: Simmons finally weighs in and I am disappointed in him… until the end. 😉
Posts ::
This post has 2 comments (now closed):
Ed
Wed :: 12 :: Sep :: 2007 :: 07.47 am
From everything I’ve read, the Pats are not the only team to employ videographers on the sidelines in a bid to get an edge on the competition. They’re just the first to get caught. No doubt the Jets tipped off security to look for it. In fact, a number of teams have come out in recent days to discuss how they employ ‘countermeasures’ in their games to guard against this means of grabbing signals. Well, you only mount a counter-defensive when you have a similar offensive attack – meaning if these teams know enough to counter the spying than they probably engage in their own brand of espionage.
That said, this isn’t as cut and dry as the mainstream media would like you to believe. The Pats don’t see signals and immediately know every nuance of a plan. It just gives them a little extra info (call it 1% advantage of what play is going to be called.) In fact, the only time the video can really come into play is at Half-Time where in the 12 minute stint in the locker room, the Pats would need to breakdown the first half tape, compare it to still photos and reports of player positions and then somehow intuit what it all means. For this to really give Bill (or any coach) an edge, he would need a week to pour over the tapes.
And let’s not forget something. The Jets grabbed Mangina to get their own little Belichik. So now we have Kennedy-Kruschev and this is just one more game of brinksmanship. Yup, Mangina looks like the genius for tipping security but me thinks Belichik will have the last laugh.
I just think it’s a bit naive to jump all over a team’s legacy over this little spy game. I guess the proof will be in the pudding. We know the cameras are in lockdown now so when Moss takes his roadshow home to Gillette this weekend, we’ll all know that no manner of surveillance aided that guy’s superhuman feats.
Sean
Wed :: 12 :: Sep :: 2007 :: 05.51 pm
I agree that a lot of this is probably gamesmanship between Belichick and Mangina. Last year it was the non-handshake or hug or whatever. Then it was the weird hug. Then it was beating them in the playoffs. Jason supposed in his comments that even if the Jets had won, Mangina likely would have still played this card. I agree and I think when they play again this season it will be something else entirely.
Also, thanks for further exploring the ridiculousness of believing this provides a huge advantage. How can it? As you said, there isn’t time to change that data to information.
All this stuff does is take away from trying to prepare for the Chargers this week. I am going to that game, so I hope it is free from these distractions. I want to see a Pats win against their toughest AFC competition for the Super Bowl. Some might say Colts, but I think the Chargers are better, plus I am sick of the Colts like I am sick of the Yankees.