Belicheat breaks silence on Spygate.

[PackerBlues]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2008/02/17/belichick_breaks_silence_on_spygate/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed4

A portion of the above linked article:

The rule states: ‘‘Any use by any club at any time, from the start to the finish of any game in which such club is a participant, of any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited, including without limitation videotape machines, telephone tapping, or bugging devices, or any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game.’’

Belichick felt the Patriots’ actions were in compliance with NFL rules, saying, ‘‘My interpretation was that you can’t utilize anything to assist you during that game. What our camera guys do is clearly not allowed to be used during the game and has never been used during that game that it was shot.’’


For a guy who so many people have spoken so highly of, as such an intelligent person......... Belicheat sure does come off as a complete idiot when it comes to interpretation of the rules.

[MJZiggy]

This is how he "misinterpreted" the rules? Yep, sure. I believe that's what that rule meant...let's just let him off the hook cause he just didn't know. :roll:

[SkinBasket]

Sorry guys, but I think his argument is acceptable. I don't believe it, but he can make a case out of it. Blame the NFL for wording the rule poorly if you want, because they left a lot of wiggle room there and part of the game is finding as much room within the rules - on and off the field - as possible to gain an advantage.

What he did was obviously reprehensible, but the NFL should really consider hiring some new lawyers to comb through their rule book and tighten it up if this is the best they can muster.

[packinpatland]

Sorry Bill, the league sent you (and 31 other teams) a letter in 2006, you continued your taping in 2007, till you got caught.
****


"Just going back over the whole taping incident, if I contacted the league and asked them about the practice, I'm sure they would have told me - as they have done - that it is not permissible. Then I could have avoided all of this.

"I take responsibility for it," he continued. "Even though I felt there was a gray area in the rule and I misinterpreted the rule, that was my mistake and we've been penalized for it. I apologize to everybody that is involved - the league, the other teams, the fans, our team, for the amount of conversation and dialogue that it's caused.
"I misinterpreted the rule. The commissioner made his ruling and we've been penalized for it and tried to move on."

Belichick explained why he felt yesterday was the right time to address the issue, and not during the season when it happened.

[packinpatland]

BB is touted as one of the smartest coaches in the NFL. Playing 'dumb' on this incident, saying there was a misinterpretation, there were gray areas.....just makes him look/sound more guilty.................one word he has yet to apply to himself.

[KYPack]

He shudda kept his yap shut.

This thing ain't gonna die.

I didn't realize the depth of feeling on the Forum on this issue, but I'm basically telling everybody that Goodell is fucking this up and until the NFL gets ahead of the parade, this thing is gonna mushroom.

[packinpatland]

Article 9 of the NFL Constitution & Bylaws states "any use by any club at any time, from the start to the finish of any game in which such club is a participant, of any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited, including without limitation videotape machines, telephone tapping, or bugging devices, or any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game"
************************************

Where is the gray part?

[MJZiggy]

I love how he apologizes for "the dialogue" and not for cheating in the first place.

[packinpatland]

Was he a lawyer in his 'other life', because he sure had a way to skew words.

[Joemailman]

Sorry guys, but I think his argument is acceptable. I don't believe it, but he can make a case out of it. Blame the NFL for wording the rule poorly if you want, because they left a lot of wiggle room there and part of the game is finding as much room within the rules - on and off the field - as possible to gain an advantage.

What he did was obviously reprehensible, but the NFL should really consider hiring some new lawyers to comb through their rule book and tighten it up if this is the best they can muster.

I agree. I don't believe Belichick, but the wording gives him a way out.

[Patler]

"Just going back over the whole taping incident, if I contacted the league and asked them about the practice, I'm sure they would have told me - as they have done - that it is not permissible.

In other words, Belichick was saying ---I knew it was wrong, and that I would be told by the league that it was wrong, so I didn't ask. That way, if I got caught doing what I knew was wrong, I could profess ignorance and they would let me off the hook.---

[RashanGary]

Sorry guys, but I think his argument is acceptable. I don't believe it, but he can make a case out of it. Blame the NFL for wording the rule poorly if you want, because they left a lot of wiggle room there and part of the game is finding as much room within the rules - on and off the field - as possible to gain an advantage.

What he did was obviously reprehensible, but the NFL should really consider hiring some new lawyers to comb through their rule book and tighten it up if this is the best they can muster.

Nice Post

[packinpatland]

Sorry guys, but I think his argument is acceptable. I don't believe it, but he can make a case out of it. Blame the NFL for wording the rule poorly if you want, because they left a lot of wiggle room there and part of the game is finding as much room within the rules - on and off the field - as possible to gain an advantage.

What he did was obviously reprehensible, but the NFL should really consider hiring some new lawyers to comb through their rule book and tighten it up if this is the best they can muster.

Nice Post

How much tighter should it get? :roll: Maybe they could add "And this means you Coach Bill Belichick, of the New England Patriots, located in Foxboro, MA. Owned by Robert Kraft."

Article 9 of the NFL Constitution & Bylaws states "any use by any club at any time, from the start to the finish of any game in which such club is a participant, of any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited, including without limitation videotape machines, telephone tapping, or bugging devices, or any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game"

[Tyrone Bigguns]

"Just going back over the whole taping incident, if I contacted the league and asked them about the practice, I'm sure they would have told me - as they have done - that it is not permissible.

In other words, Belichick was saying ---I knew it was wrong, and that I would be told by the league that it was wrong, so I didn't ask. That way, if I got caught doing what I knew was wrong, I could profess ignorance and they would let me off the hook.---

It recalls the old russian maxim: better to ask forgiveness than permission.

[Patler]

"Just going back over the whole taping incident, if I contacted the league and asked them about the practice, I'm sure they would have told me - as they have done - that it is not permissible.

In other words, Belichick was saying ---I knew it was wrong, and that I would be told by the league that it was wrong, so I didn't ask. That way, if I got caught doing what I knew was wrong, I could profess ignorance and they would let me off the hook.---

It recalls the old russian maxim: better to ask forgiveness than permission.

That's fine if it is something that has to be done, or something that you will do regardless. He claims to have believed that what they did was in compliance with the rules, while knowing that the league would tell him it was not permitted. He did what he knew the league would not allow.

It seems to me that if you do what you know would not be permitted you are pretty unethical in the conduct of your actions.

[Jimx29]

"I take responsibility for it," he continued. "Even though I felt there was a gray area in the rule and I misinterpreted the rule, that was my mistake and we've been penalized for it........."I misinterpreted the rule. The commissioner made his ruling and we've been penalized for it and tried to move on."

That's totally inappropriate. It's lewd, vesivius, salacious, outrageous......

[Tyrone Bigguns]

"Just going back over the whole taping incident, if I contacted the league and asked them about the practice, I'm sure they would have told me - as they have done - that it is not permissible.

In other words, Belichick was saying ---I knew it was wrong, and that I would be told by the league that it was wrong, so I didn't ask. That way, if I got caught doing what I knew was wrong, I could profess ignorance and they would let me off the hook.---

It recalls the old russian maxim: better to ask forgiveness than permission.

That's fine if it is something that has to be done, or something that you will do regardless. He claims to have believed that what they did was in compliance with the rules, while knowing that the league would tell him it was not permitted. He did what he knew the league would not allow.

It seems to me that if you do what you know would not be permitted you are pretty unethical in the conduct of your actions.

We are on the same page. Find it hard to believe the "genius" suddenly was stupid.

[The Leaper]

I agree. I don't believe Belichick, but the wording gives him a way out.

Only if you assume Belichick is retarded, which some might suggest based on his wardrobe selection alone.

[sepporepi]

Article 9 of the NFL Constitution & Bylaws states "any use by any club at any time, from the start to the finish of any game in which such club is a participant, of any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited, including without limitation videotape machines, telephone tapping, or bugging devices, or any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game"
************************************

Where is the gray part?

I think the term use is the problem. Billyceat can define "use" as the watching of the tape, photos etc. Since they did not look at the material before midweek after the game they did not "use" the "information-gathering equipment" from "the start to the finish of any game".

Personally I think this is complete bullshit. For me the taping is also "use". But my guess is that this is the "misinterpretation" he stated.

[MJZiggy]

Well, I suppose if you don't consider a video camera information gathering equipment, but I don't see the wiggle room in the statement. It says no form of electronic devices during a game. Whenever they watched it, they used the video equipment during the game.

The taping is electronic equipment. And Pater's got a good point. He knew what he was doing wasn't allowed; he said as much. He's just trying to slime his way around a rule so it won't stick to him as he goes by it.