Jacob Peterson

For the Review

After striking a deal with the NFL to protect himself from all future legal fees, Matt Walsh, former New England Patriots video assistant, has finally coughed up evidence pertaining to the team’s videotaping controversy.

The New York Times reported and the NFL confirmed the speculation on Wednesday. Walsh sent eight tapes to the league that show the team recording play-calling signals from five opponents between 2000 and 2002.

The list of tapes showed the Patriots recording both offensive and defensive coaches in regular season games against the San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins.

The 2002 AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was also on the list.

Original speculations claimed the team might have also had possession of the St. Louis Rams’ walk-through practice, taken prior to beating out the heavily favored Rams in the Super Bowl. The tapes released did not include this video.

The league is claiming the release of this information is nothing new, and Commissioner Roger Goodell already knew about the team’s practice and took action.

Because taping signals of opposing teams is prohibited by league rules, New England has already been docked one of this year’s first round draft picks and fined $750,000 for being caught filming the New York Jets earlier this season.

First off, this year’s penalty was a slap on the wrist—$750,000 seems like a lot of money, but it is relatively nothing compared to all the cash raked in after going 16-0 in the regular season. Yes, a first-round draft pick is a big loss, but the thing is the Patriots had two. Thanks to a last season trade with New Orleans, the Patriots gained the No. 10 pick in the first round along with their awarded 31st pick. So naturally, the Patriots lost just their already 31st spot, still having that great early-draft pick.

If Goodell wanted to make a mark and keep this from happening again, a harsher punishment needed to be dealt.

Take away all of their first round picks, or better yet, take away all of the Patriots’ draft picks for the season. That kind of blow would deter any team from taking this risk in the future.

Who knows how many other videos were made from 2002 to now. If head coach Bill Belichick was cheating in the 2002 playoffs and he was caught again in 2007, what was going on for the previous five seasons in between? The answer: the exact same thing.

Belichick didn’t stop recording other teams’ signals for five years and suddenly decide to pick it up again this season. He was caught recording the New York Jets, a team that had no business being on the same field with the Patriots. The Jets went 4-12. This wasn’t some all-important game the Patriots had to win.

If Belichick was willing to risk so much against a nobody team like the Jets, what makes anyone think he hasn’t been doing this for every game? The only difference is this time he was caught.

Belichick and the New England Patriots sicken me, but the action taken by Goodell is downright despicable. A larger punishment is in order. Don’t let the NFL become the MLB. Take a stance. Show that at least one league has the guts to stop cheating.