Spygate (NFL)

The Spygate scandal was a National Football League (NFL) controversy during the 2007 season, in which it was discovered that the New England Patriots were videotaping opposing coaches' signals during games under head coach Bill Belichick.^[1][2] It began when the New England Patriots were disciplined by the NFL for videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals from an unauthorized location during a September 9, 2007 game.^[3][4] Videotaping opposing coaches is not illegal in the NFL, per se; there are designated areas allowed by the league to do such taping. Because the Patriots were instead videotaping the Jets' coaches from their own sideline during the game, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell deemed it to be in violation of league rules, stating that the act represented a calculated and deliberate attempt to avoid long-standing rules designed to encourage fair play and promote honest competition on the playing field. After an investigation, the NFL fined Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 (the maximum allowed by the league and the largest fine ever imposed on a coach in the league's history) for his role in the incident, fined the Patriots $250,000, and docked the team their original first-round selection in the 2008 NFL draft which would have been the 31st pick of the draft.^[5]

As part of their probe into the allegations, the NFL required the Patriots to turn over any and all notes and tapes relating to the taping of opponents' defensive signals. The Patriots refused to allow the video tapes to leave their athletic facilities; in turn, at Goodell's ordering, league officials went to the Patriots' facilities and smashed the tapes.^[6][7]

Because the tapes were immediately smashed and never thoroughly examined by league officials, the size and scope of Spygate remains largely unknown. This led to criticisms against Goodell for destroying mounting evidence that could have exposed the Patriots organization. The destruction of the tapes was criticized on February 1, 2008 – 2 days before Super Bowl XLII – by U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania Arlen Specter, who requested to meet with Goodell. After meeting with Goodell on February 13, 2008, Specter reported that Goodell told him that Belichick had been engaged in the practice since he became head coach of the Patriots in 2000.^[8] Belichick said he believed he was operating within the rules as long as the tape was not used during the same game.^[9]

Some whistleblowers within the Patriots organization revealed that the videotaping practices went back as early as the 2000 season. For instance, the Boston Herald published a story (which it later retracted) that the Patriots had also videotaped the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002,^[10] an allegation denied by Belichick^[9] and later retracted by the Boston Herald. Meanwhile, Matt Walsh, a Patriots video assistant in 2001 who was fired after the team's 2002 season, told the media the same week that he had information and materials regarding the Patriots' videotaping practices, but demanded an indemnity agreement before speaking with the NFL.^[11] The NFL reached a deal with Walsh on April 23, 2008, and arranged a meeting between Goodell and Walsh.^[12] Prior to the meeting, Walsh sent eight videotapes, containing opponents' coaches' signals from the 2000 through 2002 seasons, in accordance with the agreement.^[13] Goodell and Walsh met on May 13, 2008, at which time Walsh told Goodell he and other Patriots employees were present at the Rams' walkthrough to set up video equipment for the game but that there was no tape of the walkthrough made; as a result, Goodell told the media no additional penalties would be brought against the Patriots.^[14] Less than 24 hours later, the Herald issued an apology for the article about the alleged walkthrough tape.^[15]