Great take on the Media during this whole circus:
http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/2008/05/why-spygate-is-the-most-disgraceful-episode-in-recent-sports-media-historyFirst:
The NFL monitored the Pats taping procedures and process from when they were caught with a camera on the sideline (prohibited). Thus how could they "cheat"?
Second:
The League and Commish has never said the Pats cheated.. Does the Media and fans have more authority or say then the Leauge and Commish?
Third:
Read and learn.
The Rule:
Page 105 of the 2007 NFL Game Operations Manual states, "No video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game...All video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."
Link to the transcript:
http://www.tmrzoo.com/?p=226Out-takes from Goodell:
Impact on games?
Again, according to NFL policy, it is permissible to scout people's coaching signals, and as you know, clubs go to great lengths to protect those. They change them frequently and they change them during the game. So I think that teams are sophisticated enough to know that that's a possibility and they go to great lengths to address them. But it's impossible to know the specifics about how much impact it has. I believe that, to me, that there is a permissible way to do this; that they prepare for that.
Handing out the penalty, I don't think it was made clear perhaps that this had extended back any further than a couple of years.
Well, Gary, the only point I would say to that one, and obviously there could have been more information, but it was clear that it was not just an isolated incident with the Patriots because we had other tapes from the Patriots.