Belichick has been taping signals since 2000

March 31, 2000 memo regarding electronic equipment from Sandy Alderson, the executive vice president of baseball operations. It reads: "Please be reminded that the use of electronic equipment during a game is restricted. No club shall use electronic equipment, including walkie-talkies and cellular telephones, to communicate to or with any on-field personnel, including those, in the dugout, bullpen, field and--during the game--the clubhouse.

"Such equipment may not be used for the purpose of stealing signs or conveying information designed to give a club an advantage. "Monitors for videotape of batters/ pitchers should be in the clubhouse or, if in the tunnel, well away from the dugout and view of players/coaches on the bench. No television camera replay should ever be turned toward the dugout.

"No microphones are permitted in the dugout without the approval of the Commissioner's Office (Fox Saturday afternoon and ESPN Sunday night telecasts have approval to microphone a manager or coach with consent of the person to be miked).

"No electronic equipment shall be used to revise an umpire's decision or to assist an umpire in making a decision."


Despite the fact that the rulebook does not address the use of electronic equipment Evans added, "Don't forget rule 9.01(c) that gives umpires the authority to rule on anything not specifically covered in the rulebook."
 
1899horn's post about DKR having Navy's signs for the 1964 Cotton Bowl is interesting to me. Steve Belichick was an assistant coach for Navy, and that was about the time his son Bill stared watching game film with him.

His Dad was known for his ability to analyze and break down game film, and I wonder if the revelation that Texas "read their mail" influenced Bill's strategy on trying to gain an advantage.

I would like to note that there is a difference between getting Navy's plays, which were blatantly signaled in from the sidelines all year, and the Pat's covert operation.
 
It's too bad football doesn't have "unofficial rules" like baseball. If you get caught stealing signs, you better believe and/or another teammate is going to take a pitch in the ribs/butt area. Maybe allow one free shot on Brady, as long as you hit him above the knees and below the neck area w/o using your helmet as a crown, of course.
 
I couldn't give a rat's behind whether the Pats used cameras, paper, chalkboard, or scratched in the dirt with a stick to record another team's signals. It's the modern world. Use a camera. Every team should be doing it, and every team should figure out a way to better disguise their signals. It's called competition.

"Know your enemy" -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I understand the interstate commerce argument, but the NFL should just let everybody do it and let a free market determine who is better and smarter.

Congress should have more important things with which to concern itself.
 
Where would it end? Should you be able to try to break in to the QBs microphone frequency? Should you be able to use one of those long-distance satellite dish mics to pick up every word the other coach says? What about bugging the other locker room, if you can get away with it and the other team is too "stupid" to find the bug? Could you plant a double-agent assistant, if the other team is gullible enough to hire him? I mean, if this is war....
 
Congress should go back to working on the real problems of this country.

If the NFL doesn't have enough self respect to police itself significantly better than pro wrestling, I'm just not going to watch. I saw exactly zero playoff games this year, and only about 15 minutes of the Superbowl. I have better things to do with my life.
 
A number of teams and coaches have no doubt made efforts to get an edge by 'reading the other team's mail' in some form or fashion, but until allegations surface that another team has taken it to this level I think we can consider the Pats as standing alone as the cheatinest' franchise of the 00's.

Fortunately, the wide victory margins and utterly dominating fashion of each of their Super Bowl wins should end any discussion of whether this kind of cheating made a material impact on the landscape of the NFL.
 
(a) the Gun Circle - a loaded hand gun is placed within a clearly marked circle to be placed ten yards behind second base. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS THE GUN TO BE TOUCHED AT ANY POINT DURING THE GAME
 
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