Goodell had been quoted in saying from Day 1 "if we feel there is new information that's inconsistent with what we've been told (by the Patriots), I reserve the right to reopen it."
The Spygate box is being reopened!
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Senator Arlen Specter are planning to meet at Specter's office in Washington, Wednesday, February 13, to discuss the Spygate case involving the New England Patriots. The Pennsylvania Republican wants Goodell to explain to him to decision to destroy the tapes and notes that were collected from the Patriots. Specter has also raised the possibility of congressional hearings if he is not satisfied with Goodell's answers regarding the matter. The Senator's interest though probably has less to do with Spygate and the Patriots, and more to do with Direct TV and Comcast!
Specter had originally questioned Goodell earlier during the NFL season on whether there might have been illegal acts by the Patriots before the 2005 Super Bowl, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles. Because of the way everything was being handled, Spygate smelled of cover up by the NFL and Goodell. Specter just wanted answers and was not getting them. Why destroy the evidence? In defending the destruction of the notes and tapes collected, Goodell said, "there was no purpose to them at all." Specter said Goodell's response "didn't make any sense at all." You can see Specter's point.
All of the evidence and allegations seem to imply that the spying went beyond the confiscated Jets tapes this season. Goodell was asked why only six tapes were confiscated by the NFL's security department. "That's what they had. My guess is that they taped over some of those from time to time. That is what video departments do. They did it more than six times because there were notes that reflected that."
The NFL said in October that Belichick had acknowledged to Goodell that there had been spying since he became New England's coach in 2000.
The Patriots were found guilty of spying, no one is denying that. Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000. The Patriots also forfeited a first-round draft pick. Considering all of the information that Goodell had at his disposal (not pun intended), it would seem that the punishment fit the crime. This was an NFL issue though, and no govermnent laws were broken. Goodell handled the situation in the best interest of the NFL.
Is Specter on a witch hunt? Specter still has not met with Matt Walsh, the former Patriots assistant coach who performed some videotaping duties for the team. Last week, Walsh raised new allegations that he taped a walkthrough practice by the St. Louis Rams before the 2002 Super Bowl. No evidence has been presented though at this time.
NFL officials had stated before that their investigation did not find any illegal taping or other spying during the playoffs or the three Super Bowls the Patriots won in 2002, 2004 and 2005.
The 2007 NFL season is officially over, but Spygate is just heating up!
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