As an immigrant, and a convert to American Football (go Steelers) I'm confused - I was under the impression that all teams taped opponents, either at the game, or in weeks prior. I thought they know what signs mean which play, but the better prepared, more athletic team comes out on top? I even read (in S.I.) Peyton Manning talking about a Raider complimenting him on his play and the ability to crush them, even though they knew what he was going to do.
2007-09-13 10:23:33 · 12 answers · asked by ndsmith67 2 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
All teams look at lots of tape of their opponents' players in action to prepare for games. This is perfectly legal and it is an essential part of getting ready for games.
What the Patriots did that ISN"T legal is they taped, not the players on the field, but the defensive coaches making hand signals that let the defense know which play to run. This is illegal.
Looking at tapes of players on the field is very much okay. Looking at tapes of coaches' signals in an effort to steal them is totally not okay.
Everyone on here keeps saying that every team does what the Patriots did, and the Patriots were just unlucky to be the first team caught, but I'm not sure I buy into this theory since other teams have been filing complaints for years with the league about their suspicions that the Patriots have been stealing signals. They haven't been filing reports about other teams, they've been filing reports just about the Patriots. And if you think the other NFL teams are just filing reports because they are bitter about the Patriots' success, then you really are stupid.
2007-09-13 10:29:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Teams do watch game play against the teams they are playing the next week, but there is a BIG difference between what they Pats are doing and what everyone else is doing. What the coaches watch to get ready the week before is game play and doesn't show the coaches calling signals or anything else, it is only the players on the field. When coaches watch these plays they look for what the other teams like to do in certain situations so they an be better prepared when they are faced in that situation. The coaches aren't watching the other teams' signals to know what signal is what play. Now what Bill Bellicheck and the Pats did was send people from the Pats organization to teams they were going to play that year and video tape the coaches giving out signals. The Pats would then run the signal video tape beside the game play tape and say, "oh when they make this signal they are going to run this play." Other coaches, that we know of, don't send people to video tape the games to find out what signals mean what, the Pats did. They would know the signals before they even went into the stadium to play against that team.
The Raiders were saying that they knew the plays the Colts like to run and they knew in what situations they like to run them in, not the signals that the coaches signal to the players to tell them what play they are going to run.
Also a few teams have been saying that their mics have misteriously became fuzzy when they are talking to the QB to tell him what play they are about to run when they are at the Patriot's stadium(QBs are the only players on the team with mics in their helmets that allow the coaches to tell them what play to run). Now when the mics become fuzzy, the Pats are either making the other team's mics fuzzy or are trying to tap into the other team's mics to hear what play they are about to run.
Hope that helps you.
2007-09-13 17:41:09 · answer #2 · answered by Adam 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Teams DO study tape on opponants, every week during the season heavily. Though what they are films of the actual games themselves, and not someone's privately hired camera to try and intercept their opponants' hand signals DURING the game.
Game footage is used all the time in football. For example, when the Baltimore Ravens host the St. Louis Rams from the NFC in the next few weeks, you'd better believe that they will be studying some game film since they aren't to firmiliar with St. Louis.
They are going to be looking at the Rams defense and what do they like do to on certain downs, what kind of blitz packages do they bring, what are some of the weaknesses in their secondary etc. Like wise, they will studying Steven Jackson to see what his weaknesses are and how they can exploit the offensive line to get to him. They will be studying the tight ends, the QB Marc Bulger, the routes of Tory Holt and the other wide-outs etc.
It's all game related stuff which is perfectly legal by NFL standards for teams to watch and study from. The Rams will also be studying the Ravens on film.
What the Patriots did was simply crossing the line and breaking the rules. They are the first ones to get caught, that's not to say that there aren't other teams who haven't been spying before on mid game tape of hand signals, but the Patriots getting caught has sparked a big contraversy.
2007-09-13 17:46:31 · answer #3 · answered by Baltimore Birds Fan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All teams tape footage of the GAMES. They watch and analyze those tapes and guess what either the offense or defense are going to attempt to do given the formation.
The Patriots were filming the Jets DEFENSIVE COACHES to learn their signals therefore knowing what defensive scheme the opposing defense is going to run the offensive coordinator (the guy up in the booth who can see the field formation from a birds eye view) can tell Tom Brady what the defense is running and Brady can adjust the play on the field IN REAL TIME during the game. That's cheating.
2007-09-13 17:34:57 · answer #4 · answered by Fletch 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well idk if its only the pats or not, but the tapes show the routes being run, the way the team lines up, what play did or did not work on them, and how the team tends to perform. the tapes do not however focus on filming the defensive coordinator giving the signals and those signals. typically when the offense sees how the team is at the line of scrimage, the qb makes the needed audibles. the coach or offensive coordinator is not able to make the adjustment before the team lines up by simply looking at the defensive coordinator on the other team unless the team doesn't change its signals and they've played each other enough times or that defense has been used enough times throughout the course of multiple seasons, keep in mind that even college teams tend to change their signals in midseason so nfl teams won't be that dumb and leave them as they are.
2007-09-13 17:35:37 · answer #5 · answered by revolutionary 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is illegal for any team to video tape a teams signals to the defense to gain an edge and that article was more or less talking about that they knew what he was thinking and couldnt stop it not that they had a video or an edge by knowing the exact play like they knew he was going to pass just he was soo good they couldnt stop it they didnt know the route or to which player. PS BRADY IS A CRY BABY!
2007-09-13 17:32:33 · answer #6 · answered by Yankeefan1986 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
With the arrogance of the way they went about it Im surprised they just didnt flat out ask the other coach to wear a camera on his head!
2007-09-13 17:35:55 · answer #7 · answered by muddyriverdogz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
- Yes the pats are the only team in the history of sports to try to steal signals.
2007-09-13 17:27:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
It's the age old statement......"but Ma, everyone else smokes dope."
2007-09-13 18:30:00 · answer #9 · answered by Tommy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
great question and you are correct every team does it but only the lousy teams and their fans are complaining.
2007-09-13 17:28:57 · answer #10 · answered by #1 NFL FAN 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋