Roger Goodell's Reasons for Destroying the Spygate Tapes Seem Relevant Now
By Jason McIntyre
In 2008, after the Patriots were busted illegally taping opponents defensive signals -Spygate – a Senator from Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter, met NFL commissioner Roger Goodell because he needed a simple explanation.
Commissioner Goodell, why did you destroy the Spygate tapes and notes? Forget for a moment that it was pointless for a Senator to be grilling the NFL commish about this seven years ago. The focus here: the incredible parallels to what happened yesterday with the news that Tom Brady, the greatest QB in NFL history, destroyed his phone:
"Goodell noted that “we were the ones that disclosed” the Patriots’ illegal taping of the New York Jets’ defensive signals in Week 1 of last season. Further, Goodell said, they had an admission by Belichick."
"“I have nothing to hide,” Goodell said."
"Goodell also told Specter that that he doesn’t regret destroying the Spygate tapes or the notes."
"“I think it was the right thing to do,” Goodell said."
"Still, Specter wants to know why penalties were imposed on Belichick before the full extent of the wrongdoing was known and the tapes destroyed in a two-week span. Asked if he thinks there was a coverup, Specter demurred."
"“There was an enormous amount of haste,” Specter said."
Goodell would go on to say that he destroyed the tapes to keep them out of the hands of competitors and because Belichick had already admitted to the taping.
Well, Tom Brady met with NFL investigators, revealed emails, phone transcripts, and gave up all the pertinent information. Did he destroy his phone because that’s what famous people do, so business/personal information didn’t fall into the wrong hands?
As many are saying today, this is no longer about PSIs and deflated footballs with Tom Brady – it’s about hubris and New England’s pattern of playing by their own rules. Tom Brady has won four Super Bowls in his career. The PSI levels of a few footballs were at lower levels for one half of a 45-7 blowout in the AFC Championship game.