What is Bill Belichick’s “Gray” Area?
NFL February 18th. 2008, 12:27pm
The Boston Globe with a nice score – the paper got Patriots coach Bill Belichick to talk about Spygate. After attempting to besmirch the character of a fellow named Matt Walsh (not to be confused with the bushy-haired kid that balled for Florida and dated a playmate), and then saying that all the Spygate stuff was overblown, the Globe boxed the hooded one into a corner. Well if it’s all irrelevant and minimal, why do it in the first place? The “genius” got a tad defensive: “Why do anything? Why study tendencies? Why study stances?”
At least Belichick offered an apology, despite how hollow it may sound (the italics are ours): “I regret that any of this, or to whatever extent it has in any way brought that into question or discussion or debate … Even though I felt there was a gray area in the rule and I misinterpreted the rule, that was my mistake and we’ve been penalized for it. I apologize to everybody that is involved – the league, the other teams, the fans, our team, for the amount of conversation and dialogue that it’s caused.”
What’s the “gray” area? How could “capturing signals and corresponding audio with a sideline camera” possibly be gray? Under the hood?
Belichick and Pioli speak out (Boston Globe)
Photo: Icon Sports Media
35 Responses to “What is Bill Belichick’s “Gray” Area?”
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February 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
How gray? Charcoal
February 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Spoken like a true cheater.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Maybe he just misremembered the rule?
February 18th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Belichick should have been fired or suspended from the NFL immediately. Why this didn’t occur makes me question the integrity of the league.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Wow, misremembered is a word, you have to be kidding me?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/misremembered
February 18th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I seem to have misremembered my pants this morning.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I misremembered my motivation to do work today.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
A literal reading of that sentence could indicate that Bill may be referring to film that the Rams themselves took of their own walkthrough.
Has Belichick gone Clintonian on us? Are we headed for the NFL’s version of “It all depends on what the meaning of “is” is”???
February 18th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Also, I’m in the middle of reading “The Education of a Coach” from David Halberstam… great read detailing Belichick’s background. He’s been a total film nerd since his childhood. None of this is any surprise whatsoever, to say the least.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
“What’s the “gray†area? How could “capturing signals and corresponding audio with a sideline camera†possibly be gray? Under the hood?”
Perhaps if you didn’t take that one line from the rule out of context, that might help you out a bit. I know reading the entire rule might seem like a lot of work, but trust me, it might save you from this anger you have built up against this evil, evil coach. Here, I even copied and pasted for you, and highlighted what Mr. Evil Coach SAID in the article you quoted above was the part he considered gray area.
“Any use by any club at any time, from the start to the finish of any game in which such club is a participant, of any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited, including without limitation videotape machines, telephone tapping, or bugging devices, or any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game.”
See that there? “..aid a team during the playing of a game.” His supposed interpretation was, if the video wasn’t being used to help during the game that was currently being played, then it was ok to do. You can argue all you want if you think he’s full of shit with his explanation, but don’t just ignore that the rule is, in fact, open to such an interpretation.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Totally right, Cracker Jack.
No argument.
Anyone can bend rules/interpretations to fit their argument, which is what Belichick did.
Crafty or a cheater? That’s open to interpretation. But when you’re doing something, you know if it’s right or wrong. You know if you’re skirting the rules or not. Clearly, the league found it to be cheating. I do, too.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Belicheck’s gray area: personal level of douchebaggery, arrogance, and jackassocity.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I can’t believe misremember is an actual word — holy cow.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
just wait til goodell is forced to do a league wide investigation, and all coaches get exposed for doing this. will belichik still be the big bad d-bag, or will all the coaches that did this fall into that category?
February 18th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
the bigger issue is the fact there is room for interpretation of rules and it’s more than likely other coaches employ the same sleazy practices.
Instead of using the MLB method of dealing with cheating, the NFL should use the NASCAR method. It happens, make it known, deal with it, and move on. It’s not national security, just a bunch of rednecks in cars with fake headlights.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
gray like his hoodie
February 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I have no doubt he’s not the only coach doing it, though I bet the number has come down since the initial exposure.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
@ Neo:
It will get swept under the rug, Belichick is taking a bullet for the league, no doubt.
@The Big Lead:
Just curious, if this is all about “cheating”, why is it ok to film from either end zone(as the Jets did against the Patriots last year, and the league office ok’d), but just not from the sidelines? Seems to me they just had the camera in the wrong place.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
@Neo–The “everyone else is doing it too!” defense doesn’t work, especially when the coach is such a fucking asshole. He’s made his bed.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
by no means am i defending him. he was instructed on what the rules are, he broke them, and now he must take the heat. this has bigger implications for the nfl though.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I’m not sure that everyone is doing it. And, I’m equally unsure that there aren’t a number of teams employing similar tactics. But, this doesn’t make this any less ethical, does it?
February 18th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
@atlanta: if one person can find a loophole, other people can too. It’s not to say others manipulate it to the extent of Belichick, but the NFL has to deal with their rules.
@crackerjack: You’re right, makes you wonder why they even allow cameras if the temptation to film the other team is there.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
seems like the audio is what did him in, CJ
February 18th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Yeah, and don’t get me wrong, I would be more comfortable watching a league where this stuff is completely gone. And certainly I’m sure the Patriots as well as other teams have now put this practice to bed, so that can be seen as the good that came from all this. Still leaves a bad taste in my mouth that one man took the bullet for a league-wide problem. Though it is his fault, which he admits in the Globe article, that he did not follow and/or understand the rule. To think this could all have been avoided with a simple phone call.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Again, you’re right. Does everyone cheat? Probably. Look at Kelvin Sampson. You think he’s the only one skirting the rules? Nope. He just got busted. Twice.
In every sport you have cheaters … and you will always have cheaters. Don’t cheat, or don’t get caught.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Speaking of “audio”, how about Pioli commenting on why that little weasel Walsh got fired… audio-taping conversations between you and your boss?? What a nut job!
February 18th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Well… Walsh taped the conversations for the same reason McNamee kept old Rocket syringes: to cover his own ass when the shitaki inevitably hit the fan. Who wouldn’t love to hear what those tapes contain (contained?)?
February 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
“Well… Walsh taped the conversations for the same reason McNamee kept old Rocket syringes: to cover his own ass when the shitaki inevitably hit the fan. Who wouldn’t love to hear what those tapes contain (contained?)?”
So now Scott Pioli was ordering that walk-throughs be taped? What could he possibly say to Walsh that would be interesting? This guy lied on his resume, lied about what his responsibilities with the Patriots were, and now sounds like he was completely paranoid.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I’m with Cracker Jack – Walsh was setting up his pay day. Recording conversations is done for 2 reasons: 1) you’re a whack job; 2) you’re preparing for extortion/blackmail.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Of course to set up a blackball, you have to know that you are going to have to have some leverage. In this case, he might be a scumbag, but he probably does have some leverage.(Or he’s lying for attention, in which case he’s still a scumbag, but is destined to fail gloriously)
February 18th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
If what Pioli says is true, I have a hard time understanding how or why it came to be that Walsh signed a confidentiality agreement.
“You’re fired, Walsh! Oh, and before you leave we have this little form we want you to sign … “
February 18th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
@ G-Man:
Don’t people typically sign confidentiality agreements when they are hired? I know I did.
February 18th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I assumed the gray area was somewhere between his nuts and a-hole. Maybe I’ve misinterpreted the question.
February 18th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Taint anything there anyone wants to see.
February 18th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
i have heard of occasions where a confidentiality agreement is signed at termination, but I think it’s when circumstances change and might result in legal action.