Tipping Off Pitch or Location. Cool or Not?

[DonnieS]

[
Well, in the case that was being discussed about New England Pats ... The difference it makes is that it is against the rules and cheating ... And New England was cheating to get a perceived advantage over the New Jersey Jets in that case ( and who knows how many other times/teams without getting caught ) ... I agree with you that the other team still has to execute ... But, executing is easier when you know what the other team is doing or going to do ... most important : IT IS AGAINST THE RULES AND CHEATING !

I don't disagree it is against the rules and the team should be held accountable for those violations. I don't think it is an appropriate rule. The rule should be the opponent's employee should not be permitted on the property. The video is available from every game the team has played. Another ludicrous rule is that the teams are required to report all injuries and players' status. It provides two people an obvious advantage: opposing coaches and gamblers. So, why would one be demanded and the other outlawed.

Personally I think there is more to gain with the mind games played with the other team than by getting any tips from a video.

Agreed.

[MTR]

Superdome controversy: Rams to sue Pats over alleged taping
Published: Friday, February 15, 2008, 4:51 PM Updated: Friday, February 15, 2008, 5:17 PM
By David Gladow, NOLA.com
AP Photo / David J. PhillipThe news just keeps getting worse for Roger Goodell and Robert Kraft.
Spygate just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
In the latest twist stemming from allegations that the New England Patriots taped the St. Louis Rams' practices at the Superdome prior to their Super Bowl victory in 2002, several Rams players are responding.
Legally.
The Associated Press is reporting that former Rams player Willie Gary, among others, is filing a $100 million lawsuit against the Patriots, owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick, all of whom defeated the Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI.
This is a potential landmark story, as I have difficulty remembering a similar precedent in sports history. A lawsuit over improperly gained results, while in theory seeming like a perfectly reasonable thing, opens a whole can of worms few people are going to want to see taint the sports they love so much. Injecting reason into an enterprise that by its very nature is completely unreasonable does not strike me as a particularly good idea.
What's next? Will all of the Chargers' opponents from 2006 sue the Chargers for an inappropriate result gained from playing Shawne Merriman (who was suspended four games that season for steroid usage)? Will every team that lost to Indiana since Kelvin Sampson took over now sue that university?
If it can be argued that someone suffered emotional distress, let alone financial loss, as a result of someone else cheating, wouldn't that then apply to all cases? And let's be honest, cheating is rampant at ALL levels of competitive athletics.
I'm a little stunned by the news, but I am curious as to what everyone else thinks. Should the Patriots be held financially accountable for any wrongdoing they might have done on the field of play?
© 2012 NOLA.com. All rights reserved.

This lawsuit was dismissed less than a month later. It is a joke and had no merit.

[jonriv]

[
Well, in the case that was being discussed about New England Pats ... The difference it makes is that it is against the rules and cheating ... And New England was cheating to get a perceived advantage over the New Jersey Jets in that case ( and who knows how many other times/teams without getting caught ) ... I agree with you that the other team still has to execute ... But, executing is easier when you know what the other team is doing or going to do ... most important : IT IS AGAINST THE RULES AND CHEATING !

I don't disagree it is against the rules and the team should be held accountable for those violations. I don't think it is an appropriate rule. The rule should be the opponent's employee should not be permitted on the property. The video is available from every game the team has played. Another ludicrous rule is that the teams are required to report all injuries and players' status. It provides two people an obvious advantage: opposing coaches and gamblers. So, why would one be demanded and the other outlawed.

Personally I think there is more to gain with the mind games played with the other team than by getting any tips from a video.

Agreed.

It is against the rules because there is a big difference between game film and practice film. By filming practices, a coach not only can tell what they intend to do, but also how they plan to counter any moves by the (filming) team. It is almost as bad as stealing a gam plan for that day.

The Jets were able to nail the Patriots on this because the coach at the time(Mangini) had been a Belicek asst. and had first hand knowledge.

I might also add that this post has really strayed.....