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Specter questions Patriots success

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After meeting with a former Patriots employee who helped the team spy on opponents, Senator Arlen Specter on Wednesday described the team's illicit videotaping tactics as more systematic and deliberate than what the NFL has acknowledged publicly. said the former employee, Matt Walsh, described elaborate measures by the Patriots to conceal their filming of opponents' signals. Walsh also explained how the Patriots' coaching staff gleaned strategic information from members of the team's video crew who had watched the Rams' walk-through practice before the 2002 Super Bowl. He also identified more games and opponents that were filmed by the Patriots and detailed the advantages the team gained in later games. Specter, a longtime Eagles fan, has battled with the NFL on several issues over the years. This time, with his continued criticism of the league's investigation into the Patriots, he is raising questions about the legitimacy of the Patriots' accomplishments -- which include three Super Bowl titles this decade, one against the Eagles, and an 18-0 record last season before a loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl.

New York Times

Arlen Specter , AP Arlen Specter , AP
May 15, 2008  06:29 AM ET

go away.

Comment has been removed
May 15, 2008  06:40 AM ET

page 489.

May 15, 2008  06:42 AM ET

Past time for this to die. A quick death.

May 15, 2008  06:52 AM ET

This from a man who confirmed the magic bullet that assassinated president Kennedy....what a imbecile.

Even better he's from Philly the capital of the worst sports fans (corrupt politicians and police) and whiners in the nation not to mention (yo Adrian) softhead's.

May 15, 2008  06:52 AM ET

We all know the Patriots cheated. Put an * by all of their Super Bowls and any records held by Brady and Moss. This team is not legit.

May 15, 2008  06:57 AM ET

Spygate should not and will not go away as the NFL brought it on itself. The league had a chance to make it go away several months ago but chose to give New England a meaningless slap on the wrist as opposed to a real punishment fitting of the crime. It was obvious then that the Commish was going to let them off the hook and that he wanted to sweep the whole thing under the rug. The Patriots offenses were far more serious than the NFL claims. There was no just punishment for was there even an apology. This investigation is needed given the NFL's history well established history of knowingly or unknowingly giving preferential treatment to New England.

May 15, 2008  07:00 AM ET

The NFL Commissioner can't do his job so the government has to do it for him.

I would replace the Commish and come down hard on the Pat's owner.

May 15, 2008  07:02 AM ET

Past time for this to die. A quick death.

Dallasforever | 05/15/08, 06:42 AM

The Senator or the topic? Maybe both.

May 15, 2008  07:03 AM ET

It's obvious now that only executing Belichick on live TV will resolve this matter. Fox could show it.

May 15, 2008  07:04 AM ET

OK Senator, the Pats have bogus championships. I used to be angry about this and demanded justice but what is the point? Coach Belichick has become a great success like Barry Bond but both have feet of clay. They still accomplished what they did and we are talking about something that is just a game. Now we have the Kennedy Assassination nuts and Patriot groupies on who were in precarious mental states and are now over the edge. This is also damaging sports and an idea I have blogged about to help small market teams. I am so sorry to see this.

May 15, 2008  07:06 AM ET

Ok Bond is Bonds and no word 'on' after groupies, See... I am not perfect either.

May 15, 2008  07:10 AM ET

The Senator or the topic? Maybe both.

Oso= Andre Le Giant BS-CB | 05/15/08, 07:02 AM

The topic. I wouldn't wish bad things for folks.

May 15, 2008  07:11 AM ET

Tell you one thing, I am glad that I do not live in the state where this dumb **** is a senator. If he was my senator I would be wondering why he is wasting his time on the NFL and not fixing the real problems in this country and not a dam game. These guys that are in offfice that want to chace these sports issues i.e. cheating, steriods, and any other issue that may not matter to most people is rediculous. DO YOUR DAM JOB.

May 15, 2008  07:21 AM ET

Are you serious...he wants a special investigation committee for this? Hey Senator, if you want to investigate something, tell me why the hell I am paying almost $4 for a gallon of gas when the big 3 oil companies are making BILLIONS in profit each year? Now go investigate that and leave the games to us adults to argue about!!

May 15, 2008  07:30 AM ET

The Pats cheated plain and simple. This should not go away and I believe their punishment was way too lenient--wow, the 31st pick. At the very least, they could have had to forfeit the 7th pick. Lets forever drop the "dynasty" and "one of the greatest teams ever" labels.

Dont forget, the NFL is a Billion dollar industry that affects many facets of life, i.e. tax revenue, TV, gambling, sales and advertising to name a few. This affects the economy in many ways as well as the average American who pays for most of the aforementioned.

May 15, 2008  07:31 AM ET

On the gas prices..Speaker Pelosi and congress came in in 2006 with a 'common sense plan' to lower them. They have been fighting about drilling in the Arctic Circle for 12 years. And Cleveland, you have that lovely salt mine. What if salt hit $10 a pound and India and China were buying it up -- until there was an alternative that made financial sense and didn't offend anyone -- the mining company gets rich! And I hate to even talk about Bush...Iraq has 200 billion barrels of oil..maybe we should stay there and collect. I don't know but we visited high oil prices before and no politician produced even one gallon of gas. They made it worse.

May 15, 2008  07:38 AM ET

Pats cheated, take away that 1 superbowl and lets gets this overwith

May 15, 2008  07:45 AM ET

This senator clearly has too much free time on his hands...crazy.

 
May 15, 2008  07:46 AM ET

This senator clearly has too much free time on his hands...crazy.

drj0514 | 05/15/08, 07:45 AM

You dont know much about senators are what they do, do you?

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