When Patriots Videotaped Jets in 2004, Herm Edwards Waved at the Camera

Herm Edwards isn't much of a clock manager. This we know. But despite his obliviousness when it comes to in-game coaching decisions, he apparently has a very keen sense of when he's being watched. Weird.

Anyway, the New York Daily News' Gary Myers writes that four years ago, Edwards, then the Jets head coach, and defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson were well aware of Bill Belichick's predilection for filming opponents from the sidelines.

[During a 2004 game] Edwards ... and Henderson ... noticed a Patriots camera from the opposite sideline aimed at them to tape the defensive signals.

Edwards had made the proper adjustments before the game to avoid Belichick stealing the defensive signals. They went into the game knowing this was a practice Belichick employed and when they saw the camera, they put on a show. ... And to show Belichick they were aware of his shenanigans, Edwards and Henderson looked right into the camera across the sideline and waved hello.

Edwards offered the ol' "no comment," but Myers writes that this was one of the six tapes the Patriots turned over to the commissioner's office. Yes, good thing Roger Goodell destroyed the evidence; we can't have coaches making a mockery of other coaches trying to cheat. It's just unseemly.

After a run on new evidence that had become predictable in recent weeks (former player/coach says the Patriots illegally videotaped them, offers no proof, Senator Specter vows to investigate with the help of Comcast lawyers), I welcome any information that shows other coaches clowning Belichick. It's funny, and if there's anything Patriotgate could use more of, it's humor. So thanks, Herm.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-02-2008 @ 4:36PM

nunya said...

Screw the 'hello' he should've mooned or even flipped him the bird. Belichick is a bitch!!!

3-02-2008 @ 6:30PM

Patriotlife2 said...

OMFG Ryan are you saying that people have known about this for years. it's amazing why no one brought this to Goodells attention. someone should look into it. Yeah just like the Seven players from the 70's Steelers team that admited to using roids but they don't matter. This is all about the Patriots Right??????????

3-02-2008 @ 6:57PM

ken said...

oh everything a winning team does in the present will be investigated does not matter what other teams have done that won in the past if it was not for the Patriots winning all these games 3 superbowls nothing would be made of it even if they where say a average team nothing would have been made of it only reason this came to light is the JETS hate the patriots since they stole parcells ( which was tampeing by the way he had a contract done and in place before the afc championship game but nothing was made of this ) and curtis martin and all teh other patriots parcells took from the patriots 96/97 team that lost to the packers ( a game Parcells lost on purpose mind you a coach as smart as him knows you do not kick to a guy who been burning you the whole game and he tells the kicker to kick it striaght at desmond howard come on ) then sits 2 corners most of teh 4 th quater top coprners yet. But the Jets will do anything to discedit the patriots RATGINI would always be known as a RAT to every coach in the league once he is done with the JETS which i might add will be soon he most likely will not coach again

3-02-2008 @ 7:50PM

john said...

Maybe Herm is really waving to the sound control room and telling them to rev up the crowd noise artificially. Perhaps he is waving to remind the officials not to forget the home town team in making the calls that always go his way.
sorry, I lost my head for a minute,I forgot that this is Herm Edwards, the darling of the media Of course He blows off a game at the end of the year, and cost Clevland a playoff berth.Not to worry herm, your integrity is still intact. The Giants and patriots played the last game of the regular season the way all games should be played by professionals. They both gave it "60 minutes of distance run". It ws fitting they wound up playing again in the super bowl

3-02-2008 @ 8:02PM

JIm said...

Gotta love the children posting "yeh but _____________(insert a team or person here) cheated too.

Grow up.

Pats have been busted. Their records are tainted.

3-02-2008 @ 8:01PM

Bill Walters said...

After all the subtleness the coaches had enough of Bellycreeps "Cheating" and brought it to the attention of the league.

Its is obvious by Bilycheats comments and actions he blatantly could care less to follow any rules.

3-02-2008 @ 8:04PM

tobrien28 said...

john

TONY DUNGY NOT HERM EDWARDS cost Cleveland a playoff berth. HERM EDWARDS IS THE CHIEFS COACH! THE COLTS, NOT THE CHIEFS PLAYED THE SCRUBS AGAINST THE TITANS!

Moron

3-02-2008 @ 8:43PM

Jeanne.Ryan said...

As a football fan whose team plays in the AFC, I was so happy and proud for the Patriots when they won those Super Bowls. They looked like such an excellent team. I find it very difficult to look at it the same way now. It helps (just a whole lot) when you know what the defense plans to do. It was obvious they did not have the same kind of "help" with the Giants this year, and their QB did not look nearly as invinceable, especially when seated on the ground. This year, for the first time in my life, I rooted for the NFC. Bellicheat should be banned from the game!

3-02-2008 @ 9:40PM

Billycreep is banned from the game....by anyone who is anyone. New England deserves his creepiness. And they have him.............................and all he left behind.

3-03-2008 @ 9:49AM

JJ said...

Here is a theory...
Goodell's wife works for FOX.. Fox somehow acquired the "stolen" or "leaked" copy of the videotapes. They aired it. And Goodell then decided to destroy the tapes/ evidence using that event as justification.
Do you think it might of been an intentional "leak"?The one that was aired the was least incriminating.

3-03-2008 @ 2:13PM

Tom said...

Hey patriotlife2 or (get a life)..
Belichick himself admitted to Goodell that he had been doing it since 2000. Its in the record of Specter's meeting with Goodell. Wake up dude.. the name "New England Patriots" is now synonymous worldwide with CHEATING.
I say worldwide because I read where a Pats fan was wearing his hat in Moscow.. and a Russian came up to him and asked why he wears a "Cheaters Hat?". Amazing!!

2. OMFG Ryan are you saying that people have known about this for years. it's amazing why no one brought this to Goodells attention. someone should look into it. Yeah just like the Seven players from the 70's Steelers team that admited to using roids but they don't matter. This is all about the Patriots Right??????????

Posted at 6:30PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by Patriotlife2

3-03-2008 @ 1:00PM

DOT said...

I JUST DON'T GET ALL THE BS ABOUT THE TAPES. ANYONE CAN STUDY ANY GAME WE CAN GO TO PRACTICE AS WELL AS STUDY THE GAMES. WITH ALL OF THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA ABOUT THE TEAM YOU ARE GOING TO PLAY IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TALENT ON YOUR TEAM IT WILL NOT DO YOU ANY GOOD.

3-03-2008 @ 12:48PM

I DON'T ET ALL THE SO CALLED FOOTBALL FANS CALLING THE PATS "CHEATERS". ANYONE CAN WATCH ANY TEAM AT PRACTICE OR GO TO A GAME AND SEE HOW THEY PLAY AT ANY KEY MOMENT. THAT IS NOT GOING TO HELP UNLESS THE TALENT IS WITH YOUR TEAM. YOU NEED THE TALENT TO WIN. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHEN A TEAM IS ON TOP WINNING AND BREAKING RECORDS THERE ARE SOME WHO LIKE TO TEAR THEM DOWN. NASCAR FANS HAVE DONE THEIS WITH JEFF GORDON,HE CAME AND JUST STARTED WINNING EVERYTHING NOW PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE HIM BECAUSE OF HIS TALENT. THE PATS COACH DID WHAT A GOOD THINKING COACH WOULD DO STUDY YOUR OPPONENT, FIFND SOME WEAKNESS AND TRY TO FIND THE PLAYER ON YOUR TEAM TO BRING OUT THAT WEAKNESS ALSO YOU NEED TO KNOW THERE STRONG POINTS SO YOU CAN FIND THE PLAYER ON YOUR TEAM TO STOP THEM. ALL I AM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT NO MATTER HOW MANY TAPES YOU HAVE IF THE TALENT IS NOT ON YOUR TEAM THE TAPES MEAN NOTHING. YOU CANNOT MAKE A WINNING TEAM WITHOUT THE TALENT. THE PATS HAVE MANY GREAT PLAYERS YOU CANNOT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THEM. AS FAR AS THE PEOPLE SAY THEY CHEAT, THE TIME THEY SHOULD HAVE SO CALLED CHEATED WAS AT THE SUPERBALL, PATS CHEATING DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH THEY ARE AT THE TOP OF THERE GAME. AND ALLOF THE "POSER FANS" WILL HAVE TO GET OVER IT. JUST CALLING SOMEONE A CHEATER DOES NOT MAKE THEM ONE.

3-03-2008 @ 2:28PM

Chas said...

THE PATS HAVE MANY GREAT PLAYERS YOU CANNOT TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THEM. AS FAR AS THE PEOPLE SAY THEY CHEAT, THE TIME THEY SHOULD HAVE SO CALLED CHEATED WAS AT THE SUPERBALL, PATS CHEATING DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH THEY ARE AT THE TOP OF THERE GAME. AND ALLOF THE "POSER FANS" WILL HAVE TO GET OVER IT. JUST CALLING SOMEONE A CHEATER DOES NOT MAKE THEM ONE.

Posted at 12:48PM on Mar 3rd 2008 by DOT

HEY DOT Better call Goodell and tell him "even though Belichick admitted he has been cheating since 2000, it doesnt make him a cheater!! LMAO..

You dont need superior players if you cheat and acquire signals and situations during the game (let alone the Super Bowl walk-throughs). This is what Matt Estrella (had Matt Walsh's position 2003-2007) was caught doing at the Green Bay vs Pats game and the Detroit game... He was filming the opposing coaches signals while turning the camera to the scoreboard for the situation. Thus allowing the determination of who was giving the dummy signals or not during half-time adjustments.
Pats should fire Belichick. He said he has been doing this since 2000. That may explain that he really is what he was in Cleveland, a 37-45 Coach. The name will always be tainted.

3-03-2008 @ 11:02PM

scott said...

Someone said something about why didnt anyone turn them in sooner if they knew it was going on... HMMMMM probably because the patriots are not the only ones who do it. Manwussie is just a hater and blew the whole thing open. Hmmm does anyone remember in baseball when the whole league was stealing signals?? How can everyone be so ignorant to think the patriots are the only ones doing it. They just got caught thats all. Why do you think Herm said no comment?? Besides if coaches use the same exact signals over and over I would say they arent to smart in the first place.. Any ways wether its video taping or someone just watching the signals and possibly even writing them down there is no difference.. the palyers still have to perform or none of it matters... GO CHIEFSSSSSSSSSSSS

3-16-2008 @ 6:26PM

joe wallace said...

Still spreading the same propoganda, guys? BB KNEW he was cheating, and admitted it? I want the PROOF. Show me the quote and give me the exact cite of where you got it. I will bet you a MILLION DOLLARS you can't do it, because he never said it.

But, hey, you WANT to believe fantasies because that excuses your illogical hatred.

John Kerry really was un-American, and george Bush is a hero.

Mike Dukakis let Willy Horton get out of jail, and then he raped someone.

John McCain fathered a black child out of wedlock.

BB said he knew he was cheating but did it anyway, for years.

The Loch Ness monster is real, and living in a double-wide with Jim Morrison and DB Cooper.

5-28-2008 @ 10:21AM

Risky said...

But, in basketball, a referee must assess how much contact there was, if it moved the player out of position and if an advantage was gained.
Posted at 6:30PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by Patriotlife2

yes it was known for years but at the time it wasnt against the rules AND it added controversy to the game and way it was played which brings in more people to watch the sport (americans love drama) in which added to the income so why would he change the rules when he is making money UNTIL the public disaproves because they finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and then slowly STOP watching the sport

5-28-2008 @ 10:22AM

Marshal said...

16. Still spreading the same propoganda, guys? BB KNEW he was cheating, and admitted it? I want the PROOF. Show me the quote and give me the exact cite of where you got it. I will bet you a MILLION DOLLARS you can't do it, because he never said it.

But, hey, you WANT to believe fantasies because that excuses your illogical hatred.

John Kerry really was un-American, and george Bush is a hero.

Mike Dukakis let Willy Horton get out of jail, and then he raped someone.

John McCain fathered a black child out of wedlock.

BB said he knew he was cheating but did it anyway, for years.

The Loch Ness monster is real, and living in a double-wide with Jim Morrison and DB Cooper.

Posted at 6:26PM on Mar 16th 2008 by joe wallace

OK HAHA i will

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10829490

Belichick acknowledged that he violated NFL rules prohibiting filming opponents signals but insisted there was no intent to hide what he was doing.

"I made a mistake," he said in the interview. "I was wrong. I was wrong."

that's the main thing im looking at