NFL FanHouse

Patriots Send Cheerleaders to China, Pep Squad of 200,000 Will Cheer in Beijing

Michael David Smith — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, Boston, Beijing, USA

The New England Patriots are exporting the all-American art of cheerleading to China, where 200,000 people have volunteered to learn how to cheer at the Summer Olympics.

Cheerleading is foreign to China, so very few of those 200,000 volunteers have any experience. But the Chinese wanted to institute cheerleading as part of the Games, and Patriots owner Bob Kraft is a longtime proponent of exporting American football to China, so he spearheaded the effort to send the women who work as Patriots cheerleaders to Beijing to give cheerleading lessons.

Of those 200,000 volunteer cheerleaders, Olympics organizers have chosen 400 to be part of an elite group that will put on special performances. Patriots cheerleader Carrie Binette, who is working with those 400, told the Christian Science Monitor that the Patriots cheerleaders are teaching "how to entertain a wide crowd," and that the most important things are not dancing ability but "spirit" and "poisemanship."

Says a Chinese cheerleader named He He, "Everyone knows cheerleading is a Western activity, but we hope we can find a Chinese way to do it [and] show the world."

NFL Cheerleaders

New England Patriots

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Denver Broncos

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Kansas City Chiefs

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Oakland Raiders

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Dallas Cowboys

Layne Murdoch/Getty Images

Washington Redskins

Win McNamee/Getty Images

San Diego Chargers

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Houston Texans

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Tennessee Titans

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Patriots Send Cheerleaders to China, Pep Squad of 200,000 Will Cheer in Beijing originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Days After Arrest, Patriots Release Defensive Back Willie Andrews

Josh Alper — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, AFC East, Boston, NFL Police Blotter

Well, that didn't take very long. Willie Andrews, arrested for pointing a gun at the head of his fiancee over the weekend, was released by the New England Patriots today.

It didn't take Nostradamus to see this move coming. Andrews had already been arrested once this offseason, a marijuana charge, when police were summoned to his apartment on Sunday night. He faces charges of a assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm after allegedly placing the gun on his girlfriend's temple because he thought she was cheating on him.

On the great scale of NFL justice, talent is always weighed against criminal activity. Andrews's importance to the team couldn't overcome the embarrassment he's brought them over the past few months. He'll probably face disciplinary action from the NFL if another team deems him worthy of a chance but I wouldn't hold my breath for the next sighting of Andrews on a Sunday afternoon.

In semi-related news, Andrews's release adds to what's been a hellish offseason for the Boston Herald. The paper lauded Andrews for turning his life around late last month. Time for another retraction.

Days After Arrest, Patriots Release Defensive Back Willie Andrews originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New England Patriots' Willie Andrews Accused of Pointing Gun at Fiancee's Head

Michael David Smith — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:07:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, Boston, NFL Police Blotter

New England Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews has been arrested and accused of pointing a gun at his fiancee's head.

Andrews' fiancee says he pointed the gun at her after she accused him of cheating on her. She told police she was scared because he "threatened to shoot her in the past." He faces a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

This was the second arrest for Andrews this off-season. The day after the Super Bowl, he was arrested for marijuana possession.

Last month the Boston Herald ran a puff piece about Andrews, talking about how he had put all his problems behind him. Now he likely has put his NFL career behind him; it will be a big surprise if New England doesn't release him.

Via PFT.

New England Patriots' Willie Andrews Accused of Pointing Gun at Fiancee's Head originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patriots' Wes Welker on Asante Samuel: 'He Chose Money Over Championships'

Michael David Smith — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, Patriots, Boston, Philadelphia

Asante Samuel spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the New England Patriots, where he won two Super Bowls and got to another.

So it was a little bit of a surprise when, after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in March, he said, "I just want to be able to win and get back to the Super Bowl.'' After all, if his real motivation was to get back to the Super Bowl, wouldn't he have been better off staying in New England?

His former teammate, Wes Welker, thinks so.
Says Welker:

"Asante's a great player, so it hurts not to have a guy like that. But then again, it's part of the business of the game," Welker said. "He chose money over championships, and that's the way it goes sometimes."

That quote comes across as though Welker disapproves of Samuel's choice, but personally, I don't begrudge a player for getting as much money as he can. If money was Samuel's primary motivation, more power to him.

Via PFT.

Patriots' Wes Welker on Asante Samuel: 'He Chose Money Over Championships' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jet Fan's Lawsuit Against Bill Belichick and Patriots Given More Time

Josh Alper — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jets, Patriots, NFL Fans, Boston, New York

Monday loomed as a deadline for a Jet fan to show reason why his lawsuit against Bill Belichick and the Patriots should go forward. The lawsuit had languished with no movement for nine months and the U.S. District Court in Newark said the plantiff had until June 30th to make progress or have the whole thing thrown out. Carl Mayer wrote a letter asking for more time, however, and a judge has given it to him.

Mayer claims that his co-counsel was sick and that new revelations coming to light have forced him to amend the lawsuit. He didn't specify what the revelations were but it seems that Arlen Specter's involvement in the case has sparked some litigious ideas in Mayer's head.

Mayer has not specified what other defendants or issues might be included in an amended lawsuit. But he has said the new allegations relate to the efforts of Specter, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican and a critic of the National Football League's response to what has been called "Spygate."

Mayer now has until August 30th to amend the lawsuit and serve notice on the defendants. The suit is seeking $184.8 million in damages under federal rackeetering and New Jersey fraud statutes. He filed the suit on behalf of all jets ticket holders because the Patriots taping of signals deceived customers who thought they were seeing an honest competition.

Jet Fan's Lawsuit Against Bill Belichick and Patriots Given More Time originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lawsuit Against Bill Belichick and Patriots Could Be Dismissed June 30

Josh Alper — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:35:00 EST

Filed under: Jets, Patriots, Boston, New York

Carl Mayer has made a career of filing lawsuits against high-profile politicians but most of them have gone nowhere. His Spygate-related suit against Bill Belichick and the Patriots seems poised for the same fate.

Mayer, a Jets season-ticket holder, accused the coach and team of violating the contractual rights and expectations of ticket holders. He hoped to make it a class-action suit but has done nothing to advance the litigation since a failed attempt to serve the defendants in October. That's why the U.S. District Court in Newark has told him he has until June 30th to produce a reason for the suit to go forward or it will be dismissed.

Mayer vows to fight on, though, and hints that Arlen Specter's entrance into the fray has opened up new doors for his suit.

"He (Specter) uncovered additional facts regarding videotaping. We've been working to incorporate those with regard to other defendants," Mayer said. "Could we have pressed on earlier? Yeah, but tactically, we are doing what we need to be doing."

Mayer seeks damages for every ticket-holder for every game that Belichick has coached in the Meadowlands against the Jets. That amounts to $184.8 million in damages under federal racketeering and New Jersey fraud laws. Whether or not it continues past June 30th, it's hard to see the suit succeeding as anything more than a nuisance.

Lawsuit Against Bill Belichick and Patriots Could Be Dismissed June 30 originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESPN Ombudsman Rips Spygate Coverage

Michael David Smith — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:34:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Media Watch, Boston, ESPN

After ESPN's day-long coverage of Matt Walsh's Spygate revelations last month, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady criticized the Worldwide Leader for spending an inordinate amount of time on the issue -- an opinion that Brady arrived at without having watched ESPN's coverage.

But now someone who did watch that coverage is weighing in with a similar opinion to Brady's. Le Anne Schreiber, ESPN's ombudsman, writes today that the network went overboard in covering the Spygate story, and she especially singles out NFL analysts Cris Carter and Mark Schlereth:

Schlereth imagined how such tapes might affect the outcome if film was shot, edited and utilized "during the course of a game" ...

"To think that a Super Bowl might be slanted in a team's favor!" Carter fumed.

Schreiber is right that Carter and Schlereth wrongly suggested that Walsh's tapes were used during games. In reality, the tapes were used between games. But for the most part, what I've found from fans is that those who like the Patriots think ESPN and the rest of the media have been too hard on them, while those who dislike the Patriots think ESPN and the rest of the media have been too easy on them.

ESPN Ombudsman Rips Spygate Coverage originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stephen Gostkowski: 'I Don't Know Much About Football, I Know About Kicking'

Michael David Smith — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:49:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, Boston

Patriots coach Bill Belichick made what I thought was the worst coaching decision of the Super Bowl when he decided to go for it on fourth-and-13, rather than sending in kicker Stephen Gostkowski for a 49-yard field goal attempt. The Patriots didn't convert and ended up losing by three points.

That was more than four months ago, but people in New England are still talking about it. Gostkowski was asked whether he should have gone in for that field goal, and he said this:

"I didn't think of anything. I get ready to go, and if my name is called, I go out there. If not, I go back to the sidelines. I'm not a coach. I don't know much about football. I know about kicking. When they send me out there and call my name, I try to do the best I can. Other than that, I keep my mouth shut and do my job."

Gostkowski wouldn't say whether the kick was in his range, but it was: He hit a 53-yarder in warm-ups. Belichick screwed up by not sending him in. But Gostkowski is smart not to say so.

Stephen Gostkowski: 'I Don't Know Much About Football, I Know About Kicking' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 07:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bridget Moynahan Discusses Raising Son Alone, Won't Trash Tom Brady

Michael David Smith — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:42:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, Boston

Bridget Moynahan has kept a fairly low profile in the 16 months since we found out she was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend Tom Brady's baby.

But she granted Harper's Bazaar access to her life, and she says motherhood was tough for her at first:

"Everyone says, 'You give birth, you go home, and you have this amazing baby and it's just beautiful,'" says the 37-year-old Massachusetts-raised model turned actress. "And I walked in and I just started sobbing. ...
"I'm not sure anyone - and I could be wrong in this - grows up thinking, I want to be a single mom."

Now, however, Moynahan says she's warming up to being a single mom. And she says there won't be any magazine articles quoting her saying anything bad about Brady, who does occasionally spend time with their son, because she wouldn't want her son to read them some day: "There's no reason why my son years down the line would need to read anything [personal] about his mother or his father."

Bridget Moynahan Discusses Raising Son Alone, Won't Trash Tom Brady originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers Should Pass on Brady

JJ Cooper — Mon, 26 May 2008 08:20:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, Steelers, AFC East, AFC North, Boston

A couple of months back, the Steelers brought Kyle Brady in for an interview with an eye on bringing him in as the team's No. 3/backup blocking tight end. It seemed like a perfect fit--an inexpensive veteran with the reputation as a great blocker.

But nothing happened at the time, and according to the South Coast Today, that might be a good thing.

The paper reported that Brady's blocking did not live up to its reputation. He frequently missed assignments, and after he received flak about his mistakes, he left the team and had to be convinced to come back.

The Steelers could determine by watching film whether Brady's blocking is still good enough to help a team, but if he bailed on the team in the middle of the season, that's a black mark that is hard to erase. And with few decent tight ends left in free agency, it seems like the Steelers might end up relying on Jon Dekker (who apparently has added some solid muscle) to be the team's No. 3 tight end.

Hat Tip: Pro Football Talk

Steelers Should Pass on Brady originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 26 May 2008 08:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joey Porter on the Patriots: 'They Cheated. There Should Be an Asterisk'

Michael David Smith — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:41:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, Patriots, Boston, Miami

Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter appeared on ESPN's NFL Live today and lashed out at the New England Patriots, saying that in his mind, Spygate isn't over.

"They cheated. There should be an asterisk," Porter said. "They cheated and they got caught."

In Porter's view, the fact that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell chose to destroy the initial evidence collected on the Patriots' cheating is a sign that it was more widespread than the league wants people to believe.

"Why, if you have nothing to hide, would you destroy [the evidence]? That's how I've looked at it from the beginning. Why destroy something that doesn't have to be destroyed? Let everyone know what was on the tapes. Why would you destroy them so fast?"

Porter called the $500,000 fine assessed to Patriots coach Bill Belichick a "slap on the wrist didn't fit the crime."

Agree with Porter or don't, but while Goodell thinks Spygate is over, Porter is the latest in a long line of people who want to keep it alive.

The Spygate' Scandal

The "Spygate" scandal simply will not die. Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter is the latest player to rip the New England Patriots for videotaping opponents' signals on the field. "They cheated. There should be an asterisk," Porter said in a recent TV interview.

David J. Phillip, AP

Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh, right, who recently met with Sen. Arlen Specter about his role in the controversy, was denounced by head coach Bill Belichick in a TV interview this month. "There's not a lot of credibility," the Pats coach said of Walsh.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, left, seemed to close the door on any further punishment for Belichick and the Patriots after he recently viewed several tapes provided by Walsh.

AP (2)

Last February, the New York Times reported that Belichick may have begun taping opponents' signals during his first year in New England, citing an ex-player who stated Belichick did it from 2000 to 2007.

Rick Stewart, Getty Images

One game the unidentified player cited was a September 2000 game against Tampa Bay. The Pats reportedly videotaped the Bucs in preseason, and used the information against them in a regular-season loss.

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

The main focus of the Walsh controversy were allegations that he taped a Rams walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI, but the Boston Herald recently apologized for printing that story.

Jeff Haynes, AFP/Getty Images

Spygate began when a Patriots employee was caught videotaping one of Jets coach Eric Mangini's assistants during a win over New York this past September. The tapes were seized and turned over to the NFL.

Nick Laham, Getty Images

As a result of the evidence, Goodell fined the Patriots and took away the team's own first-round draft pick. New England was allowed to keep a pick it had acquired from San Francisco.

Dennis Cook, AP

Joey Porter on the Patriots: 'They Cheated. There Should Be an Asterisk' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 May 2008 20:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Offensive Lineman Believes Patriots Abused Injured Reserve Rules

Sportz Assassin — Fri, 23 May 2008 03:32:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, AFC East, NFL Rumors, NFL Media Watch, Boston

Former Patriots offensive lineman Ross Tucker believes that coach Bill Belichick abused IR rules by allowing injured players to practice. By league rule, players on Injured Reserve cannot practice with the team.

Tucker talked with ESPN's NFL Live yesterday about what he wrote at SI.com last week.

Basically, the Patriots would put a player on IR, knowing it meant he couldn't play in a game or practice with the team for the remainder of the season. By skirting the rules and practicing him anyway, it allowed them to develop his skills during the year. A side benefit is that they were also able to give some of the older players less repetitions and, therefore, additional rest.

This item also came up during Matt Walsh's little chat last week with Roger Goodell.

Tucker (who played for five teams during his career) wrote that he asked Pats receiver Troy Brown about allowing IR players to practice -- to which he was told "everyone does it". Tucker contends that none of the other teams he'd play for (Redskins, Cowboys, Browns, Bills) ever let an IR player practice with the team during the season.

However, Tucker does say that he never saw or heard about any video tapes made by the team. Obviously there were tapes out there, but this goes back to the question of how those tapes were used by the organization.

Latest NFL Photos

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young stretches during a practice Friday, May 23, 2008, in Nashville, Tenn. Although the Titans managed just nine touchdown passes last season, the team showed enough trust in the receivers Young has to throw to that they picked players in other positions during the first three rounds of the draft. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young stretches during football practice Friday, May 23, 2008, in Nashville, Tenn. Although the Titans managed just nine touchdown passes last season, the team showed enough trust in the receivers Young has to throw to that they picked players in other positions during the first three rounds of the draft. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

** FILE ** In this Aug. 1, 2006 file photo, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Erasmus James takes a break during training camp in Mankato, Minn. The Vikings on Friday, May 23, 2008, waived Erasmus James, the former first-round draft pick who had a series of knee injuries during his time with Minnesota. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Justin McCareins, right, makes a reception as he is defended by cornerback Eric King, left, during football practice Friday, May 23, 2008, in Nashville, Tenn. The Titans receivers see it as a mark of trust in them that the team picked players in other positions during the first three rounds of the draft. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

**FILE** In this April 1, 2008 file photo, Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones hands out boxes of food and personal-care items to families at Word of God Ministries in Atlanta. Court documents filed Friday, May 23, 2008 in Las Vegas Justice Court show Clark County District Attorney David Roger is seeking a felony arrest warrant for Jones unless he pays a bill totaling $24,675. (AP Photo/W.A. Harewood, File)

** FILE ** In this Dec. 31, 2006 file photo, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens celebrates his 56-yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Irving, Texas. Fresh off his first sitcom role, Terrell Owens is ready to take on more television jobs. Just don't look for one of them to be on "Dancing With The Stars."(AP Photo/L.M. Otero, File)

** FILE ** In this Jan. 31, 2008 file photo, football player Terrell Owens arrives at the 944 Magazine/Pontiac party in Scottsdale, Ariz. Fresh off his first sitcom role, Terrell Owens is ready to take on more television jobs. Just don't look for one of them to be on "Dancing With The Stars." (AP Photo/ Matt Sayles, File)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, and girlfriend, model Giselle Bundchen sit courtside in the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons in Boston, Thursday, May 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, and Giselle Bundchen watch the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons in Boston, Thursday, May 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, and Giselle Bundchen take their seats at courtside in the first half during Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball finals between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons in Boston, Thursday, May 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Former Offensive Lineman Believes Patriots Abused Injured Reserve Rules originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 23 May 2008 03:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kevin Kasper Is Nothing Like Wes Welker, but They're Both White Wide Receivers

Michael David Smith — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:35:00 EST

Filed under: Browns, Patriots, Boston, Cleveland

Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel has forgotten more about personnel evaluation than I'll ever know, but when he claims that his own wide receiver, Kevin Kaspar, is similar to New England Patriots wide receiverWes Welker, well, he's just plain wrong. The two aren't similar at all. In fact, they couldn't be much more different.

As athletes, they're very different: Kasper is 6-foot-1, has great speed and lit up the scouting combine coming out of Iowa in 2001. Welker is 5-foot-9, is slow by NFL wide receiver standards, and had such bad times at the 2004 combine that many teams took him off their draft boards. (He signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent.)

As football players, they're even more different: Welker runs good routes, has good hands and is one of the NFL's most productive possession receivers, with 112 catches last season. Kasper doesn't run good routes, doesn't have good hands and as a result has bounced around the league (if he makes Cleveland's roster, the Browns will be his sixth team) and caught just 24 passes in his career.

The only similarity I can see between these two players is that they're both white wide receivers. Have we really made so little progress that in 2008, we're still labeling people as "similar" simply because of skin color? Apparently so.

Kevin Kasper Is Nothing Like Wes Welker, but They're Both White Wide Receivers originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 22 May 2008 09:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patriots Coach Bill Belichick: Forever a Villain?

Michael David Smith — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:19:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Media Watch, NFL Coaching, Boston

Patriots coach Bill Belichick appears to be in the clear, as far as the NFL is concerned, on Spygate. He's been docked $500,000 out of his own pocket and the team lost a first-round draft pick, but Commissioner Roger Goodell has indicated that those punishments will be the end of it.

But is Belichick's reputation forever tarnished? Based on things I've read by three influential writers in the last three days, I'd have to say that it is.

FanHouse's Mark Hasty previously mentioned a column by Gregg Easterbrook that suggested Belichick should be suspended. And today we have Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe coming down hard on Belichick.

King writes that Spygate "will taint the legacy of one of the great coaches of all time." And Ryan writes, "As long as Bill Belichick is the coach of the New England Patriots, America will despise this team."

I think Belichick will coach several more years, the Patriots will be a good or great team for most of the rest of his career, and some of those opinions will soften. But Belichick will forever be seen as a villain by a large portion of America's football fans, and there is probably nothing he can do about that.

Patriots Coach Bill Belichick: Forever a Villain? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 19 May 2008 09:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Patriots Spygate Story, Does Boston Herald's John Tomase Deserve a Break?

Michael David Smith — Sun, 18 May 2008 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Media Watch, Boston

Over the last week I've heard from several people who think Boston Herald reporter John Tomase should have been fired -- not just forced to apologize -- for his February 2 story suggesting the New England Patriots had taped the St. Louis' Rams' walk-through practice before the 2002 Super Bowl.

So why wasn't Tomase fired? Tomase's friend Seth Mnookin makes the case for Tomase keeping his job, and it basically breaks down to this:

1. Tomase made clear that the taping was just an allegation from a source close to the team, not that the taping had definitely happened.
2. The Patriots didn't categorically deny the allegations.
3. Tomase's editors should have reined him in.

I don't buy 1 or 2. You can't just go printing every allegation you hear, and the main reason the Patriots didn't categorically deny is that Tomase didn't give them a chance: He told the Patriots about the story he was working on at a time when he knew perfectly well that they wouldn't have an adequate opportunity to respond.

But I do buy that Tomase's editors deserve a lot of the blame here, and that's the basic reason that I don't think Tomase should be fired. Tomase told the Herald's editors what he had, and the Herald's editors told him to go with it. The whole paper -- not just Tomase -- got the story wrong.

So does that mean the editors who approved the story should all be fired? It's understandable if people in the Patriots organization think so, but I don't. I tend to think that this was more a boneheaded organizational mistake than a malicious act, and as such the egg on the faces of the people at the Herald is enough of a deterrent to make sure it won't happen again.

On Patriots Spygate Story, Does Boston Herald's John Tomase Deserve a Break? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 18 May 2008 12:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TMQ: Belichick Deserves 'Serious Suspension,' Lifetime Ban?

Mark Hasty — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:35:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Media Watch, Boston

Gregg Easterbrook, the Brookings scholar who writes Tuesday Morning Quarterback for ESPN.com, posted a rare Saturday article today. He argues that the lack of remorse shown by Patriots coach Bill Belichick in the whole Spygate affair merits some additional punishment for the coach. What sort of punishment? " A man of dignity, who is caught cheating, would resign," says Easterbrook.

The odds of Belichick resigning over Spygate, however, round down to zero. Easterbrook knows this. Instead, he states that "a serious suspension" (by which he means one longer than year) is what's called for.

If you read between the lines, what Easterbrook really wants is for Belichick to go away forever:

"Belichick's lack of remorse creates an argument for a lifetime ban. Why should the 99 percent of NFL players, coaches and front-office officials who are honest sportsmen be tarred by association with a few who are not?"

99% of NFL players, coaches, and front-office officials are clean? Really? I don't know what percentage of NFL players are using some sort of performance enhancing substance, but I'm willing to guess that it's more than 1%. (Texans long-snapper Bryan Pittman says it's more like 40%.) Maybe performance enhancers aren't cheating in Easterbrook's mind, but they are in mine.

The real question to me, though, is why Easterbrook cares so much about Spygate when the NFL has moved on. I think the "-gate" suffix may be involved.

Easterbrook was known as a social commentator/political wonk before he became known as one of the most literate NFL pundits. He is of the right age to have had his political and journalistic worldviews shaped by the Watergate scandal. If Nixon had to resign for cheating at an election, why shouldn't Belichick have to resign for cheating at football?

There are some odd parallels between Watergate and Spygate. Neither Nixon nor Belichick needed to cheat to succeed. Nixon was going to flatten McGovern in 1972 no matter what, and even without whatever advantage the Pats may have gained, they've been a jaw-droppingly good football team this decade. Nixon and Belichick are also both dour, serious types who can't stand losing, or even winning by a close margin.

There's a world of difference, though, between cheating at football and cheating at politics. Nixon, in all likelihood, committed actual crimes. Belichick hasn't done anything illegal. He certainly has broken the code of good sportsmanship, of course, but the NFL stopped being a sport many years ago.

It's clear that Easterbrook has a fairly low opinion of Belichick. (Line forms to the right, Gregg.) The NFL isn't going to do anything more about Spygate, however, and it's safe to assume that Belichick will continue to serve at Robert Kraft's pleasure.

I agree with Easterbrook that what Belichick has done is dishonorable; I disagree with his contention that (a) Belichick hasn't been punished enough, (b) Belichick's $500,000 fine wasn't a lot of money for the coach, and (c) Belichick should be banished from the NFL for not feeling sufficiently icky about stealing signals. Stealing signals is poor sportsmanship, but let's face it, anybody can do it, even without a video camera. I wouldn't say the whole Spygate mess is much ado about nothing, but it's much ado about nothing much, and it's time to move on.

Though I have to admit I too would like to know what Ernie Adams really does.

(Full disclosure: I won the TMQ Challenge one week in 2001. My prize was a Kenny Mayne bobblehead, which sits in the window of my office. It looks a lot more like Pat Forde than it does Kenny Mayne.)

TMQ: Belichick Deserves 'Serious Suspension,' Lifetime Ban? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 17 May 2008 22:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patriots Coach Bill Belichick Cannot Conceal His Contempt for Matt Walsh

Michael David Smith — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Video, Boston

As FanHouse's Ryan Wilson noted, the transcript of the CBS News interview with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was written in ALL CAPS, as if Belichick had shouted his answers. As it turns out, the video shows more sneering than shouting:

Belichick had a look of contempt on his face as he described Matt Walsh, the former Patriots video assistant who has been the central figure of the Spygate story of the last three months. But he did admit that he screwed up.

"I made a mistake," Belichick said. "It was wrong. I was wrong."

Patriots Coach Bill Belichick Cannot Conceal His Contempt for Matt Walsh originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 May 2008 19:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patriots President Jonathan Kraft: ESPN.com Journalistic Standards Not Up to Snuff

Michael David Smith — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:49:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Media Watch, Boston, ESPN

New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft appeared on the Boston radio station WEEI on Thursday and criticized the journalistic practices of several media outlets that have covered the Spygate controversy surrounding his team, including the Boston Herald, New York Times and ESPN.

His comments on ESPN were particularly interesting because they mark the second time this week that a high-profile person associated with the Patriots has ripped the Worldwide Leader. Tom Brady also criticized ESPN's coverage of Spygate, even as he acknowledged that he didn't watch that coverage.

On WEEI Thursday, Kraft was asked, "The New York Times and certain people at ESPN have kind of been out to get you. Do you know why? Do you understand why?" He answered:

"I don't. If you guys can get any of them on the air -- I would argue that there are certain people at ESPN.com who have shown journalistic standards that really are not up to snuff. And the Times, give the Times credit for one thing, they gave us a chance to comment the day before and they actually took some of our comments and realized that certain parts of what they were about to write that were wrong, but there were other things that they still decided to print."

Kraft didn't say which people at ESPN.com he thinks have journalistic standards that aren't up to snuff, but it's clear that between Brady and Kraft, there are some important people in one of America's most successful sports franchises who don't think highly ofAmerica's most successful sports media outlet.

Patriots President Jonathan Kraft: ESPN.com Journalistic Standards Not Up to Snuff originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 May 2008 10:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boston Herald's John Tomase Offers an Explanation That Doesn't Explain Much

Michael David Smith — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:28:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Media Watch, Boston

Boston Herald reporter John Tomase, who wrote the explosive and since-retracted report that the Patriots taped the Rams' final walk-through practice before the 2002 Super Bowl, has written an explanation of how he got the story wrong.

Unfortunately, the explanation doesn't really explain much of anything. It's really more a timeline of his work on the story, and there are still key details that he doesn't make clear, like exactly how many sources he had and who they were.

So how did he get the story wrong? Basically, it comes down to this: "on the final, crucial point of whether the camera was actually rolling, I made a devastating leap of logic and assumed that's what I was being told rather than confirming it explicitly."

The early reaction seems to be that readers aren't satisfied, although when a writer makes a mistake this big I'm not sure there's anything he can say to satisfy his readers. Tomase, I'm sure, just hopes this is over. I'm not sure that it is.

More commentary at Fifth Down, Pro Football Talk and Boston Sports Media Watch.

Boston Herald's John Tomase Offers an Explanation That Doesn't Explain Much originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 May 2008 06:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patriots: Suing Boston Herald Has Been Discussed, but We're Not Pursuing It

Michael David Smith — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:52:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Media Watch, Boston

The New England Patriots have confirmed that they have no intention of suing the Boston Herald over the newspapers February 2 report that the team illegally taped the St. Louis Rams' final walk-through practice before the 2002 Super Bowl.

Patriots spokesman Stacey James told the Boston Globe that a lawsuit against the Herald "has been discussed" but that "I don't think we're pursuing that at this time."

That is obviously the right decision, and the suggestion that the Patriots were going to sue the Herald was always rather silly. If the Patriots had sued, the Herald would have gained access, through depositions and discovery, to all sorts of inside information that the Patriots would prefer to keep private. And just because you've been wronged by someone doesn't mean the correct response is a lawsuit.

The Herald made a huge mistake by publishing its February 2 story. But the Patriots would be making as big a mistake if they tried to go to court over it.

Previously on FanHouse:
Patriots Suing Boston Herald? Bad Idea
Boston Herald Owes Its Readers an Explanation on Patriots Spygate Story
Will Patriots Owner Bob Kraft Sue the Boston Herald Over Spygate Story?
Boston Herald Apologizes for Spygate Story
Boston Herald Reporter: 'I Know I Screwed Up'

Patriots: Suing Boston Herald Has Been Discussed, but We're Not Pursuing It originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 15 May 2008 08:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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