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Sep 12, 2007 1:41 pm US/Eastern
Report: Patriots' Videotaping Broke League Rules
by Sera Congi
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Coach Bill Belichick was aware of the situation during the game, according to reports.
Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
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The man at the center of all this controversy is Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella, who is in his fourth season with the Pats.
CBS
The NFL has determined the New England Patriots broke league rules by videotaping defensive signals by the New York Jets' coaches on Sunday, according to ESPN.
They now have until Friday to give their side of the story.
The man at the center of all this controversy is Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella, who is in his fourth season with the Pats.
Estrella's job is to videotape team practices and games for the coaching staff. He was approached by three league security officials during the third quarter of Sunday's game. They confiscated his camera and videotape.
Coach Bill Belichick was aware of the situation during the game, according to reports. He released a statement on Wednesday regarding the matter. "Earlier this week, I spoke with Commissioner Goodell about a videotaping procedure during last Sunday's game and my interpretation of the rules. At this point, we have not been notified of the league's ruling. Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players. Following the league's decision, I will have further comment."
This isn't the first time the Pats have gotten caught up in this kind of situation. Former Houston Texans general manager Charlie Casserly brought it up on "The NFL Today" last December. "The Patriots now, got caught doing something earlier in the year that they weren't supposed to be doing. They had a man on their sideline, dressed in coaching attire, with a video camera, who was presumably videotaping the other team's signals. You can't do that. They were warned… happens again, they're going to be disciplined."
In a poll taken by Patriots fans, about 42 percent of those surveyed think New England did secretly videotape the New York Jets and about 31 percent said if the allegations are true, it would hurt the team's image a lot. (
Click here for the full results.)
Before the NFL can issue any sanctions, Coach Belichick will have to do some explaining to Commissioner Roger Goodell, and unless he has a good excuse, you can expect the NFL to come down hard on the Pats.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said questions about the investigation should go to Goodell. He says he is proud of Patriots organization and the record they have established "over the last 13 seasons and one game."
According to ESPN, the penalties could include suspensions, fines and the loss of multiple draft picks.
Click here to view the survey results from the New York Jets fans.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
