Feb 15, 2008 9:55 pm US/Eastern
Patriots, Belichick Sued For 2002 Super Bowl
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Bill Belichick watches from the sidelines in the second quarter against the New York Giants during Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
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They couldn't win on the field, so now they'll try to win in court.
A lawsuit filed Friday by a former St. Louis Rams player and others seeks millions of dollars in damages from the alleged taping of a Rams practice by the New England Patriots before the 2002 Super Bowl.
The Patriots won the game 20-17 in the Superdome.
The $100 million suit was filed on behalf of former Rams player Willie Gary, a pair of 2002 Super Bowl ticket holders, and a Rams seat license holder in U.S. District Court in New Orleans. It names the Patriots, team owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick.
The group claims Belichick and the Patriots defrauded Rams players and fans when they allegedly videotaped the Rams practice the day before the game.
The lawsuit alleges, "The defendants fraudulently videotaped the Saint Louis Rams walk through prior to the 2002 Super Bowl for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage in the game."
The suit claims the Patriots are responsible for six counts, including fraud, racketeering and breach of contract and alleges the taping robbed the Rams and their fans of millions of dollars.
The Patriots have denied the videotaping accusations. When contacted Friday, the team said, "We saw the press release, but we don't comment on these types of things."
WBZ spoke with a prominent Boston attorney who said the case is without merit, and the lawyer who filed the suit could face sanctions for filing a frivolous lawsuit.
This isn't the first big lawsuit filed against the Patriots. A New York Jets fan sued the team for $184 million for illegally videotaping the Jets at the start of last season.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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