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Coach-to-QB system
FOXBOROUGH -- Here is some of the Q&A from Bill Belichick's press conference today regarding the team not being able to utilize its coach-to-quarterback system in Sunday's game against the Colts:
Did you notice any irregularities with the crowd noise? There is a report out there [on ProFootballTalk.com] that the Colts might have pumped in crowd noise.
"We definitely had a lot of problems with the coach-to-quarterback. We basically didn't have a coach-to-quarterback operation, so we had to signal in all the plays, which is unusual. But that's the way it was. What all was going on, I can't tell you. But I can tell you, from a functional standpoint, the coach-to-quarterback was basically useless."
But you didn't feel the crowd noise was ...
"Again, it's always loud. It's definitely loud when you're behind by 10 points, I can tell you that."
You must plan for that, like going to a generator when the lights go out. How much time do you put into that every week for when that system is not an option?
"We have to go to a signaling system, or let the quarterback call his own plays. Those are your two options. It would be one of those two things. You always have to be prepared for that. You never know when something is going to happen, something will malfunction, or whatever. We ended up with that, and we were basically in that mode the whole game."
By rule, did the Colts have to stop using their communication system as well?
"No. The headset rule is if you don't have communication with the press box, then you call the officials over and you tell them that -- 'we don't have communication with the press box.' Then the official says 'you guys take off all your headsets' and then goes to the other sideline and says 'you guys take off all your headsets.' At some point, on a touchback, or a change of possession or something, they'll come back and check with the sideline and if the technician says 'we think we have this straightened out' -- because they're testing it -- then they'll say [let's try it again]. If either side would have a breakdown -- let's say you put them back on for a series or two series or whatever, and you call the officials over and say 'it still isn't working.' And he'll say 'if yours aren't working, you have to take yours off, and they have to take theirs off.' That's what that is. It has nothing to do with coach-to-quarterback. That's a whole separate thing. ... It's independent."
Did you have communication with the press box?
"That was no problem. The problem was the quarterback hearing the plays from the sideline. And if you can't hear them, then you have to find another way to get the play into the quarterback."
Your comments
(21)Of course no one will make a big deal out of this because its the patriots... will the nfl admit to referee mistakes from last night?
the league is out to get the patriots and this isnt conspiracy. it is fact. between the colts getting special treatment, getting away with cheating, and the refs trying their hardest without making it look too obvious to hand over the game, the league is out for the patriots. we will need to blow out teams to secure a ring. if its close like against indy, the refs will hand the game over to the opposition.
Hey Mikey! Still no comment on the crowd noise CD skipping in the 4th quarter? I mean...know that the Pats have filed a complaint with the league, it's actually news, you could cover it without being accused of being a homer. Even though...you know...being a homer is kind of your job.
what possible motivation does the league have for going after the pats? And how would it get away with it? After demanding squeakee-cleanness in fining coach & team, fighting bad publicity from all those criminal charges players are amassing, seeing the hit the NBA took on the chance that all games weren't being officiated on the up-and-up, the league can't afford a scandal.
I heard this during the game yesterday but thought I was hearing stuff. but then I saw this post:
http://www.withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=4281
At the very least it speaks to ingenuine nature of CBS sports broadcasting and they should be ashamed of using fake crowd noise to pump up their broadcast. While I have no doubt that this was a broadcasting error, sorta puts in to perspective the difference between what we can see and what we are shown.
That is interesting that the rule only applies to the press box communication. It seems to me that the press box is less important seeing that if the communcation is malfunctioning, the coordinators can just come down onto the sidelines. Alot of coordinators dont use the press box anyways. It seems like the QB to Coach communication would be more important seeing that it is almost impossible for the QB to run to the sidelines after every play, and signals would have to be used. As complex as the Pats playbook is, I wonder how complicated those signals must be.
AND WE STILL WON....TAKE THAT POLIAN!!
Funny. The Pat travel with their own sound guy to keep the communications working using the league supplied equipment.... where is that in the story... maybe it was too hot in the dome for the equipment to work
i loved zolak and deOssise's comments on fifth quater about the crappy officiateing. not only the 100 yards on those one, BS call and the other marginal call, how about the HOLDS and PIA's that pats didn't get. i loved the one where brady was pisse doff about the would be first down they didnt get when faulk was interefered with. not being a homer, but it is sickening seeing this trype of play being allowed. I MEAN WHY IN EARTH WOULD THE NFL ASSIGN THESE SECOND RATE OFFICIALS TO SUCH AN IMPORTANT GAME AS THIS! I MEAN THIS GUY IS ONLY IN HIS FIRST YEAR AS REF AND THIS CREW, WE WERE TOLD, HAS A KNACK FOR CALLING OFFENSIVE PI!! wake up people the nfl is ou to get the pats and it is a shame. it is one of the best stories of the season, you know, aside from the drugs and murdering guys they have on rosters and coaches that use hgh and such.
Ok, people -- the Pats screwed up with the camera thing. It was a dumb thing to do, it’s done, it's over, they've been penalized and fined. Can the media, other teams and fans of other teams PLEASE act like adults and get on with it??!! Besides if anyone out there actually believes that NO OTHER team or coach has ever done this in the past then there really must be a tooth fairy! Come on - with technology the way it is these days, who needs a video camera aiming at the opposing sidelines?? Who's to say the "press cameras" with their two foot telephoto lenses aren't doing the same thing?? Get real people – grow up, get off the soap box and stop beating this horse to glue! It's history and the Pats do not need to cheat - there's way too much talent on that team. Let's chat again around the second week in February.........
Listen, after that Belichick challenge on the Colts reception that he won, when you saw the Ref 5 ft away looking right at the reciever, you knew the Ref's were going call it the same way as last years AFC championship game that they gave to the Colts. Your dreaming if you think the NFL didn't wan't a Dungy Manning Superbowl win last year, much more sexy than bland old sweatshirt wearing stuffy Belichick!
Im a huge Pats fan... and Im so so happy we won the Game... I do think the refs made some really shady calls.. one was overturned by instant replay.. the funny thing is it was not even close... we should not even had to challenge that call...and in the instant replay the refs were looking right at the feet and sidelines.. the ref with the white hat... he just seemed to be the shady ref....The pass Interference calls should be reviewable...as far as the noise and the communication ... i don't know anymore... I mean we got busted... and the thing is i really do think all teams cheat or whatever you want to call it....try to get the edge one way or the other..I think the colts have a little of that in them... But I will say this regardless the Colts are very good... and I hope we don't have to face them again.. I was very impressed ...they scare me....because they look way better then they did last year...
Listen, after that Belichick challenge on the Colts reception that he won, when you saw the Ref 5 ft away looking right at the reciever, you knew the Ref's were going call it the same way as last years AFC championship game that they gave to the Colts. Your dreaming if you think the NFL didn't wan't a Dungy Manning Superbowl win last year, much more sexy than bland old sweatshirt wearing stuffy Belichick!
Bill never once said the crowd noise was too much to bare and claimed foul. He said the coach to QB systems didnt seem to be working and they had to use signals. I believe thats an internal thing not a Colts issue. Regardless, I think the problem with the game was the officiating. They were sure quick to call pass interference n the Pats and sure held off when the Colts did it.
I may have missed it, but I wish they showed Bill Polian during the 4th quarter, his investment in having the refs in his back pocket was going down the drain because the Pats were marching and the Colts could not stop them. Who was Polian attacking this time in the press box?
I'm not surprised. I know the Patriots have been accused of this in the past...maybe there is some truth to it...who knows. I am sure when the Colts come to Foxoboro in January they will have coach to QB issues as a little gamesmanship payback and that Polian will flip out and have the competition committee form some policy similar to the coordinator one about both teams not using it.
who's your daddy polian?
Notice how the loud crowd noise cuts out just as the 'skipping' sound cuts out. The crowd doesn't just die down, it is an immediate, obviouus cease in the crowd cheering. I've been to many, many Pats games, and I've never heard the crowd just stop making noise like that. It's like everyone in that stadium shut up at the EXACT SAME TIME.
I think we were all shocked at the real bad calls the Pats got. Did anyone catch Brady yelling at the Ref at the end of the game? Also, did anyone catch the pre game show where Mike Ditka made those awful statements about the Pats not being American - never was, never will be, and that it goes for Boston too, and that he doesn't like the Red Sox either? The statements were awful, aired live on nation wide TV, and were out of line. Those announcers are supposed to be unbiased and not air dirty laundry feelings about teams, and cities....the other announcers around the table just sat stunned for several seconds as if they couldn't believe their own ears on what he said? Just wondering if anyone caught that pre game show?
Jackie, i didn't hear that, but it doesn't surprise me this is what the field of journalism has been reduced to. instead of announcers/ reporters being unbiased they proclaim their feelings based on facts that have nothing to do with the topic and are just mean. there is one reporter on espn who called the patriots evil and cited the fact that tom brady is single as a reason that the patriots are evil and even compared his smirk to dick chenney. journalism has gone down the toilet
OMG....now PFT has become the source for Mike Reis? This only proves that PFT is a Patriots homer board.
Speaking of cheating, what about the Pats headphone frequency (Coach to QB) being jammed during the game. I find it hard to believe this was accidental or coincidental. I believe it was intentional malicious interference. This is not only "not nice" but would also be illegal.
Frequency coordination at NFL events has been going on for at least 15 years. There are NFL and SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers) personnel in place to oversee these issues. There really is no good excuse for some kind of unknown interference on just the Pats headsets. The SBE Gameday Frequency Coordinators serve as volunteers with the cooperation of the NFL, both teams, the broadcast and media groups to insure these things don't happen. Coincidentally the SBE is headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., how about that!! Check out the November issue of QST magazine (the ARRL Amateur Radio Journal) the Cover article (Pats and Jets) about volunteer frequency coordinators. A good number of these people are also Amateur Radio Operators. Also check out SBE websites.
Ken
http://www.sbe.org/
http://www.sbe.org/freq_tools.php
http://www.sbe.org/nfl2.php