NFL: Jets' actions legal

What it sounds like to me is that the NFL's rules on videotaping are very confusing and arbitrary as to whether they really mean what they say they mean. I can understand BB's misinterpretation of the rules.

On the one hand the NFL says :

In the NFL's operations manual, it states that "no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game." Furthermore, all video shooting locations for coaching purposes "must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."

In a memo to NFL head coaches and general managers on Sept. 6, 2006, NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson wrote: "Videotaping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent's offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches' booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game."

On the other hand, the NFL says: "there are no restrictions on shooting from both upper end zone positions as long as the opportunity is provided to both teams. No permission is needed from the league office."

Sheesh, talk about confusing.

Mike,

Can you clarify how this could be legal if not enclosed? Also, doesn't this fall under information that "might" be helpful during the game? In short, Aiello seems to contradict the rules you posted earleir.

And, I assume that there are official Photo Trackers from the NFL watching these camera guys every second of the game to make sure that their lenses aren't ACCIDENTLY, aimed at the opposing bench area.

This is really getting to be a total bunch of crapola. When this season is finally over, I hope that Bob Kraft comes out from the tree that he is hiding behind and starts a campaign to remove Roger Goodell as the commissioner.

He is a part of the Board of Governors, and a fairly powerful one, from what I have read.

"Upper" means above the field -- press box location, correct?

So, once again, we're back to the Patriots taped from an illegal "position" (the sideline).

And, the question I still haven't seen answered -- IS IT LEGAL TO TAPE COACHING SIGNALS WITH A CAMERA FROM THE PRESSBOX LOCATION?

If not, what's to prevent the pressbox cameraman? Are people watching where the camera is aimed? Is someone reviewing every tape?

"Home clubs must provide visiting clubs with equal vantage points for the taping of games"

In that case, what the Jets were doing was outside these guidelines otherwise Pats security would have had no basis to throw them out. Since when does Globe reporters take people at their word?

Did the Pats catch the Jets taping? yes. Did they deny it back in October? Yes. Did they then admit it today? Yes. Does anybofy on God's green earth think the Patriots ever gave the Jets permission to tape anything? No way. If you think otherwise I have atunnel un

What a joke, goodell needs to go back to whatever it was he did before he found the nfl. Its only against the rules when the patriots do it right.

Maybe Greg Aiello should read the NFL's operation manual, "no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game." Furthermore, all video shooting locations for coaching purposes "must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."

What is the point? It is perfectly legal to tape coaches from these locations, but not from the sidelines? So we lost a first round pick , $250,000, and BB loses $500,000 for taping what is perfectly legal to tape, just from an unapproved location? Let's see, cooking the books is a third round pick, but filming what is legal to film, just from an unapproved spot is a first? Got it. If anyone still thinks this wasn't a shot at the Pats specifically by the league then I have some swamp land to sell you.

Suddenly no conspiracy theory sounds far fetched. There is ZERO integrity in the NFL. Read the rule books folks.

Wow, give a rest! If this is the only news you can dig up, it must be a slow news day. Time to move on. How about recapping the last game? Insights into who's healthy, who's not? Any potential weapons the Jets have that could shock us? Nah, didn't think so. So this is what you dredge up instead? This "journalism" does no honor to the Pats team. Go Pats, 54-3

Wait a second here...there is no roof above the endzone (unless you are in a dome then there is a roof above everything). So how is it legal to tape in the endzone. That sounds like it is in direct violation of the rules of taping that Goodell mentioned in his memo. You can't have it both ways. No wonder BB said it was his interpretation of the rules. You need a freaking lawyer sitting with you before you do anything in this league now.

So if I understand it from this last statement by the NFL if the Patriots had asked permission to shoot "coaching video" (whatever that is) all of this would never have happened?

If I were Bill Belichick I would sue the NFL for defamation of character the day after the Super Bowl.

What the idiot commissioner and the suits surrounding him have done to argueably the best coach and the best franchise in NFL history is mind boggling.

vtroadkill -

Slow news day?! Time to move on?!! We only had hundreds and hundreds of friggin stories about the Patgs and Spygate, not to mention the comments, the National Media stories, etc., etc. Yet, where are the stories about this?! Cause Greg Aiello says it is OK, it is OK?! It couldn't have been too OK if the Pats ASKED THE GUY TO LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!! I am sure the Boston media will devote as much attention to this as they did to the Pats Spygate. LOL! I made a funny! The NFL is a joke and they have been out to get the Pats since 2002. They HATE teams that win consistently under the salary cap era, they want parity and no dynasties. ssWWhWhat's worse is la

This story is a joke. Goodell is a fool. He mishandled this situation from step one. With his stiff penalty he started a fire that turned into an inferno. This is the most overblown story in the history of the NFL and Goodell gave it all the momentum it needed. The Patriots did nothing different in essence than what the Jets did. The only difference separating a "cheater" from a non "cheater" I guess is the location of the camera. So if you film from the end zone that is OK, but filming from the sideline gets you a first round pick penalty and a unfair label. Good Job Cowboy Goodell. Your an Elephant in a China shop and your blind lust for power, order and rules has tarnished the best thing about the NFL in the past ten years: The Patriots Dynasty. I can twait to see what else you will screw up.

In light of the rules cited by Mike, the NFL's position is absolute crappola. Moreover, we do not know, thanks to the Patriots' restraint, where the Jet cameraperson was apprehended, thus leaving open the possiblity that the signals of the Pat's coaches were being filmed. This newest information makes the discipline imposed by the league on the team and the Head Coach arbitrary and capricious.

Okay, Mike!

Are we all missing something here?

Isn't this latest pronouncement from the NFL in direct violation of the NFL Constitution and Bylaws that you published for us this morning?

How can the Constitution and Bylaws not apply, here?

More importantly, why exactly were the Patriots punished so harshly for violating the same Constitution and Bylaws?

Can we send a fifth grader to the NFL league office to square this away?

I feel the NFL is out to do anything to try and harm the Patriots. I don't think what the Patriots did is wrong based on what the rule states and what the Jets did last year. My feeling is turn about is fair play. The Patriots should have turned in the Jets last year. Go Pats, My prediction is at least 56-3.

" Furthermore, all video shooting locations for coaching purposes "must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."

This statement would lead me to believe that there is some kind of video taping happening

This just goes to show the there is no standard to video taping rules. According to an earlier post by Mike the nfl is completely contradicting itself. I guess they are just sick of seeing us win. They tried to effect us with these penalties earlier in the year then had the refs in the indy game call the most lopsided game ever. It is obvious the nfl is out for us I am sick of this.

Mike,
How can the NFL rule that quickly that what the Jets did was legal without ever even viewing the tapes? How do they know that the Jets were not taping Pats defensive signals? If the NFL, and Roger Goodell specifically, is so concerned about the integrity of the league, why does he not order the New York Jets to turn over all their tapes? Seems really odd to me that the league would act as quickly as it did to clear the Colts (artificial crowd noise) and the Jets with their taping when the team on the other end was the Patriots. I think the league really needs to take a look at its taping policies this off season, the current rules appear to be incredibly confusing.

Sounds like double standers to me It's ok for One team to do it and not another Thats abunch of CRAP Mangini who didn't even get a slap on the hand
How do any of us know what else Mangini taped Is that why His team Played so good last yr and this yr It's on of the worst Now we know how Mangini did it But USING A CAMERA

Mike:

http://www.touchdown.org/pats-camera.jpg

http://coloyan.com/images/videojets9.jpg

Now, mangini *ADMITS* to taping from the end zone and theres still nothing done about it? Seriously?

Bob Kraft needs to let some lawsuits fly after the season and get our pick, BB's money, and the teams fine back. And if someone can point me to the nfl rulebook I'd like to look it over, both copies please, the normal version, and the 2nd edition with the extra "patriots only" pages. This is rediculous!!!

I am going to the game Sunday and I am going to try and start this cheer every time the RATS get the ball. Please come and join in or if you know someone else attending please pass this on - Lets rock the Razor and make it deafaning to the point we drown out the announcers!

PS -Hopefully one of more wealthy Patriots will ante up for the airplane with a similar banner attached

Stop the presses, the NFL again leaves the Patriots on an island. Of course they were going to say the Jets videotaped legally, just like those pass interference calls against us in Indy were legal, just like Asante Samuel wasn't thrown to the ground at the end of the Baltimore game, just like Moss was never held after 5 yards by Pittsburgh, what a joke. I can't wait to see what the NFL has next for the Pats. Maybe our buses will be late playing the NYG and they'll say we have to forfeit the game. My thinking is the day after we beat the NYG, the NFL and cable companys will come to an agreement so the NFL Network would be seen on all cable operators. Personally, after we go 19-0, I hope Belichick refuses to shake Goodell's hand and tells him the same stuff he tells Tom Jackson...

Thank God the Patriots were caught and prevented from cheating after the first game. Just think of what the scores and their record would have been if the league had allowed the Patriots to continue to cheat.

In actuality, the placement of camera locations on the field have little or nothing to do with cheating. Given the technology today do you really think that the only place you can place a camera to copy signals from the opposing team is on the sideline? If the league is really concerned about filming during games and having the information used to take advantage of the opposing team during the game, then the simple solution would be to ban the filming of all NFL games other than for TV purposes.

Too bad for the Pats that the Jets called them out, it obviously had a huge negative impact on the Pats season, seeing they are 0 and 13, oh wait that is the Dolphins records. Pats are what 5-8? Oh, wait 13-0 looking at perfection? Really? The rules really did them in. Too bad the rules prevented them from the perfect season..

The League has NO IDEA what the Jets did. If they cared about the integrity of the game as they claim, they would launch a formal investigation including an order that all tapes be turned over immediately for review. No, instead they pronounce their actions "legal" without any investigation whatsoever. And the Boston media dutifully laps it up!!!!

Since he worked for the Jets in the mid-80s perhaps Goodell needs to recuse himself in this matter and turn it over to somebody who really does care about fairness and equity!

Double standard. Disdainful, dour, Bill won. Again. My hero.
Cartwheels anyone?

Can all the sanctimonious media commentators and columnists explain again how this was a "blatant violation" of a "clear" rule? Man, has the NFL made you all look foolish. This is more convoluted than Mike Pereria trying to explain the Pass Interference rule.

The double talk from Aiello is ludicrous. The comments from many
readers present everything I could possible say, so I won't add to them. The
best thing the NFL could do now would be to step up and rescind the
penalties against Belichick and the Patriots. They could save face on it by
making a statement such as this:

"The confusion over the recent revelations of the taping of games by the New
York Jets make it evident that there is a need for some clarification of the
rules. It is clear that it was possible for Coach Belichick to misinterpret
the rules, as he stated he had done, and that his violation of the rule
should, therefore, be set aside in this instance. The Commissioner will
assign a team of people to revise the rules regarding the taping of games to
eliminate the possibility of any future confusion, or unintentional
violations. The league apologizes to Coach Belichick, the New England
Patriots organization, and the New England fans for the discomfort they have
suffered as a result of this situation."

I am dead serious. I am also 100% certain that this has as much chance
of happening as I have of replacing Belichick as Head Coach next season!
Damn the bureaucrats that run the NFL!

Clearance to videotape and position on field to videotape granted and compliant with leagues rules, but did they check the tape?

For George Richman: When you become HC of the Pats, you can make me your OC. (lol)