Boston's top 10 sports stories of the decade

8. The Patriots' "spygate" saga

The whole controversy/scandal began when Jets coach Eric Mangini accused his former boss in New England, Bill Belichick, of illegally taping the Jets' signals on the sideline in 2007. Belichick was fined and the Patriots were docked a No. 1 draft pick . . . and that wasn't the end of it. The situation completely blew up right before the Super Bowl in February, when the Boston Herald reported that the Patriots, who had won their first 18 games that season, taped the Rams walk-through before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 (a report that was later retracted). Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh was the man of mystery during the whole process, but in the end he revealed little. The drama has since died down -- though Senator Arlen Spector, an Eagles fan who pushed for congressional hearings on the situation, likely wishes otherwise.
Complete Spygate coverage

"The only thing that does matter now is the image of the New England Patriots. The sports community now associates the Patriots with cheating. The three Super Bowl championships are, and forever will be, under suspicion. The thought will never go away." -- Bob Ryan

The whole controversy/scandal began when Jets coach Eric Mangini accused his former boss in New England, Bill Belichick, of illegally taping the Jets' signals on the sideline in 2007. Belichick was fined and the Patriots were docked a No. 1 draft pick . . . and that wasn't the end of it. The situation completely blew up right before the Super Bowl in February, when the Boston Herald reported that the Patriots, who had won their first 18 games that season, taped the Rams walk-through before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 (a report that was later retracted). Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh was the man of mystery during the whole process, but in the end he revealed little. The drama has since died down -- though Senator Arlen Spector, an Eagles fan who pushed for congressional hearings on the situation, likely wishes otherwise. Complete Spygate coverage 'The only thing that does matter now is the image of the New England Patriots. The sports community now associates the Patriots with cheating. The three Super Bowl championships are, and forever will be, under suspicion. The thought will never go away.' -- Bob Ryan
Bill Greene / Globe File Photo