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| Randolph Charlotin. 12th May, 2008 - 3:33 pm
 Please tell me you saved the best for last.
During a meeting on Tuesday, former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh will finally speak with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to reveal what he knows about Bill Belichick and the Spygate controversy.
We’ve been waiting for this moment since we first heard you were in negotiations with the league to rat out your former employer. We’re hoping for some jaw-dropping information. The legal wrangling took long enough, so there better be a good reason for the delay.
Your first move was a complete dud. He turned over eight tapes to Goodell that showed recordings of defensive signals of six games between 2000 and 2002. Big deal. The NFL saw that from Belichick’s collection.
Maybe giving up the tapes is like a Peyton Manning play-action fake to keep us guessing some more. We think it’s coming right at us but you’ll hit us over the top of our heads with some serious bombshells. That gotta be it, right? Considering you were an insider, you should have some real good dirt besides a small collection of video tapes.
ESPN says that there were some offensive signals on one of your tapes. Not, bad, but is there anything better? Can you fully explain how the video was used? Was any of the video used in the second half of games, contradicting what Belichick said? Is there a Super Bowl XXXVI walkthrough tape?
This is just a sample of what we’re looking for. If Belichick is a low-down dirty cheater, there must be more. So don’t hold back. What other rules did the Patriots break? Was there a sideline guy with a directional microphone recording offensive audibles? Did they steal playbooks? How much info did New England get out of players recently released by upcoming opponents?
You must have something more than just stolen tapes. And whatever you’re holding back better be some serious infractions. We know you didn’t start the St. Louis Rams walkthrough rumor, but you did suggest that you had something on Belichick and the Patriots. So we want to hear it all.
At this point, I don’t care what. Give us inside information that us outsiders would never know about. What do you know about other teams stealing signs? I’d find it hard to believe that New England was the only team guilty of the practice. If they weren’t using video, what other methods do teams use to circumvent the rules?
Heck, why stop at game-related secrets? New England director of player personnel Scott Pioli accused you of secretly recording phone conversations. Tell us what morsels are on those cassettes. Is Tom Brady’s man-purse for men or is it a converted women’s purse? Who doesn’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom? Did you hear Belichick call his girlfriend his favorite tight end?
We really need to know. Are eight tapes the best you got? You must have something to add considering all the trouble it took to get you face-to-face with Goodell.
Ever since Walsh insinuated there was more to Spygate than what Belichick admitted to, the NFL and the fans wanted to hear his side. During Walsh’s silence, rumors sprouted like weeds. Some have been proven false, but some are still floating around. Whatever Walsh tells Goodell, it will finally bring closure to this drama. Whether it stops after the conversation or Goodell punishes Belichick and the Patriots further, it will mean the end to Spygate.
But if all Walsh has is a bunch of stolen tapes then the wait wasn’t worth it. He dragged the football community around since February just to keep his name in the spotlight. Don’t disappoint us. Either give us new details or you should had never whispered.
This Walsh story reminds me of an old joke: How do you keep an idiot in suspense? I’ll tell you tomorrow. We’ve waited over three months for Walsh to speak. Don’t play us for idiots.
To read more by Randolph Charlotin, check out his New England Patriots blog at http://www.newenglandpatriotsnews.com/randolphc/weblog/. Please send comments to lordrc@netzero.net. |
