
Well, hold the phone. At NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's press conference following his meeting with ex-Patriots employee Matt Walsh, Goodell said there would be no new sanctions against the Patriots because "there was no Rams walk-through tape."
But afterward, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reported that although Walsh didn't tape the Rams' walk-through, he attended it, watched what the Rams did and reported back to the team's coaching staff about what he saw.
Specifically, according to Paolantonio, Walsh told Brian Daboll, a Patriots assistant coach, about the way the Rams planned to align their tight end against the Patriots' defense, and that the Rams lined up in a kick return formation in which Marshall Faulk took the field.
If Paolantonio's report is accurate, Goodell should have mentioned it at his press conference -- and you can bet Senator Arlen Specter will mention it later today. As far as Goodell is concerned, this issue is over, but Paolantonio's report is just the kind of information Specter needs to keep Spygate alive.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-13-2008 @ 1:59PM
Jerry said...
I wouldn't believe anything ESPN states. They just want to keep this alive so that they have something to talk about on the air.
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5-13-2008 @ 2:00PM
Horatio said...
question is: how did he come to see the Ram's walk through, and why was he in that position.
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5-13-2008 @ 2:58PM
dA said...
Wow.....these ESPN guys really need to do some real reporting and get a real story. Whats the matter boys??? The Rams walk-thru story didnt pan out the way you liked it? You might as well call the entire Rams team and coaches a bunch of idiots for running some high tech top secret plays in practice while Patriot employees, DRESSED IN PATRIOT GEAR,were on the sidelines setting up equipment with both security and the NFL's permission.
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5-13-2008 @ 3:52PM
Peter said...
It's rather suspicious that these details about him attending but not recording didn't come out until after it was verified that there was no tape, just sayin'
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5-13-2008 @ 3:55PM
jshanahan said...
Please let this die already! Jeezz.......
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5-13-2008 @ 4:40PM
rick said...
sal grow up and stop hating. just because bb wont give you crap to write you have to make things up and try to make a mountain out of mole hill
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5-13-2008 @ 5:30PM
nickstoli said...
Belicheat lucked out. This guy Walsh is a doofus. Why say he had the tape when he didn't? He has no credibility whatsoever. He hasn't produced anything that wasn't already known.
Belicheat's laughing off while thinking up new ways to cheat.
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5-13-2008 @ 5:59PM
lk said...
So what if they did. That is not against the rules, right? It was not videotaping. And besides, would you put your faith in a video assistant when it comes to signals? That he saw and described things accurately? Please.
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5-13-2008 @ 6:11PM
Dennis said...
I smell a cover up
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5-13-2008 @ 6:15PM
LFunchesC21 said...
Belichick and his crowd should be dimissed from the game. If Goodell really means busines she should come down on them as hard as he did Michael vick. Michael lied about dog fighting, sometghing that did not affect the outcome of any game he played in. Belechick and his crew out and out cheated and they should be run out of the game. Anything less will confirm that there is a double standard.
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5-13-2008 @ 6:23PM
todd said...
He forgot to mention the button on his jacket was a HD camera, and his pen was a high tech recording device!
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5-13-2008 @ 6:34PM
wme98 said...
So the cover-up continues. Sounds very much like someone got to Walsh. Wonder whether they threatened his life of that of his family members. Goodell lied like crazy in the news conferenc today. Surprised he could keep a sraight face. owners should fire him immediately.
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5-13-2008 @ 7:34PM
dA said...
Could be worse. The Pats could have Tony "the Savior" Dungy as the coach. Then we could be talking about neglecting kids and all that good stuff.
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5-13-2008 @ 7:52PM
joe wallace said...
For all the haters, even if what he said IS true, watching an opposing team is NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT a violation of any rule. NOT. NOT.
Just so we're clear.
Secondly, if this guy had credibility, he would have said, MONTHS ago that he did not have the tape that he was reported to have. But he didn't.
And for you conspiracy theorists out there, sure, Robert, "Luka Brozzi" Kraft put his muscle on Walsh. LOL.
I don't expect the haters, hypocrites and morons to give it a rest. But I do suggest that you check out that new site on how the moon landing was a fake. It's cool.
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5-13-2008 @ 9:47PM
mike said...
it was a very good game the pats won by 3 i mean should we look at every superbowl game and see if all teams taped i mean come on its over the jets did it and got caught by the pats nothing happend the pats went to 1-15 to this in 17 yrs come on i didnt see clevland go to the superbowl under bill maybe the team the players wanted it more isnt that what sports is all about the coach choaches the players play the game face it the players wanted it more all 3 times lets get over this cause the next season is coming up and really the pat made a mark going 18-0 i'll give all you people 17-0 and made the other teams cry all last yr
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5-13-2008 @ 10:09PM
mike said...
the pats gave up a first rd pick 5th and money to get bill from the jets his first yr here in patoits land he went 8 and 7 no one talked about taping then the next yr drew went down and came in brady and they won the yr after they didnt make the playoffs and then they won 2 in a row and after lost to indy is it taping or is it the players
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5-13-2008 @ 10:14PM
mike said...
and before belicheck there was pacrcels who took the pat to the superbowl in 2 yrs
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5-13-2008 @ 10:25PM
Spleeve said...
Regarding Spygate… It's not about hating the Patriots. There is a larger point that everyone seems to be missing. I think most of us, using the power of deduction, could easily have figured out that Matt Walsh had nothing different from what Goodell professes he found consistent with what he already saw in September of 2007. What raises eyebrows with everyone is not the evidence that is currently available, it is the evidence that was destroyed, which must have been so horrifically shocking, compared to what we already know, as to hide it for all eternity by destroying it.
Here’s the what I mean…
Think about this. Walsh was let go after the 2002 season, early in Belichick’s head coaching career. Bad behavior, by it’s very nature, tends to start small, and if unchecked, grows into more serious bad behavior. Just like Pot is a gateway drug to more powerful and serious drugs, Belichick found a way to cheat early on and get away with it, and it’s not hard to surmise that he has come up with more devisive ways in the recent past few years to subvert NFL rules for his own gain.
The more important evidence is what he had done recently. Based on Belichick’s arrogant attitude to thumb his nose at the NFL at the beginning of the season, it’s not a far reach to assume that he would do ANYTHING to win. This is a man that is morally bankrupt. What makes you think the Patriots didn’t turn over everything and didn’t have a bonfire of their own?
The real damning evidence is now gone, thanks to Roger Goodell destroying it, not to protect the Patriots, but to protect the integrity of the NFL and preventing a Pandora’s box of serious aggressions blowing up leaving countless casualties ( ie; teams, coaches and other fans who were cheated ) and how could Roger possibly make it RIGHT – to re-write history? Take away superbowl wins? I understand why he would want to sweep this under the rug. It’s easier, and it prevents damage to the NFL. But I think the more intelligent know that what is being presented by Goodell is a white-wash. It just isn’t adding up.
What was on those tapes that he destroyed. This whole thing smells to high heaven, and if you think otherwise, you are delusional and in serious denial. If the tapes Roger confiscated back in September 2007 were innocuous, wouldn’t it have been better to make those available for review and close the book on any question, than to destroy them and forever have it be a question on everyone’s mind.
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5-13-2008 @ 10:26PM
srb said...
Spygate was both a mis-reported, and poorly reported event. Any information favorable to the Patriots was quickly dropped from stories, (anyone remember polariods were ok of the same info) leaving the innuendo that the Patriots ran a master spy operation. Events that would put the patriots in a bad light were rehashed in later articles and the public misled. Added to this there are some pretty dumb and mean announcers and writers. It almost seemed that if it was a slow news day, just rehash some info injurious to the patriots.
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5-14-2008 @ 6:16AM
ANT said...
thank christ that we can put this spygate crap to rest all it is was a big distraction for the pats and the superbowl...
and are you happy now proctor now stick to politics leave the sports investigation to the pros stick to runnin pennsylvania just dont be a hate cause we beat up the eagles...
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