Patriots Are Out Of Excuses, NFL Does The Right Thing in Dallas

BY ADAM GREENE

In an exclusive with Fox Sports, Jay Glazer did his job as a journalist and unveiled a video of the New England Patriots’ staffer recording the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline during their game against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 8.

In case you didn’t know, the Pats tried to explain this all as a mistake. A film crew sent to video a scout for “Do Your Job.” Only the guy running the camera was doing another job, obviously, recording Cincy’s coaches on the sideline in a clear violation of NFL rules and one New England has been busted doing before.

The tape is eight-minutes long and, at no point, shows the “scout” that was supposed to be featured in the segment. It’s obviously an attempt by New England to cheat, here as their season is faltering, and go back to the “magic” that handed them three undeserved Super Bowl championships to open their “dynasty*.”

The Pats have tossed the producer of the video, Dave Mondillo, under the bus and suspended him as they continue to try to distance themselves from what is obvious, on its face, to anyone with working eyes and ears.

Roger Goodell, who carried the Patriots’ water during the original SpyGate investigation and even ordered the destruction of all evidence involved, said that he’ll not make a judgment until the investigation is completed. Last time New England was fined $250,000 and lost their 2008 first round pick. Bill Belichick was fined $500,000.

What’s different this time is that we have the evidence, the recording in question, before Goodell could get his grubby little hands on it and set it on fire.

How seriously this is taken, and how Goodell responds, will likely be determined by NFL owners outside of Robert Kraft and the Patriots. Hopefully, they’ll demand the hammer come down hard. There’s no excuse this time, no innocent argument that makes any sense after viewing the video. They did it again. They spied on an opposing team in order to get a competitive advantage and should be punished accordingly.

REF SCREWS UP COIN FLIP IN COWBOYS-RAMS GAME, NFL FIXES IT

Walt Anderson is 67 years-old and has no business being allowed to referee and NFL game. That’s one year past the United States’ retirement age. Anderson should be drawing his social security, not screwing up the most basic aspect of his job on national television.

But that’s what happened Sunday afternoon when Anderson, because he is too old to be refereeing a professional sport, didn’t hear Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott plainly say “defer” and not only awarded the Los Angeles Rams the ball to open the first half, but also the second.

First off, the idea that the actual words a player uses can screw up something so basic and integral to the game is something the NFL should look to change in its rulebook. At no time would a team want to give the opposing team the ball to open the game and open the second half. The fact that a player can just pick the wrong phrase at the coin flip and make that happen is completely insane. It’s 2019. There’s no excuse not to fix it.

But regardless of that, Prescott used the correct term, “defer.” Only old man Anderson didn’t hear it with his old ass ears and nearly turned the game into more of a farce than it eventually turned out to be.

The NFL league office stepped in and made the right call. The Cowboys got the ball to begin the second half and all was right with the world for a moment.

As for Anderson, it’s obvious the NFL needs to remove him from reffing anything. Old Man Anderson is a guy you unveil as the Phantom of AT&T Stadium at the end of a Scooby Doo episode. He’s not the guy you hand America’s Game of the Week.

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