As we try to digest this new ESPN Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus, I can sympathize with a three-foot snake that’s trying to swallow the leg of an elephant. Buried in the story is a nugget that could prompt someone to try to grab by the tail the tiger that is the NFL.

 

At some point after the Boston Herald reported in early 2008 that the Patriots had taped the Rams’ walk-through practice before Super Bowl XXXVI, a “panicked” Commissioner Roger Goodell asked former Rams coach Mike Martz to provide a statement “saying that he was satisfied with the NFL’s Spygate investigation and was certain the Patriots had not cheated and asking everyone to move on.”

 

So Martz provided a statement to the league. And ESPN showed the statement to Martz when interviewing him for the Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus. And Martz didn’t recognize portions of it.

 

“It shocked me,” Martz told ESPN. “It appears embellished quite a bit — some lines I know I didn’t write. Who changed it? I don’t know.”

 

And that was the end of it, as far as the ESPN Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus is concerned. There was no statement from the league office denying any changes to the statement. There was no apparent effort to procure the original statement, if there was one.

 

If Martz is right, that’s a huge deal. If the NFL changed in any way a statement from Martz that was used to placate Senator Arlen Specter and to block a Congressional investigation, this is the kind of thing that could turn the NFL into FIFA.

 

Mike Martz was ?shocked? by apparent changes to statement he gave to the NFL | ProFootballTalk

The NFL is looking ultra corrupt to me.

Maybe Sepp Blatter can step in after Roger Goodell is gone.

OTL had a bit on ESPN this morning about Spygate and said that when the NFL met with the Patriots in Foxboro that the NFL stomped and destroyed all tapes related to spygate and then shredded all documents in front of the Patriots lawyers. Then a lawyer for the Pats picked it all up and put it in a garbage bag never to be seen again. NFL said at the time there were 6-8 times the Pats videoed other teams...OTL said the Patriots themselves said it was over 40 times.

 

Roger was taken to task by other owners over the way this was swept under the carpet and he promised to come down hard on the next team that was caught cheating...thus Deflategate.

Martz said that Goodell sounded frantic when he called him for the statement. Arlen Spector was threatening a Senate hearing on the NFL and he was scared.

I'm sure Sportscenter will show this mornings OTL again today...need to watch it to see just how corrupt or inept the NFL was in investigating the Patriots during Spygate.

Interesting timing.

Goodell is a crooked liar and has been this whole time.

The story on ESPN today makes Goodell, The Patriots and the NFL all 3 look bad.

Goodell is a crooked liar and has been this whole time.

 

The Patriots are looking worse as an organization.

I've said for years you take away fantasy football and point spreads and the NFL is soccer.

Fire Roger Goodell. He sucks.

Maybe Sepp Blatter can step in after Roger Goodell is gone.

 

One of your better ones Papa...love it!

 

Or maybe Goodell should step in for Sepp when Sepp is gone:)!

As we try to digest this new ESPN Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus, I can sympathize with a three-foot snake that’s trying to swallow the leg of an elephant. Buried in the story is a nugget that could prompt someone to try to grab by the tail the tiger that is the NFL.

 

At some point after the Boston Herald reported in early 2008 that the Patriots had taped the Rams’ walk-through practice before Super Bowl XXXVI, a “panicked” Commissioner Roger Goodell asked former Rams coach Mike Martz to provide a statement “saying that he was satisfied with the NFL’s Spygate investigation and was certain the Patriots had not cheated and asking everyone to move on.”

 

So Martz provided a statement to the league. And ESPN showed the statement to Martz when interviewing him for the Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus. And Martz didn’t recognize portions of it.

 

“It shocked me,” Martz told ESPN. “It appears embellished quite a bit — some lines I know I didn’t write. Who changed it? I don’t know.”

 

And that was the end of it, as far as the ESPN Patriots Alleged Cheating Opus is concerned. There was no statement from the league office denying any changes to the statement. There was no apparent effort to procure the original statement, if there was one.

 

If Martz is right, that’s a huge deal. If the NFL changed in any way a statement from Martz that was used to placate Senator Arlen Specter and to block a Congressional investigation, this is the kind of thing that could turn the NFL into FIFA.

 

Mike Martz was ?shocked? by apparent changes to statement he gave to the NFL | ProFootballTalk

 

I am sure Ted Wells and Jeff Pasch had something to do with the changing of the words of the letter after an "independent investigation"...

Also, if I was Mike Florio, I would have someone starting my car and testing my food...he has written some strong stuff against the "shield"...