Football expert Florio determines Spygate is overstated and "moderate"

[Blue and Gold]

Rodney Harrison reacts to Shula’s use of “Beli-cheat”
Posted by Mike Florio on January 10, 2015, 8:04 AM EST

Getty Images
Recently, legendary NFL coach Don Shula referred to Patriots coach Bill Belichick as “Beli-cheat.” The story created plenty of buzz — and generated a large stack of approved (and deleted) comments from PFT Planet.

On Friday’s edition of PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio, former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison defended Belichick against Shula’s remark, and also gave Belichick high praise.

“I just think it’s flat-out disrespectful,” Harrison said. “I always have respect for Don Shula. I don’t think that Bill Belichick deserves that. People make mistakes and do things, but Bill Belichick has proven that he’s the greatest coach of all time. You can look at the last decade of what he’s done, what he’s been able to accomplish. But it’s one of those things where as a coach, another well-respected coach, you don’t come out and say those things like that about another coach. I think it’s flat-out disrespectful.”

Shula’s comments, rooted in the lingering fumes of Spygate, overstate the value of the infraction (videotaping the opponent’s defensive coaching signals) and overlook the reality that plenty of mild-to-moderate (and worse) cheating occurred throughout the sport before, during, and after Shula’s coaching tenure. The bigger question is whether Harrison accurately pegs Belichick as the greatest coach of all time.

I have a feeling a few of you may be chiming in on that one below.

 

[iced]

Florio a football expert

That's like sayin Ryan Leaf was a franchise QB

 

[Lesson]

Florio is great at reporting or rehashing information. He does not have great football commentaries, however, IMO.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Harrison doesn't like it because he's tied to the Pats during the cheating years.

It happened, they were not stripped of their Lambardi and the cheater can still go to the HOF. Who really got screwed?

 

[iced]

Florio is great at reporting or rehashing information. He does not have great football commentaries, however, IMO.

I don't think he's even good at that.

He wrote a friggen article saying that "The Seahawks Locker room doesn't feel Russel Wilson is black enough" and tried to make it into an issue..

Guys a grade A tool. He has a degree in Law yet he basically is a reporter for sports - bet he failed as a lawyer as well.

He's the Jerry Springer/Maury of Sports reporting

 

[Pancake]

The cheating should be mentioned every time Bellicheats greatness is mentioned. Calling him the greatest coach ever is an insult to all the truly great coaches who earned their marks fairly..

 

[Stranger]

Shula’s comments, rooted in the lingering fumes of Spygate, overstate the value of the infraction (videotaping the opponent’s defensive coaching signals) and overlook the reality that plenty of mild-to-moderate (and worse) cheating occurred throughout the sport before, during, and after Shula’s coaching tenure. The bigger question is whether Harrison accurately pegs Belichick as the greatest coach of all time.

No, the issue is that the Patriots score differential between them and their opponents was so far outside the statistical norms as to be ridiculous. Somewhere on this board I've posted this data before. It screams of the fact that there were other factors involved. But I guess Rodney Harrison don't do Maths.

 

[Legatron4]

I know the Pats cheated. But they only taped walkthroughs right? Don't you still have to execute plays correctly and have enough talent to score points? I mean with all the technology now you can pretty much have whatever video tapes you want. Plus they haven't stopped winning since they got caught. Maybe I don't understand quite to the extent of which they cheated. But I feel like people act like any old college team could have went out and went 16-0 just by taping walkthroughs. Did you see some of the catches Moss had that year? My point is, I think people(especially Rams fans) blow this out of proportion a little. The Super Bowl I can understand. The Patriots shouldn't have won and taping our practices probably helped. But besides that you can't deny how good they've been all these years.

 

[iced]

But they only taped walkthroughs right?

Little more than that - signs, signals, etc. Its enough to still keep Marshall upset about it.. think he sounded off on it a year or 2 ago around super bowl time... Wonder if I can find the clip, was a good one

 

[Boffo97]

I know the Pats cheated. But they only taped walkthroughs right? Don't you still have to execute plays correctly and have enough talent to score points? I mean with all the technology now you can pretty much have whatever video tapes you want. Plus they haven't stopped winning since they got caught. Maybe I don't understand quite to the extent of which they cheated. But I feel like people act like any old college team could have went out and went 16-0 just by taping walkthroughs. Did you see some of the catches Moss had that year? My point is, I think people(especially Rams fans) blow this out of proportion a little. The Super Bowl I can understand. The Patriots shouldn't have won and taping our practices probably helped. But besides that you can't deny how good they've been all these years.

I don't think they taped a walkthrough. They DID tape defensive signals in every game from when Belichick became coach until they got caught.

Yes, you still have to execute on the field, but knowing what play the defense is calling while the other team doesn't have such an advantage is huge. And I've always been of the school of thought that if you cheat, you are tacitly admitting that you NEED to cheat in order to win.

If we had a commissioner more concerned with actual integrity of the league than perceived integrity of the league, the penalty would have been retroactive forfeiture of every single game since Belichick became coach, including the 3 Super Bowls.

 

[Blue and Gold]

. Plus they haven't stopped winning since they got caught.

They have stopped in winning Super Bowls. But I get what you are saying, but this stuff helps, IMO, on the margins. Of coruse you still have to block and tackle and throw and catch . . .but when you play another team that can also run and catch and tackler and throw and catch, what separates the two?

I happen to think they don't spy anymore and that they are a good team and Belicheat is a good coach. But, when you do something, and you get caught, you reap what you sew . . . and he will get criticized the rest of his life . .. now, if the tapes were not burned and the investigation not a farce . . .then I'd lean more towards your POV. But, really, we don't know WTF they did from 2000-2007 . .. maybe they don't even get to Super Bowl in 2001, they barely beat Steelers, the benefit from the tuck rule, etc. Then they beat Manning . .. maybe Manning's teams were jsut as good, but a couple players here or there, on the margins . . .helped.

I only speak for me, but I think the cheating helps when you have a smart coaching staff and smart players who can take bits of data and help stop a play that should have worked, or change a play that would have been picked to a touchdown.

I do think, though, they still do some surveylance of opponents hotels, etc. . . but that it's getting tougher and tought to do as team go digital, but if you had a Pat fan running the WiFi in an opponent hotel you could have an "in" to playbooks . . .not that I think it is happening, but it's possible and if any team would do that it would be them

 

[Athos]

Florio is a slug.

People make mistakes and do things, but Bill Belichick has proven that he’s the greatest coach of all time.

No SB titles since being found out as a fraud, dipshit.

--

Cheating is cheating is cheating. And it is even worse when your ass gets caught, because then you deserve the cheater moniker the rest of your life, particularly when it comes to sports.

 

[Legatron4]

Little more than that - signs, signals, etc. Its enough to still keep Marshall upset about it.. think he sounded off on it a year or 2 ago around super bowl time... Wonder if I can find the clip, was a good one

Yeah, I get that. I totally understand they cheated and the punishment should have been much worse. I would like to see a documentary on it. But I doubt they would ever reveal that info.

They have stopped in winning Super Bowls. But I get what you are saying, but this stuff helps, IMO, on the margins. Of coruse you still have to block and tackle and throw and catch . . .but when you play another team that can also run and catch and tackler and throw and catch, what separates the two?

I happen to think they don't spy anymore and that they are a good team and Belicheat is a good coach. But, when you do something, and you get caught, you reap what you sew . . . and he will get criticized the rest of his life . .. now, if the tapes were not burned and the investigation not a farce . . .then I'd lean more towards your POV. But, really, we don't know WTF they did from 2000-2007 . .. maybe they don't even get to Super Bowl in 2001, they barely beat Steelers, the benefit from the tuck rule, etc. Then they beat Manning . .. maybe Manning's teams were jsut as good, but a couple players here or there, on the margins . . .helped.

I only speak for me, but I think the cheating helps when you have a smart coaching staff and smart players who can take bits of data and help stop a play that should have worked, or change a play that would have been picked to a touchdown.

I do think, though, they still do some surveylance of opponents hotels, etc. . . but that it's getting tougher and tought to do as team go digital, but if you had a Pat fan running the WiFi in an opponent hotel you could have an "in" to playbooks . . .not that I think it is happening, but it's possible and if any team would do that it would be them

If they really do surveillance that's really, really pathetic and should be banned forever and ever. I think that might be a little far fetched but I could see that as a possibility. I wouldn't put anything past the Patriots.

 

[FRO]

If the league let all the information out instead of hiding it, it would be a much bigger scandal. They robbed us of a Super Bowl by cheating.

 

[Angry Ram]

Florio is great at reporting or rehashing information. He does not have great football commentaries, however, IMO.

He's a hack. He attempts to make non-issues into issues. Finding one quote and turning it into a big deal. Probably the worst "reporter", hell I don't even call him a reporter. I compare him to Regina George from Mean Girls.

 

[RamFan503]

overstate the value of the infraction (videotaping the opponent’s defensive coaching signals

Come on. They videoed our pre-Superbowl walk throughs. That may not seem like much but if you know the alignments and the plays that go with them, you have a definite advantage in being in the right place at the right time. Mind you - we only lost by 3 points. Yeah - didn't make any difference - did it. And Martz wasn't prophetic when he said after the game that it seemed like thy had our playbook Fuck Bellicheat and fuck the patsies.

Oh - and we are supposed to buy that it was just a few defensive signals that were stolen and therefor all evidence should be destroyed. What a lark.

 

[Zombie Slayer]

The fact that the tapes were destroyed instead of being released only shows that there was very damning things on them that they did not want everyone to see. Why else would you destroy the tapes? If it wasn't really that bad, then you release them to show the people. Instead, you have this. We will never know the truth now.

 

[Faceplant]

Patsies are a fraud of an organization. Everything from stealing signals (I know, all teams do it to an extend, but not like these fucks), to taping practices to having that asshole with the photographic memory (Ernie Adams, look that nerd up) in the booth making Belicheat look like a wizard. That shit is like counting cards. If you get that Ernie Adams out of there, I would like to see how fucking smart ol' Bill is. Fuck the fucking patriots.

EDIT: As recent as that game in London, they have been stealing plays/signals. Watch that game again (if you can stomach it). Tell me if you honestly don't think they knew what our defense was bringing on EVERY play. I dare you. They could have won that game by 80 if they had wanted to.

 

[RamFan503]

And BTW - no bullshit tuck rule and the patsies aren't even in the Superbowl that year. How does that affect bellifat's "dynasty"?

 

[Mackeyser]

I told my best friend after 9/11... and I know it sucks to say this...

"there is no way a team other than one named "the Patriots" wins the Super Bowl this year. Which sucks because this is our year."

And you see how it all lined up and... well...