Bengals File Filming Charge Against Patriots

[BigKen]

The anti-Patriot media types are chomping at the bit for something to happen. They were pushing the league for info yesterday at the weekly press conference and got, "The league is moving slowly to make sure that this issue is dealt with completely." One of the audience came back with....."How many people and how long does it take to look at and review twelve minutes of film?" End of press conference.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

I don't know why anyone is calling this analysis a "winner". Who's at fault? It's the kid. Who's going to pay is not relevant. You stated it yourself. The kid who committed the act is at fault.

Were you supposed to alert the families in advance that there was a potential for their child to be drowned at the party and they should attend at their own risk?

I gave it a winner because I was going to post a very similar analogy.
Who's at fault, who is accountable, who is responsible, who is culpable...Whatthefuckever. Splitting fucking hairs.
The Pats told the Browns because it was in their stadium.

Were the Pats required to tell the Bengals too? I don't know. They could have though, out of courtesy.
Were the Browns required to tell the Bengals? Again, don't know. But, also, they could have out of common courtesy regardless.

It is the Browns fault that nobody from the browns made sure the Bengals knew.
It is the Pats fault that nobody from the Pats made sure that the Bengals were aware, regardless of who was required too.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

The Suck for Luck campaign was cheating. By the way, Haha on that one. You guys cheated and all you have to show for it is a participation banner. LMAO!

Piping noise into the stadium sound system is cheating. I think you guys still lost that game. Haha!

Manning taking steroids is cheating(and everybody knows he did). Manning then takes his cheating ass and wins a Super Bowl with the Broncos NOT the Colts. Haha!!!!!!!

Needles on the sideline is cheating too...And they lost that one as well.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

For what? The length of his neck?

Forehead.

Height of his forehead.

 

[SDGuy73]

No comments after seeing the tape? Why is this empty? No defending that tape. Absolutely fucking stupid. Bye-bye BB if they track this back to you. Lifetime ban. Hello to the McDaniel's era for Pats nation.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

I mean yeah if they track it back to Bill, sure.

But I’m pretty confident if Bill were involved he would’ve wanted video of the FRONT of the Bengals’ sideline. SMDH.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

David Mondillo is a supervising producer for Kraft Sports and Entertainment on a project to profile one of the teams pro scouts. In the statement, he said that he took footage of the field in order to convey what the scout sees from the press box and that he stopped shooting immediately when asked to stop filming by Bengals security.

“I had no intention to provide footage to football operations, I did not provide any footage, and I was never asked to do so,” Mondillo said in the statement.

 

[gob]

Only reason we lost

 

[YankeeRebel]

Wow this is bad, eight minutes of footage of the Bengals sidelines, eight minutes, sub packages, line changes, signals whatever else they have eight minutes that's a lot. IMO the Pats top brass is responsible for this Krafts, BB, etc. I am very near the point of switching my allegiances until BB is gone. And before anyone starts in I really don't need all the comments, this is incredibly frustrating, most of you have been in heated debates about past scandals. I expressed I feel the cheated in Spygate 1 and I feel the defelategate scandal was more than the Natural Gas Laws, this looks bad and if the league determines there was intent I am done with this team until the culture changes.

 

[BigKen]

I saw the film with the dialogue between everyone in the booth. Film was taken behind the Bengals from the press box with no enhancement or enlargement. The guy filming apologized and offered to erase it on the spot and the Bengal guy said, "Too late, the damage is done." The film continually goes from the sideline to the field and back. It does not stay on one person or in one place. The league is reviewing it frame by frame to see if any signal was photographed that could be seen. The entire thing was shot when one team was coming off and one team going on. (Offense/Defense/Special Teams).

I don't think that there will be more than a fine because there are no signals when teams are switching and picking up any type of signal from behind would be stupid. If you wanted to film signals, you'd do it from the Brown's side with a minicam and not dressed in Patriots' gear.

 

[YankeeRebel]

I saw the film with the dialogue between everyone in the booth. Film was taken behind the Bengals from the press box with no enhancement or enlargement. The guy filming apologized and offered to erase it on the spot and the Bengal guy said, "Too late, the damage is done." The film continually goes from the sideline to the field and back. It does not stay on one person or in one place. The league is reviewing it frame by frame to see if any signal was photographed that could be seen. The entire thing was shot when one team was coming off and one team going on. (Offense/Defense/Special Teams).

I don't think that there will be more than a fine because there are no signals when teams are switching and picking up any type of signal from behind would be stupid. If you wanted to film signals, you'd do it from the Brown's side with a minicam and not dressed in Patriots' gear.

All of this may be true but IMO the fact the guy said "We can just erase it: was an admission that he knew what he was doing was wrong. And I agree 100% let's see what the league say's before we start cutting off heads, it may just turn out the film crew is fired and Pats get a fine and nothing but a fine. I saw a snippet of the eight minutes and that is all I'll hold judgement but if it ends up being more than a simple fine and a "Ohh My Bad" we'll have to see.

Its flipping crazy this even happened again.

 

[nefansince75]

Wow this is bad, eight minutes of footage of the Bengals sidelines, eight minutes, sub packages, line changes, signals whatever else they have eight minutes that's a lot. IMO the Pats top brass is responsible for this Krafts, BB, etc. I am very near the point of switching my allegiances until BB is gone. And before anyone starts in I really don't need all the comments, this is incredibly frustrating, most of you have been in heated debates about past scandals. I expressed I feel the cheated in Spygate 1 and I feel the defelategate scandal was more than the Natural Gas Laws, this looks bad and if the league determines there was intent I am done with this team until the culture changes.

You are assuming this is more than just a mistake by someone with no connection to football operations.

1) We should see if anyone with insight finds anything of true value within the footage
2) An investigation should be made as to the true connection of those filming and the operations
3) An offer to delete may be just the cameraman's reading the security persons level of concern as the reason for concern and not an admission of guilt.

I'm not saying this does smell of possible cheating, just that the adage "where there's smoke, there's fire" doesn't always indicate the source of the fire.

 

[nefansince75]

Wow this is bad, eight minutes of footage of the Bengals sidelines, eight minutes, sub packages, line changes, signals whatever else they have eight minutes that's a lot. IMO the Pats top brass is responsible for this Krafts, BB, etc. I am very near the point of switching my allegiances until BB is gone. And before anyone starts in I really don't need all the comments, this is incredibly frustrating, most of you have been in heated debates about past scandals. I expressed I feel the cheated in Spygate 1 and I feel the defelategate scandal was more than the Natural Gas Laws, this looks bad and if the league determines there was intent I am done with this team until the culture changes.

These scandals have something in common: More than what meets the eye.

It the years before spygate the teams had more latitude with recording opponents. Specifically recording signals has never been prohibited and certain practices were common until the league clarified rules before 2007. Part of that clarification may have been a tit for tat action between the Pats and the Jets. My understanding of the action that initiated the investigation was more about the Pats thumbing their noses at the Jets (come on, a man in a yellow vest practically yelling "look at me!"). The league had a melt down because they specifically clarified the practice should be stopped.

Similar with deflategate. It's well known Brady likes his footballs inflated on the lower side of the regulated pressure range. What if the footballs were at 11lb 15 oz? Would the officials decline the balls or fill them? What if the official over fills the footballs? My understanding is in at least one game this happened. Maybe it became routine and the football guy corrected them "with or without authorization"? Maybe this is the reason why they were found guilty despite the ideal gas law evidence, because the ball dropped from 13lbs and not 12lbs.

I don't doubt the Pats were very guilty in their scandals, but I doubt that guilt belongs in a vacuum.

 

[YankeeRebel]

You are assuming this is more than just a mistake by someone with no connection to football operations.

1) We should see if anyone with insight finds anything of true value within the footage
2) An investigation should be made as to the true connection of those filming and the operations
3) An offer to delete may be just the cameraman's reading the security persons level of concern as the reason for concern and not an admission of guilt.

I'm not saying this does smell of possible cheating, just that the adage "where there's smoke, there's fire" doesn't always indicate the source of the fire.

If the are filing on behalf of the Patriots Organization then they are part of football operations, I am not assuming that, that's a fact. If they work for the Pats or on behalf of the Pats then the Pats hold some blame.

1. I agree which is why I said lets wait and see what the league finds. There is a very good chance there was no competitive edge gained. The issue the league has is determining if there could have been if they didn't get busted.

2. I agree but like I said if they are hire by of are part of the Pats organization the Pats hold some responsibility here. Wouldn't it make sense the Pats would say something to the effect of "Hey know opposing team footage"?

3. It seems more likely to me the cameraman knew full well he screwed the pooch and wanted to sweep the whole thing under the rug. But that is just my opinion again the league has to figure that out. It does bed the question what could have been of not busted?

In the end this may well come down to the one person acting of his own accord, I certainly hope that is the case. After what the team has been through in the past I can't imagine the assignment including " Hey get us some film if you can". Again I just want to see what the league determines.

 

[YankeeRebel]

David Mondillo is a supervising producer for Kraft Sports and Entertainment on a project to profile one of the teams pro scouts. In the statement, he said that he took footage of the field in order to convey what the scout sees from the press box and that he stopped shooting immediately when asked to stop filming by Bengals security.

“I had no intention to provide footage to football operations, I did not provide any footage, and I was never asked to do so,” Mondillo said in the statement.

And if this is all true then No Harm, No Foul. But he still had to know filming teams without the permission of the NFL was wrong, how could he not have known this? If this asshole is the only guilty party in this great, if the league determines the Pats gained no edge great. It does lead me to question how many games this guy taped? Where are those tapes if it's more than one?

 

[BigKen]

UPDATE..................UPDATE.................UPDATE

Pro Football Talk 12/23/2019

NFL investigators have become extremely frustrated investigating any link between Kraft Productions and the New England Patriots Football operation. They have been unable to find any physical or electronic evidence that the two businesses of Robert Kraft have ever been connected or have even spoken.

After looking at every device available, no phone calls, texts or emails exist between the operations.

The investigators were assigned the task after a frame by frame check of the video taken at the Browns/Bengals game showed no signals or gestures during the thirteen-minute section taken of the team or sideline.

Looks like harmless video and now a useless investigation. Right now, it appears that a fine might be the only thing that the NFL can hand down, and no draft pick losses.

Ten again, Johnathan Kraft supposedly has been calmed down by his father because JK wants to file a suit against the NFL for fixing football games. Sending a case like that to court could blow up the league. It's like one guy saying that there is a God. The other guy says prove it. The first guy provides a video of the Saints/Rams and the Patriots/Chiefs. The first guy turns around and says prove there isn't.

 

[ohiopatsfan]

If true, reports that the NFL is frustrated at not digging up dirt in the latest spygate dustup is almost laughable. In the end, Goodell may just ignore the lack of evidence and indict the Pats on "prior bad acts". Hopefully, any penalty will be monetary without loss of draft choices.

 

[YankeeRebel]

UPDATE..................UPDATE.................UPDATE

Pro Football Talk 12/23/2019

NFL investigators have become extremely frustrated investigating any link between Kraft Productions and the New England Patriots Football operation. They have been unable to find any physical or electronic evidence that the two businesses of Robert Kraft have ever been connected or have even spoken.

After looking at every device available, no phone calls, texts or emails exist between the operations.

The investigators were assigned the task after a frame by frame check of the video taken at the Browns/Bengals game showed no signals or gestures during the thirteen-minute section taken of the team or sideline.

Looks like harmless video and now a useless investigation. Right now, it appears that a fine might be the only thing that the NFL can hand down, and no draft pick losses.

Ten again, Johnathan Kraft supposedly has been calmed down by his father because JK wants to file a suit against the NFL for fixing football games. Sending a case like that to court could blow up the league. It's like one guy saying that there is a God. The other guy says prove it. The first guy provides a video of the Saints/Rams and the Patriots/Chiefs. The first guy turns around and says prove there isn't.

I hope its a harmless video I really do.

How they can't find any link does boggles the mind

 

[Yankee Traveler]

How they can't find any link does boggles the mind

Why?

If there is no link, there is no link.

 

[nefansince75]

I hope its a harmless video I really do.

How they can't find any link does boggles the mind

The best proof is the video itself. If it demonstrates footage that couldn't provide a competitive advantage then combined with the other lack of connections, the whole thing should be dropped without any penalties.

Prior bad acts? Last I checked jay walking isn't grounds to revoke parole.