The New England Patriots already endured SpyGate. On Monday, accusations have surfaced about a Robert Kraft employee filming the Bengals sideline.
Not again.
Those two words must be the prevailing thought of everyone in the greater New England area.
On Monday, a story began swirling about a Robert Kraft employee filming the Cincinnati Bengals’ coaching staff during Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Reportedly, the employee was given credentialed access to film for a documentary the New England Patriots are putting together about scouting in the NFL.
However, ESPN’s Dianna Russini is reporting that the Bengals were monitoring the film’s content in real time, and caught the employee spying on signals throughout the first quarter.
At this point, the videographer was confronted by Cincinnati in the press box, where he allegedly offered to delete the tape without any further argument. The offer was then declined, per Russini, and the tape is now in the hands of both the Bengals and the National Football League.
Belichick has already distanced himself, telling WEEI radio that he and the coaching staff have no knowledge of the situation. Belichick stated the filming was strictly about a production, which is consistent with reports from NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport from Monday afternoon.
Of course, all of this brings back memories of SpyGate. In 2007, the Patriots were caught illegally filming the New York Jets and their signals. The resulting punishment was a $250,000 team fine, a $500,000 fine for head coach Bill Belichick and the forfeiture of a 2008 first-round draft pick.
In 2014, there was DeflateGate. The Indianapolis Colts famously accused the Patriots of tampering with the air pressure in the footballs of the AFC Championship Game. In that case, commissioner Roger Goodell levied a $1 million fine on the Patriots and suspended quarterback Tom Brady for four games.
All this leads back to the current situation. If Goodell reviews the film and believes the Patriots are in clear violation of league rules, this would be a third offense for the Kraft-Belichick regime.
One wonders how extreme the punishment could be. If Goodell reviews the tapes quickly and finds wrongdoing, could Belichick be suspended? Would another first-round pick and potentially other selections be forfeited? Everything about the situations remains unclear, but all possibilities are on the table.
Regardless, the Patriots have been sloppy to find themselves in this predicament. New England has been at the center of numerous scandals throughout its elongated dynasty, and while this could prove innocent, it’s still poor judgement by the franchise.
At the least, it’s poor optics for an organization many in the league have long been leery of. At worst, it smacks of overt cheating.
Until more facts emerge, New England will be holding its collective breath. Hoping, thinking, wishing, not again.