Oscar Gamble Society

I’m not being facetious, and freely admit, I just may be obtuse.  But… I don’t get why videotaping an opponent’s defensive signals is such an issue.

I understand its an explicit rule, and when the Pats chose to break the rule (even after what was apparently several warnings), they earned whatever penalty/consequence(s) is/are handed down by the Long Arm of the Law, Roger Goodell.  I understand that, and happen to agree with it.  Shame on the Patriots for ignoring the warnings.  They deserve their fate.

But I don’t understand why the rule is in place.  Whether or not anyone else is videotaping (ideally not, as it is against the rules), it seems that most people in and out of the sport acknowledge that everyone is trying to steal signs.  This is in the form of one sideline watching another.  This is the players on the field listening to the opponents calls to try and decipher what they’ll do (especially on audibles).  This is players getting close to the line of scrimmage to see if they hear something from the huddle (which seems doubtful).  In baseball, this is one dugout trying to decipher the other dugout’s signs.  This is the runner on 2B trying to decipher the catcher’s signs.  This all seems to be seen as perfectly legal.  Whatever it is… the point is that deception is necessary cuz the other team is consistently trying to gain an edge by figuring out what you’re going to do and when.

So is the issue that one can’t really know whether someone is stealing/cheating in those cases, but specifically videotaping defensive calls is indisputable evidence of intent?  Is that it?  Really?

To me, it cannot be that one can break down videotape of the defensive calls after the game - or even during the game (and there seems to be different stories as to whether that’s actually helpful in the game the taping is being done or not, fwiw).  Teams get tapes for every game (after the game) from every conceivable angle, for the express purpose of figuring out what the other team did (or will do) - including tendencies that tip off exactly what they will do in the next moment.  This is not cheating.

During the game, photographs are sent down to the sidelines - for the QBs to look at defensive alignments… for defensive captains to look at offensive formations.  This is not cheating.

Technology *is* used during and after games to ascertain what a team did, and to figure out how to determine “tells” (poker term) to be used in the near or distant future to know (a) if they do “this”, then (b) this means they’re going to do “that”.  So why is using technology for defensive signals any different?

Finally, as I’ve heard many say - including Francona earlier this week, fwiw - that’s why teams switch up their signs on a regular basis… cuz the opponent *is* stealing and presumably deciphering the signs.  That’s why we see so many offensive coordinators with clipboards over the mouths as they talk to their QBs via wireless (and I still don’t get why the same isn’t done for the defense, which would eliminate this whole “issue”).  That’s why some teams have two (or more) coach/players on the sideline sending in defensive signals (in the absence of a defensive headset), and only the defensive captain knows who the “hot” signal caller is.

I’m clearly missing something.  I understand and agree that the Patriots should be punished for (repeatedly) breaking a stated rule.  I just don’t get why the rule’s in place in the first place.  Can somebody tell me what I’m missing, please?

Thanks.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 13th, 2007 at 3:47 pm and is filed under Sports, Football. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.