Spector Questions NFL on Destroyed Tapes

[William Kelly]

Sen. Arlen Spector, of Philadelphia, wrote a letter to the NFL asking why videotapes of the Patriots stealing sideline signals were destroyed. The Pats previously beat Spector's team, the Eagles, in the Superbowl and Spector wants to know if they cheated then too.

Now if we can only get Spector to be equally upset at the destruction of JFK Assassination Records....BK

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf...estruction.html

Spector questions NFL's destruction of Patriots tapes

by The Associated Press Friday February 01, 2008, 3:04 PM

WASHINGTON -- With the Super Bowl this weekend, a powerful Republican senator says he wants the NFL to explain why it let evidence of the New England Patriots cheating scandal be destroyed.

"I am very concerned about the underlying facts on the taping, the reasons for the judgment on the limited penalties and, most of all, on the inexplicable destruction of the tapes," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., in a Thursday letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

http://' target="_blank">Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the matter could put the league's antitrust exemption at risk. "Their antitrust exemption has been on my mind for a long time," he said in a Capitol Hill news conference.

The matter may not compare to the CIA's destruction of interrogation tapes, Specter said, but he added, "I do believe that it is a matter of importance. It's not going to displace the stimulus package or the Iraq war, but I think the integrity of football is very important, and I think the National Football League has a special duty to the American people -- and further the Congress -- because they have an antitrust exemption."

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he didn't know anything about it during a Friday news conference. "It's a league matter," said Belichick, whose Patriots play Sunday in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants.

Goodell said he didn't think Spygate had tainted the Patriots' accomplishments. "What they did this season was done within the rules, on a level playing field," Goodell said. "There are very good explanations why I destroyed the tapes, or had them destroyed by our staff."

He said destroying the tapes was "the best way for me to make sure the Patriots had followed my instructions."

Locking up the evidence proved not to be an option. "We thought we had locked it up, and it got out five days later," Goodell said. "That was one of my concerns."

The New York Times first reported on Specter's letter.

NFL security confiscated a video camera and tape from a Patriots employee during New England's 38-14 victory over the New York Jets. The employee was accused of aiming his camera at the Jets' defensive coaches as they signaled to players on the field.

Goodell fined Belichick $500,000, the maximum amount, and docked the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick. It was the biggest fine ever for a coach and the first time in NFL history a first-round draft pick has been confiscated as a penalty.

After its investigation, the NFL said it destroyed all materials it received from the Patriots.

In a Jan. 31 letter to Specter which the senator released Friday, Goodell said the tapes and notes on the investigation were destroyed to ensure that the Patriots "would not secure any possible competitive advantage as a result of the misconduct."

Specter said the explanation "absolutely makes no sense at all," and blasted the commissioner for failing to respond to his inquiries on the matter for more than two months. Goodell said in his letter that he just became aware of Specter's questions Thursday.

"There's a credibility issue here," Specter said. He stopped short of charging a cover-up, but warned that the judiciary panel may want to probe the matter.

In the meantime, Specter said he might miss Sunday's big game. "I may play squash while it's on," Specter said.

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[Guest Stephen Turner]

"There's a credibility issue here," Specter said. He stopped short of charging a cover-up, but warned that the judiciary panel may want to probe the matter.

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[Michael G. Smith]

Sen. Arlen Spector, of Philadelphia, wrote a letter to the NFL asking why videotapes of the Patriots stealing sideline signals were destroyed. The Pats previously beat Spector's team, the Eagles, in the Superbowl and Spector wants to know if they cheated then too.

Now if we can only get Spector to be equally upset at the destruction of JFK Assassination Records....BK

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf...estruction.html

Spector questions NFL's destruction of Patriots tapes

by The Associated Press Friday February 01, 2008, 3:04 PM

WASHINGTON -- With the Super Bowl this weekend, a powerful Republican senator says he wants the NFL to explain why it let evidence of the New England Patriots cheating scandal be destroyed.

"I am very concerned about the underlying facts on the taping, the reasons for the judgment on the limited penalties and, most of all, on the inexplicable destruction of the tapes," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., in a Thursday letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

<a href="http://" target="_blank"></a>Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the matter could put the league's antitrust exemption at risk. "Their antitrust exemption has been on my mind for a long time," he said in a Capitol Hill news conference.

The matter may not compare to the CIA's destruction of interrogation tapes, Specter said, but he added, "I do believe that it is a matter of importance. It's not going to displace the stimulus package or the Iraq war, but I think the integrity of football is very important, and I think the National Football League has a special duty to the American people -- and further the Congress -- because they have an antitrust exemption."

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he didn't know anything about it during a Friday news conference. "It's a league matter," said Belichick, whose Patriots play Sunday in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants.

Goodell said he didn't think Spygate had tainted the Patriots' accomplishments. "What they did this season was done within the rules, on a level playing field," Goodell said. "There are very good explanations why I destroyed the tapes, or had them destroyed by our staff."

He said destroying the tapes was "the best way for me to make sure the Patriots had followed my instructions."

Locking up the evidence proved not to be an option. "We thought we had locked it up, and it got out five days later," Goodell said. "That was one of my concerns."

The New York Times first reported on Specter's letter.

NFL security confiscated a video camera and tape from a Patriots employee during New England's 38-14 victory over the New York Jets. The employee was accused of aiming his camera at the Jets' defensive coaches as they signaled to players on the field.

Goodell fined Belichick $500,000, the maximum amount, and docked the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick. It was the biggest fine ever for a coach and the first time in NFL history a first-round draft pick has been confiscated as a penalty.

After its investigation, the NFL said it destroyed all materials it received from the Patriots.

In a Jan. 31 letter to Specter which the senator released Friday, Goodell said the tapes and notes on the investigation were destroyed to ensure that the Patriots "would not secure any possible competitive advantage as a result of the misconduct."

Specter said the explanation "absolutely makes no sense at all," and blasted the commissioner for failing to respond to his inquiries on the matter for more than two months. Goodell said in his letter that he just became aware of Specter's questions Thursday.

"There's a credibility issue here," Specter said. He stopped short of charging a cover-up, but warned that the judiciary panel may want to probe the matter.

In the meantime, Specter said he might miss Sunday's big game. "I may play squash while it's on," Specter said.

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All, personally, I wish Spector would finally drop dead. Being a NJ resident, we hear of his antics constantly, and I personally am sick of this man. Entering into this football problem was the last straw. I cant believe he would actually sit there and cry about a coverup, after what that lowlife did with the JFK single bullet theory coverup!! *%@#$@*&@%$@#% What a hypocrite!! Has he lost his mind? Or is he just that forgetfully stupid? At his age, he has no business even being in office, as he probably is suffering from dymensia at this point. The only coverup he should be involved with at this point, would be when they pull the sheet over him. FWIW -MS