The Boston Herald, citing an anonymous source, reported Feb. 2 that the Patriots had taped the Rams' walkthrough prior to Super Bowl XXXVI. The Patriots and NFL strongly denied that story, and Belichick further addressed it yesterday.
"In my entire coaching career, I've never seen another team's practice film prior to playing that team," he said. "I have never authorized, or heard of, or even seen in any way, shape, or form any other team's walkthrough. We don't even film our own. We don't even want to see ourselves do anything, that's the pace that it's at. Regardless, I've never been a part of that."
Belichick added that in his "entire coaching career, I have never filmed a walkthrough, our own. I've never been on a staff that has filmed a walkthrough. I'm talking about when I was a head coach. As an assistant, I've never seen a head coach film a walkthrough the day before a game."
Pioli said Walsh was terminated in January 2003 after he discovered Walsh was "secretly tape-recording conversations between him and me." Pioli said he learned of the recording because "two other employees saw him doing it, and I checked after, and heard it on the tape myself."
Walsh's lawyer, Michael Levy, disputed Pioli's story last night. After speaking with Walsh, he called it a "complete fabrication."
"This is a predictable and pathetic effort to smear Mr. Walsh's character rather than confront the truth about the Patriots' conduct," Levy said from his Washington, D.C. home.
Walsh has hinted he has materials that could prove damaging to the Patriots, and Levy said Walsh will turn them over to the NFL if the league provides him complete indemnification, protecting Walsh from being sued. But Levy said the NFL's most recent offer leaves Walsh unprotected legally against unfounded or unproven allegations.
Belichick further detailed his interpretation of the NFL's taping rules from the league's Constitution & Bylaws (article 9) and scoffed at a "Spygate" reference yesterday because what the team taped was in view to everyone.
