The case is in the Eastern District of Louisian (New Orleans) and the case number is 08-1002 in case anyone wants to read the complaint.

I wonder if the rest of the fans who bought tickets to the game will join the class or not. Moreover, I wonder if the Pats and Belichick will try to bring in the NFL as a party.

If these guys win does that mean every fan that has ever bought a ticket to a game the Pats have played in and every player the Pats have played against will be able to file suit?

But in the federal court system, Tobias said, lawyers are entitled to take depositions unless the case has no merit.

Yikes. That's bad news for Bill and Goodell.

"If these guys win does that mean every fan that has ever bought a ticket to a game the Pats have played in and every player the Pats have played against will be able to file suit?"

I don't know about that. The crux of the allegations here is that the Patriots taped their walkthrough practice and that this led to the plaintiff's loss. Not every fan and player in every patriots game can make that allegation.

Joe, do you think the fans that sued have a claim at all? I have never dealt with RICO so I am not sure how far this thing can go.

It is the second known lawsuit filed against the Patriots tied to the videotaping scandal that began when a Patriots employee was caught filming signals from the Jets sideline during a game at Giants Stadium on Sept. 9.



The league should have fined the Pats the Game with the Jets. The fines are not effective they are just the cost of victory. Forfeiting the game would have been a clear message.


As far as I'm concerned the Pat's were 17-1 going into the SuperBowl.

I see, they are saying the fans' damages are their ticket prices.

This is the very definition of a frivolous lawsuit, but anything that keeps the Patriots cheating in the news is fine with me... I'm sure it will be thrown out.

This is a perfect example of a sore loser!

Joe, I can email you the complaint when I get to work in the morning. I believe there are 5 different causes of action, but am certain RICO is one of them.

Being forced to grow up a Cleveland fan, this is brilliant! I'm suing Jose Mesa, Earnest Byner, Craig Ehlo, Bernie Kosar, Marty Schottenheimer, Tim Couch....

(OK, Kentucky has already apologized for Tim Couch)

If the Pats taped the pregame walkthrough then they should forfeit the Super Bowl.
BTW, how about everybody who bet on the Rams to win it? Do they have a court case?

Would you really want to try to get a court settlement from Vegas?

Good luck shopping for Kevlar.

This is another example of looney lawyers running amok..

If they are allowing folks to watch a walkthrough practice--you don't even need to tape the event--you can take notes on the signals and see what the plays were.

This is not cheating--we do the same thing playing girls softball.

Both teams--10, 12, 14 and 16 and 18 year old girls are picking off the signs of the other coach and yelling to their batter for change up, inside, outside, pitch is coming.

The coaches get a clue and then change the signs.

If we can pick up the signs again--it is the 5th inning and game almost over.

What a bunch of whinners! Cry us a river!

They can pick up the signs without taping it.

They should be changing their signs every game.

Murphy

willie gary's NFL career probably woulda lasted longer with a Super Bowl ring on his finger. no doubt some stat head could sort that out. if so, did the illegal actions of one party shorten his career? shouldn't he have right to sue for justice?

even if it only woulda made him an additional 100K it ain't chump change.

NE fans sure can lie some more can't they? HOW can you gloss over Matt Walshes, your own asst coach's admission?? You all make rodger clemmons look like a saint!

FACT NE was ordered by the league IN WRITING not to tape the coaches signals anymore

FACT They did, for years. Now WHY would they do it? The coach must have felt their was an advantage!!!

They need to be punished. Loss of that early first round pic, coach pulled for a few games, or something.
Screw this denial crap. It's time to put all the coaches under lie detector tests. Or call them all into a grand jury. This is a scam that's been run on the country.

Fuck the Pat holier than thou JO fans. lets hear THE TRUTH.......Or can't you handle the truth NE?????????????????

"This is another example of loony lawyers running amok"
Murphy

This is another example of blaming lawyers when someone else cheats, lies, breaks the rules or breaks the law. The problem isn't that they did wrong. The problem is that they might have to pay for doing wrong. Corporate logic at its worst

So...I can sue the Yankees now.

The coaches get a clue and then change the signs

There is a big difference between changing the signs of 3-4 pitches, and changing the hand signals for a playbook that probably weighs the same as a copy of war and peace and each play has different variations and hotreads...

that's why this was different then reading lips or analyzing regular game tapes... you're not going to be able to just change all those hand signals and expect your players to remember them.

Also in baseball if you catch someone stealing your signals you throw the ball at their head and warn them you know what they're doing. So there is a way for the players to police the game... but what can you do in football? Tackle the coach? Assault the video guy?

It is cheating... that's why the largest fine in the history of the NFL was put on Belechick, then another $250K put on the Pats and they lose their first round pick...

This is not cheating--we do the same thing playing girls softball.

First, let me commend you on teaching 10 year old girls how to skim the rules for their advantage. We can never have too many roll models, and all children need to learn how to skate on the brink of unsportsman-like behaviour. Apparently, it's the American way.

Do they go studs-up into first base, keep lose elbows rounding third, or do you save those tricks for junior varsity?

I bet Matt Walsh's parents used the same moral compass you do. Stealing is OK as long as "everybody does it", right?

The Rams story could be much, much larger than the sidelines taping. Many NFL coordinators script their first 10-15 plays so by taping the walkthru, you would know exactly what play is going to happen. Now, on passing plays, you have multiple options, but knowing the progression of the reads would make defending the pass much easier. If you read the comments of Rams' skill players on offense, you will see many comments that "it was like they knew what play we were going to run". This is completely different than the sidelines taping where the Patriots' Offense benefits by knowing the defensive scheme - this is stopping the Ram's Offense, which was basically impossible during that year. I have no doubt in my mind that the cheating goes well beyond the cheating already exposed. Look how fast Charlie Weiss left for college - I imagine strapping him to a lie detector would be pretty enlightening.

One of the more popular cliches of our time goes "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'".
If you ain't cheatin', you're not a cheat; otherwise, you are.

This guy must be a lib, "they cheated, I think, so I want money" what a freaking baby.

"As a fan you don't make any money when your team wins the super bowl (unless it's through illegal gambling).

Posted by JOE at 2008-02-18 10:06 PM"

What about legal sports betting?

"This guy must be a lib, "they cheated, I think, so I want money" what a freaking baby."

Posted by 08r4ever


What cogent observations. I don't know how this blog survived without them up to now.

My guess is that every one of you who are so upset over "cheating" in sports were the ones picked last on the kickball team. I have always despised cheating, but I also understand that, in sports, you do anything you can to gain an edge and to win. If you think that the Patriots are the only team who do this type of thing, and I stress the word do, then you are just ignorant.

Next time you watch a basketball game try to see how many times you can catch a guy pulling on another guys jersey. The same goes for football. Do you think those signs that 3rd base coaches give aren't viewed by a hundred other sets of eyes?

Cheating, if that's what you want to call it, is ingrained in every competetive sport in one fashion or another. And to see so many people being SO surprised by it and SO utterly upset by it is truly laughable.

everlong says He dispises cheating but then He makes excuses for it amazing. Oh I was hurt during My younger Years when I was picked last at kickball but My older self now understands it was because I was so damned slow so that blows THAT excuse out of the water as well.

Larry Mohr

"but I also understand that, in sports, you do anything you can to gain an edge and to win.

Posted by everlong at 2008-02-19 06:44 PM"

"Anything"? I hope you're not a mother or a coach, sister, because that's not true and it's a fucking stupid thing to teach children learning to play sports.

"Anything"?
Posted by mOntecOre

I guess Epson salts in the other teams water cooler is bad?