The Patriots say it was all one big misunderstanding.
Spygate is one the most infamous moments in New England Patriots history and for many reasons. Some say it was the reason why they won their Super Bowls in the mid-2000s while others see it as pro that Bill Belichick and company will do almost anything to win. Yesterday, the Patriots were being accused participating in Spygate 2.0 as it was revealed that a camera crew was caught filming the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline on Sunday.
Since these allegations, the Patriots have admitted to the incident but maintain the camera crew was using the footage as B-Roll for a feature on their advance scout. The Patriots are currently cooperating with the league who reviewing the footage to make sure everything is within the rules. Last night, the Patriots issued a statement where they took responsibility for what happened and also explained how the camera crew were independent contractors who didn’t know all the rules.
“The sole purpose the filming was to provide an illustration an advance scout at work on the road,” the Patriots said. “There was no intention using footage for any other purpose.”
According to ESPN, Belichick is maintaining that the football operations and media operations are completely separate and that he had no idea a camera crew would be at the Bengals game. He said scouts know you can’t film the games and that his team would never put their integrity in jeopardy.
Stay tuned for updates on this story as we will be sure to bring them to you.