Feature: Patriot Games, lessons in cheating? - November 2007  

US-based consultant Steve Maloney examines how technology has allegedly been linked to allegations of cheating in US sport.

In the North American National Football League (NFL), technology is accepted and embraced by all. Game preparation is no longer an exercise of sitting in a darkened room with a lone projector displaying grainy images of an opponent’s tendencies from prior games. The defensive squad studies the tendencies of the upcoming opponents’ offensive tendencies while the offensive squad studies the tendencies of the defence they will face. Thanks to technology-enabled media sharing, preparation is much more personalised and tailored to the needs of individual positional players. Technology enables these study sessions to be customised further, focusing on positional players and their counterparts on the other side of the line. The level of detail is such that there is little that either side can concoct in game preparation that will totally surprise the opposition.
Technology also comes into play on game day. Certain communications are allowed between the sideline coaches, the assistant coaches perched high above the playing field, and the players on the field. The NFL goes so far as to permit the sideline coaching staff to communicate with their assistant coaches in the press box as well as the offence on the field via a radio receiver in the quarterback’s helmet – although that does have limits, as the sideline-to-quarterback radio receiver is turned off 15 seconds prior to expiration of the play clock.
With the advance scouting tools available to all, where does a coaching staff turn to find that untapped competitive edge? In days gone by, gamesmanship tactics were pretty basic. Teams would perhaps doctor their field conditions, for instance making the playing surface wet and muddy when playing a team that relied on speed. Or maybe - as my hometown NBA Boston Celtics were routinely accused of – setting off the random 3am fire alarm at the visiting team’s hotel on the night before a crucial playoff game. Whether or not you agree with these tactics, it was generally accepted as being practiced in one form or another to some degree by every team. Well, maybe not the fire alarm caper, but certainly doctoring the field, i.e., the ‘home field advantage’.

Techno-sleuthing comes to the NFL

The NFL has a well-deserved “do unto others before they do unto you” reputation. Many coaches and organisations adopt an “all is fair…” philosophy, notably Oakland Raiders’ team owner, Al Davis, whose quote, “Just win, baby!” sets the attitude of his team and the NFL, in general. The notion of pure competition in the professional leagues is not reality.
Whilst technology has enabled many teams to take a more sophisticated approach to game preparation and strategy, it also introduces opportunity to undermine the advantages of using the technology. For instance, allowing wireless communications permits teams to take full advantage of information available to the coaching staff and impart that to the players on the field and among the sideline coaches and assistants in the press box. But, communications can be disrupted by jamming the signals, preventing an opponent from having full access to tools needed to equitably compete. The league rules state that if one team's communication system linking the coaches in the press box to the coaches on the sideline fails during a game, the other team must turn its system off. But that doesn't apply to a failure of one team's coach-to-quarterback communications system. Thus, there is room for suspicion.
Other allegations include teams putting microphones on defensive players to record the audibles of opposing quarterbacks. There is now a rule that any player wearing a microphone during a game must report it to the officials.
Further, claims were made that teams were doctoring game footballs by placing them in dryers to heat them or vises to compress them. Now, a special ball is used for kicking situations and each team could supply the footballs that it would use on offence.

Coach Beli-cheat?

Sign-stealing has been a part of sporting contests for decades. Baseball players, in particular, spend a great deal of time trying to decode the opposition’s signs in hope uncovering their plan of attack. Some players make their greatest team contribution not on the playing field, but on the bench closely monitoring the signals being sent by the opposing team’s manager and relaying the information to their teammates. Those employing such tactics describe these actions as gaining a competitive edge. Those victimised by the practice describe it as cheating.
A potential scandal has arisen in the NFL as the New England Patriots and its head coach, Bill Belichick were recently punished by the NFL for filming an opponent’s signals from the sideline of an early-season game. The incident prompted questions about the Patriots’ league dominance over the past few years. Were they actually the elite team of the NFL or was their success fueled by an unfair advantage gained by, in effect, cheating? The league acted swiftly, fining the Patriots organisation $250,000 and a first-round draft choice in the 2008 NFL draft. Furthermore, the league fined Coach Belichick $500,000 - a staggering figure even though his annual salary is $5m.
The Patriots actions were clearly in violation of NFL rules. The league’s Game Operations Manual states: “No video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches’ booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game.” Belichick’s defense was that his interpretation of the rules perhaps differed from how the NFL saw it. A typical response to a charge such as this but a dubious one when you consider that just days prior to the date of the game in question, the league office sent a letter to all NFL head coaches stating: “Video taping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent’s offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches’ booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game.” Given that, it’s questionable to think that Belichick and/or the Patriots organisation are entirely innocent.

The wrath of Beli-cheat?

An interesting sidebar to the furor created by the above ‘Spygate’ is the remarkable performance of the Patriots following the discovery of the illegal taping practice and subsequent punishment handed down by the NFL. At the time of writing, the Patriots are currently undefeated (10-0) and are on pace to shatter many league records, most notably, the undefeated mark established by the 1972 Miami Dolphins (17-0), the first and only NFL team to accomplish the feat. Many think that this is Bill Belichick’s response to the allegations of cheating to achieve the three Super Bowl titles he earned in four years. The team has been merciless and single-minded in their approach to each game, amassing point totals never before seen in the NFL. Once admired by football fans as the exemplification of ‘team’, the Patriots are now widely disdained (although grudgingly respected). But, as always in the NFL, the words of Al Davis ring ever true – “Just win, baby”!

Conclusion

Technology advances will continue to infiltrate the NFL and sports in general – witness the use of instant replay in American Football, Hawk-Eye technology in tennis and cricket, timing devices in track and field, and many other verification tools designed to improve officiating and performance measurement. And, as always, coaches and teams will use technology to bend the rules to gain a competitive edge. What the Patriots have been accused of doing is not unique and specific to only them. It’s been going on for many years, by many coaches, players, and organisations. It’s just that the techniques have become more sophisticated. No more fire alarms at 3am – more likely, technology will allow for more elaborate schemes. I can’t predict what that may be, only that it will be.

Steve Maloney is a technology writer and consultant based in Naples, Florida, USA. He can be reached at sfmaloney@comcast.net

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