NFL Clarifies That Nobody Knows Patriots' Possible Punishment For Sideline Video
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Over the past several weeks, numerous reporters have shared information indicating various details about the NFL's ongoing investigation into a Patriots videographer shooting footage of the Bengals' sideline during a game in Cleveland.
The NFL now says that those reporters are basically just guessing.
Adam Schefter shared a statement from the league on Saturday night, just hours before the Patriots kicked off against the Titans in a wild-card playoff meeting. The statement said that contrary to numerous reports, no decisions have been made, and no punishment has been discussed.
"The investigation is ongoing and there has been no discussion of any potential discipline," the statement read. "Any suggestion of potential discipline or a timeline on an announcement is pure speculation."
The Patriots admitted to the videographer -- working for Kraft Sports And Entertainment for a feature on the advanced scout working the game -- shooting the sideline, an action which was done in plain view of numerous Bengals employees and was quickly stopped. The footage was leaked to Jay Glazer, who aired the video on Fox several weeks ago.
One report said the league was frustrated that it couldn't connect the Patriots' football operations to the video.
Earlier on Saturday, Schefter himself reported that league discipline was likely to be handed down to the Patriots within two weeks.
Earlier this week, Mark Maske of The Washington Post reported that the NFL had not found any link between the video crew and that a punishment would not be severe.
Maske, though, included a key line in his report: "Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league leaders still must review those [investigative] findings, decide whether to conduct additional interviews, deliberate over the potential penalties and determine when to announce the ruling."
Saturday night's statement to Schefter seemed to be a reiteration of that line from Maske's report.
Savvy followers of the yearslong DeflateGate saga may find humor in the NFL's rush to correct the record on a slightly inaccurate ESPN report regarding an investigation of the Patriots. Back in 2015, the Patriots pleaded with the NFL to correct a false report by ESPN which stated that 11 of 12 Patriots footballs were more than 2 pounds per square inches below the allowable limit.
"I have doubts that piecemeal disclosures are likely to accomplish much," the NFL's general counsel, Jeff Pash, told the Patriots at the time, denying the request to correct the false information that had been released to the public. "If anything, I would think they are likely to prompt additional questions, additional stories, and additional irresponsible speculation and commentary. Once the investigation is completed and the facts are known, any incorrect reporting will be shown for what it is."
Such was the NFL's attitude toward tremendously inaccurate reports back in 2015. In 2020, the league has opted to go out of its way to correct potentially inaccurate reports. Seems as though quite a bit has changed with regard to the way the NFL runs its operations ... or has it?
The true answer won't come until Roger Goodell actually makes a decision on the level of punishment. For now, the NFL would prefer that you all not assume that the punishment will be moderate or reasonable. For now, Goodell would seemingly like to keep open the option of delivering a whopper.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.