Troy Brown: 'We Did Not' Cheat In Super Bowl Vs. Eagles
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In 2007, the New England Patriots were disciplined by the NFL for videotaping the New York Jets' signals. It was dubbed "Spygate," and put the legitimacy of their 2005 Super Bowl XXXIX win over the Eagles into question.
Former Patriots wide receiver, Troy Brown (now an analyst for Comcast SportsNet New England), was part of the 2004-05 Patriots Super Bowl Championship team and says there was no cheating going on.
"No we did not," Brown told Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show laughing. "We didn't have to. I love Donovan McNabb, I love Donovan to death man. He's a great guy, great friend. I mean, he was dry-heaving in the huddle back there, man. The two-minute drill is hard on the defense, very hard. I mean, it wears you absolutely out and we couldn't figure out why they were doing that."
Listen: Troy Brown on the 94WIP Morning Show
Brown is, of course, referring to Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb methodically running the Eagles' offense, despite trailing late in that Super Bowl. The Eagles eventually lost 24-21.
What was Brown thinking on the sidelines?
"'Keep taking your time, we need some rest anyway!'
"I swear, it was like every second of that play clock was getting taken down to the very last second," Brown said. "We weren't complaining not one bit. At that particularly time, we were like, 'What in the world are these guys doing man?'"
Eight years later, the Patriots were again disciplined by the NFL. This time, for deflating footballs in the 2015 AFC Championship Game. It is being dubbed "Deflategate," and now, the legitimacy of their most recent Super Bowl win over the Seahawks is in doubt.
Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, the Patriots, and New England sports fans are being called arrogant, for their unwillingness to admit they did anything wrong. Brown says that's a misconception.
"No, it's not like that," Browns said, when asked if the Pats are arrogant. "I think a lot of things the Patriots do make people curious because they don't talk to the media a whole, they don't disclose a lot of issues that may be going on with the football team. They don't share a lot of the information. A lot of their answers are short and quick with the media. The head coach is short and quick with the media and I think a lot of the time it comes off as this pure arrogance by the Patriots."
Lastly, Brown gave his thoughts on the current and polarizing Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. Kelly, in his first year with personnel control and third-year as head coach, has made plenty of debatable roster decisions.
"If I'm gonna lose, if I'm gonna get fired, I wanna get fired with the guys that I picked that I know fit my team they I want it to fit," Brown said, defending Kelly. "Instead of some other guy picking players and plugging them in. You hear stories about coaches going to these places and they don't even know they have a new player on the team until they get to the practice field."
