Report: Jets Warned Pats Not to Film Them Before Spygate

Don Van Natta, Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN have a report out today. It is part expose on the culture of the New England Patriots when it comes to bending the rules and part expose on Roger Goodell's treatment of the Patriots. There were numerous interesting nuggets from the piece, including this one.

Then there was the videotaping. Mangini knew the Patriots did it, so he would have three Jets coaches signal in plays: One coach's signal would alert the players to which coach was actually signaling in the play. Still, Mangini saw it as a sign of disrespect that Belichick taped their signals -- "He's pissing in my face," he told a confidant -- and wanted it to end. Before the 2007 opener, sources say, he warned various Patriots staffers, "We know you do this. Don't do it in our house." Tannenbaum, who declined comment, told team security to remove any unauthorized cameramen on the field.

So if you are scoring at home, the Patriots didn't just know they were breaking the rules. They weren't just warned by the league. The Jets told them not to do it, and they did it anyway.

Spygate is but a distant memory, but some folks from New England would want you to believe the Patriots were somehow victims in this incident. They knowingly broke the rules and were even given a fair warning by the Jets.