Jimmy Johnson admits to taping other team's signals when he was coaching the Cowboys:

"Q: How about the spying thing Jimmy. You're a coach does that bother you what Belichick did?

JJ: Oh please. I've said it on our show. Eighteen years ago a scout for the chiefs told me what they did, and he said what you need to do is just take your camera and you go and zoom in on the signal caller and that way you can sync it up. The problem is that if they're not on the press box side you can't do it from the press box, you have to do it from the sideline. This was 18 years ago.

Q: You think the NFL came down too hard on them?

JJ: No, no, I said it on the show. He was wrong for doing it for the simple reason that the league knew this was going on not ust in New England but around the league. And the league sent out the memorandum to all of the teams saying you cannot do this. And os that's when Bill Belichick was wrong. After he got the memorandum saying don't do it any more, he did it.

Q: Did you ever steal signals?

JJ: Oh in a heartbeat, yeah. Yes I did.

Q: Via video, Jimmy? Or no?

JJ: Oh yeah, I did it with video and so did a lot of other teams in the league. Just to make sure that you could study it and take your time, because you're going to play the other team the second time around. But a lot of coaches did it, this was commonplace.

Q: But did you do it by taping the signal caller?

JJ: Yeah.

Q: Oh you did.

JJ: That's what I'm saying. I was saying one of Marty Schottenheimers scouts, Mark Hatley, who has passed away now, Mark told me that's how they did it, and Howard Mudd their offensive line coach with Kansas City, who now coaches for Tony Dungy, he was the best in the entire league at stealing signals.

Q: Where'd you put your guy who was videotaping? Where was he?

JJ: My guy was up with my camera crew in the press box. So you'd just put an extra camera up with your camera crew in the press box who zoomed in on the signal callers. That's the best way to do it, but anyway you can't always do that because the press box camera crew might be on the same side as the opposing team. If they're on the same side as the opposing team that's when you need to do it from the sideline.

Q: Also with some operations and some teams they have equipment set up within the stadium so they can just run it ack and check what's going on during the game anyway.

JJ: Oh I'll tell you [laughing] some of the stuff that goes on it's almost comical.

Q: Jimmy don't you think using contraptions like that goes against the spirit of football?

JJ: Well that's why the league put in that you can't use any electronic equipment, during the game, locker room, press box, sideline, this type of thing. They ruled against it and again that's why Bill Belichick was wrong.

Q: How much of an advantage would it give them?

JJ: Well you know Bradshaw and I had a talk back and forth on this. I did it a few times and then I stopped doing it because I didn't think we got much out of it to be honest with you. But games are so close... If it gives you one single play in the ballgame it might be the difference. But again, he was wrong for doing it after the memorandum was sent out by the league, because the league knew that other teams were doing it. And so... it was a commonplace thing though.

I'm going to out on a limb here and say you really don't follow NFL football too closely if you are going to hold up Randy Moss as a guy who "has bought into the team concept"...that's just laughable. Moss has been a cancer everywhere he has been. He has ridiculed his teammates to the press everywhere he has been. He has demanded trades because he thought it was in HIS best interests, needs of the team be damned. Moss is quiet in New England because he is in a locker room with very strong leaders in place and I am sure they have let him know that if he steps out of line they will let him have it. Of course T.O. is no better and I am not an Owens fan, but come on man...get real with the Moss talk.

I really can't fathom those of you who are saying that it's ok to run up the score. Ever hear of sportsmanship? Where did that idea go?

And yes, I would not be happy with my team if they ran up the score on an opponent either. It was a bad move on Belichick's part...one of many.

Easy with that broad brush!

I've been a Cowboy fan since some icy cold days in the Cotton Bowl and have no problem congratulating the Pats for basically cleaning the Pokes' clock. :)

Should be a fun season.

Best,

Kurt

Aha! Im not talking about the past....im talking about NOW.

Last Week, TO put that sign up by his locker to ward the reporters away...and made a big deal about "the other 81"...and I just knew that Dallas would lose that game cause TO simply could not handle the pressure and that was his psychologically screwed up way with dealing with it.

Did Moss do anything such as that all week? Nope.

After the game, Moss was very contrite, giving praise to his teammates, to Brady and Bellichick and also praising the Cowboys as a good team.
TO, on the other hand, put on his shades so that he could Hide, and then was smart-allecky, spouting "next question" about the same question that HE stroked the fires on with that note. What a jack-azz.

So, yes, Moss is the better teammate NOW than TO is.

Regarding 'running up the score'...cry us a river. If you dont want the score run up, then stop the 4th string RB on a 1 yard dive during garbage time in the end.

See you. Good luck the rest of the season.


(kstarnes....no broad brush, just related to the 2 boys fans who post ridiculous stuff here and truly ignore any rational look at how things really are.
Im sure you are smarter than that.....

I get so sick of the hypocracy among sports fans, the biases that some people buy into...sometimes I just have to say something to these people.

Wait 'til you hear the Arizona D'back fans. :D

Wow, for someone who says he isn't a Pats fan, you sure are getting your panties in a bunch over this. Maybe you are just a Cowboys hater...who knows.

Bottom line is we just aren't going to agree on this. I know you think it is just us delusional, cry baby Cowboys fans who are upset about this and that we are all irrational. If that is the case then why has the question come up in the sports media as well? I saw an article on whether Belichick "ran up the score" yesterday on ESPN.com. There were multiple columns in the Dallas papers yesterday about the same thing (admittedly Dallas papers but still). Check the messages boards on ESPN.com for both the Cowboys and the Pats. Same thing. This morning on 1310 "The Ticket" (main Dallas sports talk station) the broadcasters asked Jerry Jones if Belichick ran up the score.

So if it is just delusional Dallas fans, why is everyone else talking about it? If it isn't even an issue, why would a radio show ask the owner? Don't you think they have better things to talk about?

In any case, to each his own. We are simply going to disagree on this one and that's ok. You can have your Patsys and I'll take my Cowboys. See you in January.

Man I just love it when somebody from the other team runs down the Patriots in the week leading up to the game. Talk about throwing gasoline on a fire. :D Thanks TO and Wade for that little extra motivation. Maybe Belichick can figure out a way to get the opposing team to say something stupid before the game by using illegal mind control. :rolleyes: Please, please, all of you on talk radio keep saying that the Patriots are just an average team and a bunch of dirty cheats. SmileWavy

Gee the main Dallas radio show and papers and Jerry Jones sharing a big bowl of crybaby soup over the mean old Patriots picking on them...
Now there's news for you !
You can call it the "No Spin End Zone"

LOL! :D

Actually Jerry Jones said he did not think they were running up the score. I'm not sure what else he could have said, even if he thought they did he wouldn't say it publicly.

Man, the Cowboy haters are out in force. Do 5 Superbowls really stick in your craw that much? LOL :D

Apparently three do. . . :)

I don't hate the Cowboys at all.
The Nelson post was directed to TO (ref post before it) and by extension Wade Phillips and his comments re the Pats SB wins.
And any other negative comments are directed to those who forget that the GAME is between the teams and once it is over you need to let it go.
Don't take it so frikin personal (the result)

I dont hate the Cowboys... I dont hate any team...with the exception that I hated the early 00s Tampa Bay Bucs when Warren Sapp wouldnt shut his trap. Good team though.

Im a vagabond without an NFL team, as I grew up in the Motor City but after years of trying to
stomach the vomit that the Lyins spit out on a regular basis, which has its roots in a clueless silver-spooned Ford owner,... I boycotted that team a few years back cause' I just can't take any more incompetitance.... and any more BS crap talk from people like Roy Williams the WR, arrogant Matt Millen etc. They way that team talks, you'd think that they were the ones with the 5 SB wins lol...but Kitna is on a mission from GOD himself to win 10 games this season... we will see about that, but im sticking with 6-10 which will make the 7th consecutive 10+ loss season in a row under the Matt Millen Regime, which is infamous for drafting WRs in the top 10 pics along with wasting other pics on guys long gone and out of town.

How's that for a rant?

Ha !

I hear ya.
For me I was a Johnny U / Colts fan - the first (and last) time I cried because my team lost was when the Los Angeles Rams (Deacon Jones and Roman Gabriel may they rot in Hell) beat my Colts in the 66 (?) NFL Title game. Bawling my eyes out while taking a piano lesson - game ending in the next room. Beethoven never suffered as much : )
Well no more Colts. Only the uniforms remain.
Grew up in NY and Giants were my second team but REALLY BAD those years - Joe Pasarchick( sp?) anyone ? .
Loved the Montana/49ers but from afar (lived in Europe during their reign and didn't get to see them play a whole lot)
Now , in New England I have adopted the Pats because they are a CLASS ACT (You can all go to hell if you don't think so !) but now I am old enough to realize that IT"S JUST A GAME and my world doesn't end with a W or an L.
My Dad put it best - Whether the team wins or loses - I still have to go to work tomorrow.

rant redux

Well, for the record, while I am a die-hard fan (always have been) I really don't get too worked up when they lose. Ask my wife, if they lose by playing poorly I might be frustrated for a couple hours or so, but I get over it.

My only point here is I thought (and still think) that Belichick should have just kicked the field goal instead of going for it on 4th and 1.

Now, if the Boys drop one to the friggin Vikings this week...THEN I will be pissed, lol (and it's entirely possible...friggin Adrian Peterson).

I think the Cowboy fans can appreciate this....the one team that I kinda dont like right now
are the Philadelphia Eagles.

Donovan McNabb...blah blah blah
Andy Reid and his delinquent kids...blah blah blah
Isnt it about time for the Eagles to return to the bottom of that division?