Considering the way the insular NFL coaching club operates, this is pretty heavy language from a hall of fame coach.
Don Shula likes the Patriots’
chances of going undefeated, but the Bill Belichick-inspired spying
scandal has clouded Shula’s thinking when comparing New England with
his unbeaten 1972 Dolphins team.
“The Spygate thing has diminished what they’ve accomplished,” Shula
said in an interview with the New York Daily News. “You would hate to
have that attached to your accomplishments. They’ve got it.”Belichick was fined $500,000 and the Patriots were fined $250,000 and
lost a first-round draft pick for videotaping the Jets’ opposing
sideline during the teams’ season-opening game.“That tells you the seriousness or significance of what they found,”
Shula said, according to the Daily News. “I guess you got the same
thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds’ home run record.“I guess it will be noted that the Patriots were fined and a No. 1
draft choice was taken away during that year of accomplishment. The sad
thing is Tom Brady looks so good, it doesn’t look like he needs any help.”
Gee, I’m sure this has nothing to do with Shula grasping for whatever hope he can that his 1972 Dolphins will retain sole possession of the “unbeaten” record.
Spygate has helped the Patriots out not a lick this season–they were caught after the first game, and has been pointed out repeatedly, the videotape could not have any effect on the game being played at the time.
In other news, Rick Springfield told reporters that none of these current songs are as good as “Jessie’s Girl” when measured objectively.
Shula should have waited until after his Fins play the Pats. Sticking pins in Bad Bill ahead of time guarentees the Pats will grind the Dolphins in fish pate.
And frankly, this attitude is likely at the root of the Pats running up the score whenever possible. They’re proving it wasn’t spying that made them great; they’re saying “we can stomp anyone, anytime, anywhere.”
Speaking of running up the score, is there a reason the Detroit Lions got a pass last weekend for the merciless shellacking they handed the Denver Broncos?
All this Spygate drivel is sooo much B.S.!
If the Pats had videotaped from anyplace other than the sideline it would not be against the rules (and don’t think that teams [incl the Pats] don’t videotape signals).
This wasn’t “spying”.
And Shula can shut his old, crusty piehole, cuz he knows that if his ‘72 team faced this ‘07 Pats, they’d end up like these dolphins
Shula neglects to mention a couple things:
First, the “Spygate” cameras were confiscated after the first half of the first game of the year. The Patriots had no chance to use that info either in that game or subsequently. (And Ollie, the Pats’ coach-to-qb headset went out during their late-game go-ahead TD drive against Indy, so that seems to cut both ways.)
Second, the DOLPHINS had a first round draft pick (oh the coincidence!) taken away when they were accused of tampering with the Colts in 1970 to hire…….DON SHULA.
So, pot, kettle, black, you know the rest. Shula is coming off quite poorly here.
I would also note that Shula’s 1972 Dolphins team beat the Patriots 52-0. I assume such actions prompted charges of running up the score and that Shula didn’t have any class.
As a Patriots fan, I would like to thank Don Shula for guaranteeing Patriots wins for the next 3 weeks at least. Keep it up. Maybe BLT can make some comments between crying over his 4-4 (about to be 4-5 when they lose to the Colts) team?