Projo Pats Blog

May 11, 2008 - May 17, 2008 Archives

We've just left Campanelli Field in Brockton, home of the Brockton Rox, where Kevin Faulk is holding his second annual Celebrity Softball game to raise funds for the United Way.

More than two dozen of his teammates lent their support, making for a crowded field since all of the members of a team played defense together.

Jarvis Green served as umpire.

Randy "Griffey" Moss - as he requested his name be for the night - was the star attraction for the crowd, though Matt Cassel may have gained some fans with his bootie shaking dance-off win over Kelley Washington.

Faulk felt that the high turnout was a sign of the respect his teammates have for him; assistant strength coach Harold Nash and New England legend Doug Flutie took part as well.

He was also pleasantly surprised to see a full parking lot at the stadium; Rox officials said fans began lining up at the gates at 4:30 p.m., 90 minutes before they opened.

"It's turned out to be a great event," Faulk said.

CBS News has posted an extended version of reporter Armen Keteyian's Friday interview with Pats coach Bill Belichick. The nearly 15-minute video gives more of Belichick's comments and explanations than the three-minute report on last night's CBS Evening News.

As we suspected last night watching the televised package, it was highly edited and clips from here and there were patched together. Belichick speaks in great detail about Walsh, and says that "more than one person" had told him that Walsh claimed to have taped the Rams' walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI, and "now that story has changed. It seems like he has an agenda, I'm not really sure...what the agenda is. He has a way of embellishing stories, and that continues to be the case."

See it here.

The chance of a Senate investigation into Spygate -- which Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., hinted at in his news conference Wednesday -- appear to be remote after two members of Specter's own party on the Judiciary Committee said they don't think Congress should get involved in the scandal.

The Washington Post reported Saturday that Republicans Jon Kyl of Arizona and Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina both said the National Football League is capable of policing itself.

Kyle told the Post "there are far better matters for our time." And Graham said: "I don't believe there's much sentiment that we should get involved. If there's a groundswell of support for us getting involved in this football escapade, it is news to me."

Read the entire story here.

New England head coach Bill Belichick spoke exclusively with CBS reporter Armen Keteyian this afternoon, and the interview was just broadcast on the CBS Evening News. Belichick spoke on camera for the first time about Matt Walsh, the former video assistant who spoke with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Sen. Arlen Specter this week about the Pats' videotaping practices when he was an employee of the team.

Here's what Belichick had to say:

On Walsh and his possible reason for becoming part of the Spygate story:
I don’t know what the agenda is. You know, again, he was fired here for poor job performance. There’s not a lot of credibility. He’s tried to make it seem like we were buddies and belong to the same book club and all that is really a long, long stretch.

More on Walsh and his role with the team:
For him to talk about game planning and strategy and play-calling and how he advised coordinators is…it’s embarrassing, it’s absurd. I mean, he didn’t have any knowledge of football – he was our third video assistant.

On Walsh's assertion that he was told to avoid detection while taping; the Patriots gave CBS tape which show Walsh behind a camera, in plain sight, and in team gear:
Why say he was told to avoid detection? I never told anybody to tell him that. All I can tell you is what the facts are – you look at the tape, you’ve seen film of the game. You tell me how discreet it is.

On the memo circulated by the league outlining illegal videotaping practices, which Belichick knew of and found to be in violation of:
I made a mistake. It was wrong. I was wrong.

What Belichick says to those who say his team cheated its way to Super Bowl titles:
I’ve said to you…I’ve told you the truth.

CBS has provided a transcript of Arman Keteyian's interview with Bill Belichick that will air Friday night at 6:30 p.m. on the CBS Evening News

Keteyian (narration): In the latest episode of the NFL's "Spygate," a defiant Bill Belichick decided to break his silence today to challenge the charges and motives of former Patriots video operator Matt Walsh.

Belichick: There was no deception.

Keteyian (narration): It was Walsh who shot video during Belichick's first two seasons in New England, 2000 and 2001. He went public this week -- calling the coach "arrogant." Walsh claims Belichick's contention that he just "misinterpreted" league rules prohibiting taping of opponents signals was false. AND, that the taping was actually a deliberate, illicit scheme by the Patriots to cheat their way to victory. Today, in an exclusive interview with CBS News, Belichick questioned Walsh's credibility.

Belichick: I don't know what his agenda is, again, he was fired for poor job performance and for audiotaping his superior. There's not a lot of credibility. You know he's tried to make it seem like we were buddies, and belong to the same book club and all. That's really a long, long stretch.

Keteyian (narration): Belichick says Walsh was in no position to know.

Belichick: For him to talk about game planning and strategy and play calling and how he advised coordinators, it's embarrassing, it's absurd. He didn't have any knowledge of football. He was our third video assistant.

Keteyian (narration): During Walsh's entire time with the team Belichick said he operated under the belief that the NFL's bible -- its constitution and bylaws -- allowed taping as long as it wasn't used to "aid a team during the playing of a game." He says Walsh was instructed to shoot the game, including hand signals. In plain sight. Wearing Patriots gear. And he provided the video to the league -- and CBS News -- as evidence.

Keteyian (question to Belichick): So why would Matt Walsh say he was told by his superiors to avoid detection, not wear Patriots clothing, and to lie about what he was shooting?
Belichick: I never told anybody to do that. All I can tell you is what the facts are. You look at the tape. You see him filming the game. You tell me how discreet it is.

Keteyian (narration): Belichick acknowledged when the rule was clarified by the league in September 2006 -- outlawing "videotaping of any type" DURING a game -- he stepped over the line.

Keteyian (question to Belichick): Bill, you got the memo, ,I mean you couldn't be any more clear than . . .
Belichick: I made a mistake. I was wrong. I was wrong.

Keteyian (narration): In the end, Spygate will not likely be remembered for illegal tapes or even Matt Walsh, but for its impact on the legacy of a three-time Super Bowl champion coach and how his team achieved greatness.

Keteyian (question to Belichick): People have said you flat-out cheated. What do you say to those people?
Belichick: What I said to you. I told the truth.

Bill Belichick will address charges made by Matt Walsh, his team’s former videotaper, that he knew the taping of opposing teams was wrong in an exclusive interview conducted by Armen Keteyian on the CBS Evening News Friday night. Belichick spoke with Keteyian earlier Friday in Boston.

During his interview with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday, former Patriots employee Matt Walsh confirmed that he did not tape the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI, but mentioned that he did talk to then-New England assistant Brian Daboll about what he saw during the walkthrough.

On Wednesday, the NFL interviewed Daboll, now the Jets' quarterbacks coach, again. He was first interviewed earlier this year, after the Feb. 2 Boston Herald story which said the walkthrough was taped by a member of the Pats' staff.

Today, the league released this statement:

"Our security department re-interviewed Brian Daboll on Wednesday and he has no recollection of a conversation with Matt Walsh about the Rams’ walk-through practice. Even if such a conversation occurred, it would not be a violation of NFL rules. Matt Walsh was authorized to be in the stadium to perform his job duties along with other members of the Patriots’ video department, members of the Rams’ video department, and other people preparing for the Super Bowl. Mr. Walsh told the commissioner that he was wearing Patriots’ attire at the time and did not conduct himself in a clandestine manner. He said that he saw Rams employees while he was there and also was on the sidelines. He stated clearly to the commissioner that nobody from the Patriots requested or directed him to observe or report on the Rams’ walk-through."

From the release sent by the team:

Patriots fans who wish to purchase tickets to individual games in 2008 will have the opportunity on Friday, May 16, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. The New England Patriots annually cap their season ticket sales, leaving a limited number in reserve for fans throughout New England who wish to attend just a couple of games each season. Those tickets will be released for sale through Ticketmaster. Visa, a proud sponsor of the National Football League and the New England Patriots, will be the only form of payment accepted.

All ticket orders will be processed through Ticketmaster. Tickets will NOT be sold at the Gillette Stadium Ticket Office. Ticket orders can be completed online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone. Ticketmaster phone numbers vary by area code, please check your local listings. In the greater Boston area, please call 617-931-2222. Once again, all phone and online orders must be made exclusively with a Visa credit or debit card.

If recent years are any indication, fans can expect all regular season games to sell out within minutes. If that occurs again this year, 2008 will be the 15th consecutive season that the Patriots have announced a complete sellout prior to the start of the regular season. The Patriots streak of consecutive sellouts is currently 149 games and began in 1994, the year that Robert Kraft purchased the franchise. The streak includes all preseason, regular season and postseason games since Sept. 4, 1994. If the Patriots sell out every game again this season, the streak will extend to 159 consecutive games by the end of the 2008 regular season.

The Patriots season ticket waiting list remains in excess of 50,000 fans.

See what they have to say here.

The New York Times has posted the entire transcript of an interview Wednesday in which Matt Walsh discussed his Patriots career with reporter Greg Bishop. It was Walsh's first interview with the news media, the Times says. The text casts much more light on how Walsh describes his duties with Patriots than most news stories could, including just what he was doing in the days before the Super Bowl against the Rams. The question that no one has definitively answered: How much did all this help the Patriots?

Click here for the transcript.

A day after its front-page apology to the Patriots made national news, the Boston Herald today is running an editor's note defending John Tomase, the reporter whose story about the Rams Super Bowl walkthrough eventually led to the apology, and reported that Tomase himself will write about the controversy tomorrow.

"We thought our story was solid. It wasn't. And we owned up to it," said the letter, signed by editor and chief Kevin Convey.

"Nevertheless, I continue to stand behind the work of the Herald sports department and John Tomase, a talented journalist who has dealt with this difficult matter professionally while continuing to do his job under intense pressure."

Click here to see Convey's full statement.

HBO has just sent out an announcement saying that it will have the first interview with former Patriots' video assistant Matt Walsh on this Friday's edition of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

Andrea Kremer snagged the interview with Walsh, who was interviewed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday but did not answer any questions from media.

Some excerpts from the interview, provided by HBO:

Walsh, who served an internship in the Patriots media relations office before joining a new supervisor in the team’s video group in 1999, recalls being asked to make the switch:

MATT WALSH: “I said, ‘I’ll be honest with you, I really don’t know anything about video.’ He said, ‘That’s okay, we’ll teach you everything you need to know.’ “
ANDREA KREMER: “Boy, did they.”

Walsh says that knowledge of and participation in the video spying/signal stealing operation began at the top levels of the coaching staff — and extended to the team itself. He recalls a conversation he had with a Patriots player after the first game of the 2000 regular season. At the time, Patriots were not an elite team and Tampa Bay was on its way to the playoffs.

MATT WALSH: “I had spoken with one of our quarterbacks, uh, that said, he was called into Coach Belichick’s office shortly before the Tampa Bay game. In the office was Ernie Adams, Charlie Weis, and Coach Belichick. They closed the door, Charlie said to him, “You know, we’ve got tape of the Buccaneer’s coaches defensive signals. What we’re going to do is have you learn this, then we’re going to have you next to Charlie on the sideline, when he’s calling in the play to Drew [Bledsoe, the starting quarterback], over the coach to quarterback communication system. Drew’s got the, the earpiece in the helmet, and you're going to tell Charlie the defense that’s being called, and we’re going to relay the information, or use that in calling the play into Drew.” Um, the quarterback, you know, later told me that within two to three seconds of when [Tampa Bay defensive coordinator] Monte Kiffin sent a play call into [Tampa Bay safety] John Lynch, Drew Bledsoe had it in his helmet.”

Walsh says that a Patriots quarterback also told him that the spying effort had yielded remarkable success.

MATT WALSH: “After the first game when we played the Buccaneers in the first season, after the tapes would have already been utilized, and I went up to one of our quarterbacks, because, you know, running the offense, I figured the quarterback might know something about this. I said, you know, was this, was the footage that I shot of the opposing coaches’ signals, you know, any use for you guys? Did it help at all? And one of the quarterbacks told me, he said, probably about seventy-five percent of the time Tampa Bay ran the defense that we thought they were going to run.”

Walsh suggests that Bill Belichick has not owned up to his responsibility in this affair, or admitted his true familiarity with Matt Walsh and his actions.

MATT WALSH: “He was, he was always friendly, you know, when we talked. Um, cordial, he, him and his wife Debbie, bought us a Christmas gift in 2001.”
ANDREA KREMER: “So how does that give with Bill Belichick saying, “I couldn't pick Matt Walsh out of a lineup?” “
MATT WALSH: “Um, it’s funny, the first time I heard that was when somebody in Hawaii brought the quote to me too. And my first hand answer to them was, well, I wonder if he can pick me out on one of the three team pictures we’re in together.”
ANDREA KREMER: “Why do you think he would have said that?”
MATT WALSH: “I don’t know, if I was just that forgettable and he can't remember me, or if he was just trying to distance himself from this whole situation as best as he could.”
ANDREA KREMER: “What do you think?”
MATT WALSH: “I think Bill’s got a pretty good memory.”
ANDREA KREMER: “Bill also has a great knowledge of the game, so when, when Bill Belichick says he misinterpreted the rules of what can be shot during a game, who much do you believe him?”
MATT WALSH: “When I was doing it, I understood what we were doing to be wrong. We went to great lengths to keep from being caught. Just saying that the rules were misinterpreted isn't enough of a, an apology or a reasoning for what was done. I mean, we live, you know, in a very forgiving nation, you know. People, if you come out and you admit a mistake you made or something you did that you shouldn't have done, people are usually very forgiving of that, accepting. When people try to get around answering it, or giving an explanation, or you know, admitting culpability, that’s usually when people start to question your motives.”

MATT WALSH: “Coach Belichick’s explanation for having misinterpreted the rules. To me, that really didn’t sound like taking responsibility for what we had done, especially considering the great lengths that we had gone through, uh, to hide what we were doing.”

According to Goodell, Walsh at one point during their meeting on Tuesday referred to Belichick as "the man behind the curtain," which leads one to believe he may not have had much interaction with the Pats' coach. - smy

Walsh discusses how his recent public ordeal has affected him.

ANDREA KREMER: “What’s the thing that really bothers you the most about this whole situation, I mean granted, you did what you…were instructed to do, but what bothers you the most when you reflect back on it, years later?”

MATT WALSH: “Really just a lot of…what myself— I can’t speak for them but I have to imagine Steve Scarnecchia and Matt Estrella, you know, have had to go through, and experience, um, simply for being young kids and doing what we were told to do. Um, all the attention this has gotten and how…you know, the Patriots through the media have tried to smear my character. And I hadn’t even come out with any definitive information against them. I never said that we videotaped the Rams’ walk-through, I never came out, I was very, you know, as non-committal as I could in any of the answers I gave, yet they still went to great lengths to try to discredit me. You know, and still to this day, you know, the commissioner says I’ve just presented information that he already knew? Which would mean information before I even talked in the first place? So, well, why put me through all this. If I didn’t do anything to them. And the same thing with Matt Estrella and Steve Scarnecchia. I mean you know, my life, my friend’s life, my family lives, have been turned upside down, supposedly for nothing new.”

Real Sports will debut Friday at 8 p.m.; it will be re-aired throughout the month.

Here's the statement:

"We respectfully disagree with Senator Specter’s characterization of the investigation conducted by our office. We are following up after yesterday’s meeting with Matt Walsh."

Following is the text of the statement that Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., put into the record of today's Senate floor proceedings shortly before his midday news conference at the Capitol.

Editor's note: Specter's office, at 5:35 p.m., e-mailed a corrected version of the statement, saying:

Attached please find a CORRECTED version of the floor statement Senator Arlen Specter entered into the Congressional Record today.

The previous version contained two factual errors:
1) The correct date of the Patriots-Steelers game is September 25, 2005, not October 31, 2004.

2) Sheldon Brown is a cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles and was referencing the Eagles-Patriots 2005 Super Bowl.

>> Continue reading: Update: Complete text of Arlen Specter Senate statement

FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) - New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft complimented the Boston Herald on Wednesday for apologizing for a story that said his team videotaped a St. Louis Rams walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl.

He's "very disappointed," though, that the newspaper "wrote a story that was completely false and unsubstantiated," Kraft said in an interview with The Associated Press.

He also said he doesn't know why former New England video assistant Matt Walsh didn't refute the story soon after it came out on Feb. 2, the day before the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, 17-14, ruining their quest for an unbeaten season.

"I must compliment the Boston Herald for doing what is unprecedented in terms of recognizing their error in a major way," Kraft said. "I'm really delighted with that, but I wish it never happened."

The apology came a day after a meeting between NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Walsh produced no major revelations about the team's taping procedures.

"I think I speak for all Patriot fans," Kraft said. "We're relieved that this is over and you see that this is nonsense and we were unfairly accused and we're moving on."

Kraft spoke by telephone before Sen. Arlen Specter said in Washington that he wants an independent investigation of the Patriots' taping of opposing coaches' signals similar to the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

Patriots spokesman Stacey James said the team had no immediate comment on Specter's remarks.

Walsh told Goodell he did not tape the walkthrough and had no knowledge that any other Patriots employees did so, Goodell said. The commissioner also indicated he considered the investigation over after meeting with Walsh on Tuesday.

Goodell fined coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000 and took away a first-round draft pick this year after an investigation found the Patriots violated league rules by taping New York Jets coaches on the sideline during the season opener.

Kraft said he didn't think the investigation that began then would leave a lasting stain on the club.

"I was unhappy with what transpired in the fall, the actions of some of our employees, and we were penalized severely for that," he said. "We said back in September that we had disclosed all of our actions as an organization to the league. You can see this is true.'

"The erroneous story really led to a second round of inquisitions after September, and it really was a distraction. The sad part (is) that it took away from an 18-0 Super Bowl season."
The Herald's story cited unidentified sources and was released Feb. 2.

In the apology, published in the newspaper's Wednesday edition and posted on its Web site, the Herald said the story was based on sources "it believed to be credible."

"We now know that this report was false, and that no tape of the walkthrough ever existed," the paper wrote.

"We should not have published the allegation in the absence of firmer verification. The Boston Herald regrets the damage done to the team by publication of the allegation, and sincerely apologizes to its readers and to the New England Patriots' owners, players, employees and fans for our error."

The newspaper featured a front-page headline reading: "Sorry, Pats." It placed the three-paragraph apology on the back inside page of the newspaper.

We recorded this interview with Shalise Manza Young this morning. She discusses covering the Spygate news conference yesterday in New York, whether the story will live on in the hearts of non-Patriots fans around the country, and whether the disclosures on the eve of the Super Bowl might have affected the team's performance in that game.

Click here to listen to the file.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., called today for a "transparent and independent" investigation into allegations that the New England Patriots tried to spy on opposing teams, asserting that the practice went on more frequently than has previously been known.

Specter, who met with former Patriots' videographer Matt Walsh yesterday, also criticized what he called the National Football League's investigation into the matter.

Earlier in the day yesterday, Walsh met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who announced after yesterday's meeting that further sanctions against the Patriots over the Spygate controversy were unlikely.

Goodell said Walsh affirmed that he does not have, nor did he make, a tape of the St. Louis Rams’ final walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI, in 2002.

Speaking to reporters in Washington today, Specter charged among other things that, although Walsh did not tape the St. Louis Rams walkthrough practice, Walsh and several other Patriots' personnel "were present to observe most if not all" of the practice, including running back "Marshall Faulk's unusual positioning as a punt returner."

Specter, citing reports by the late journalist David Halberstam, said Patriots' coach Bill Belichick spent much time before that Super Bowl "obsessing about where the Rams would line up Faulk."

Specter, based on an interview with Walsh and other research, also asserted that although Walsh did not tape opposition practices between 2003 and 2005 -- a gap much remarked upon in the sports media -- other Patriots' personnel did tape such sessions during those years.

Specter also criticized the NFL for permitting the Patriots to have representatives on hand during yesterday's NFL questioning of Walsh. Former prosecutor Specter asserted that such a practice ran counter to the principles of objective investigations.

-- Specter criticized NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in stinging terms for what he called the league's "dribbling out" of facts about the so-called Spygate scandal and for destroying the first significant evidence in the case, tapes that the Patriots surrendered last September after the disclosure that they had videotaped New York Jets defensive signals during a game.

Specter also charged that Goodell settled on a penalty against the Patriots before he viewed the videotaped evidence of the rules infraction.

Specter did not specify who should do the investigation, but he did hold out as an example the investigation of steroids use in baseball by former Senator George Mitchell.

-- Journal Washington bureau John Mulligan

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa, is scheduled to hold a news conference at noon today after meeting yesterday with former Patriots videotape assistant Matt Walsh.

Earlier in the day yesterday, Walsh met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who announced after yesterday's meeting that further sanctions against the Patriots over the Spygate controversy were unlikely.

Goodell said Walsh affirmed that he does not have, nor did he make, a tape of the St. Louis Rams’ final walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI, in 2002.

Specter has helped keep the Spygate situation alive with comments critical of the league’s handling of the situation. Many have said, however, that his ties to Philadelphia-based Comcast, which is locked in a battle with the NFL over rights to the NFL Network, is driving him. Also, the Pats have had success in recent years over the league’s two Pennsylvania-based teams, the Eagles and the Steelers.

Specter was initially scheduled to hold a press conference yesterday.

Following is a partial transcript of Patriots owner Robert Kraft's interview this morning with Scott Wapner of CNBC. Kraft spoke about Spygate and the Boston Herald's apology.

WAPNER: ROBERT KRAFT IS THE CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AND HE'S GOING TO JOIN US FIRST ON CNBC THIS MORNING.MR. KRAFT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

KRAFT: THANK YOU, SCOTT, I WATCH ALL OF YOU IN THE MORNING.

WAPNER: WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON FIRST ON CNBC THIS MORNING.THE HEADLINE AT THE BOSTON HERALD SAYS IT ALL, IT SAYS SORRY, PATS, THIS IS A PAPER THAT REPORTED THE STORY BACK ON FEBRUARY 2, SAYING THAT THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VIDEOTAPED A WALK THROUGH BEFORE SUPER BOWL 36 AGAINST THE ST. LOUIS RAMS, IT NOW SAYS THE STORY IS NOT TRUE.DO YOU FEEL VINDICATED THIS MORNING?

KRAFT: I FELT VERY GOOD SEEING THIS PAPER BECAUSE WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD OVER THE LAST DECADE AND A HALF TO ESTABLISH A STRONG BOND WITH OUR FANS WHERE THEY COULD TRUST AND BELIEVE IN THE INTEGRITY OF THE TEAM AND THIS STORY COMING OUT THE DAY BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL, THE BIGGEST GAME IN OUR HISTORY, GOING FOR A PERFECT SEASON WAS VERY DAMAGING AND PUT A CLOUD OVER US FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 MONTHS.AND I'M GLAD IT'S FINALLY COME TO AN END.

WAPNER: LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS HUNG OVER YOUR FRANCHISE FOR MORE THAN 100 DAYS.WHAT DO YOU THINK THE RESIDUAL DAMAGE HAS BEEN TO YOUR BRAND OF THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS?

KRAFT: WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE PARTNERED WITH US OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS KNOW THAT WE PUT INDIVIDUAL EFFORT, WE SUBJUGATE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM, WE WORK HARD IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE WANT OUR SPONSORS TO BE ABLE TO EMOTIONALLY ATTACH THEMSELVES TO US AND KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET A VERY HIGH PERFORMANCE, HIGH GRADE PRODUCT.AND WE HAVE HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE OVER THIS TIME PERIOD.AND THIS ERRONEOUS STORY COMING OUT WAS REALLY HARMFUL.AND WHAT BOTHERS ME MORE ABOUT THIS STORY IS WHERE IT WENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW US AS WELL.AND UNFORTUNATELY, NOW, THEY WON'T SEE THIS RETRACTION.BUT PEOPLE WHO KNOW US, KNOW WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.

WAPNER: YOU RAISE A GOOD POINT, BECAUSE THERE CLEARLY ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE GOING TO LOOK AT YOUR FRANCHISE DIFFERENTLY FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT?

KRAFT: WELL, I JUST HOPE THAT THEY SEE THIS AND UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, OUR MISTAKE THAT IT WAS THE BOSTON HERALD. AND THIS SET OF -- I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT, A LOT OF THE LEADERS IN YOUR AUDIENCE TODAY HAVE GONE THROUGH SIMILAR EXPERIENCES.AND WE'RE IN THIS AGE OF 24-HOUR INFORMATION, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, A LOT OF THINGS CAN HAPPEN AND YOU CAN'T PROBABLY DEFEND YOURSELF.YOU JUST HAVE TO GO ABOUT YOUR JOB AND ONE THING I WILL SAY IS THIS COMING TOGETHER LIKE THIS AT THE END HAS MADE OUR ORGANIZATION STRONGER AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HOLD TOGETHER AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS UPCOMING YEAR.

>> Continue reading: Transcript of Robert Kraft interview on CNBC

The Boston Herald has issued an apology for its publication of a Feb. 2 story that stated a member of the New England Patriots video staff had videotaped the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. The story cited an anonymous source.

Here is the text of the apology:

On Feb. 2, 2008, the Boston Herald reported that a member of the New England Patriots' video staff taped the St. Louis Rams’ walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI. While the Boston Herald based its Feb. 2, 2008, report on sources that it believed to be credible, we now know that this report was false, and that no tape of the walkthrough ever existed.

Prior to the publication of its Feb. 2, 2008, article, the Boston Herald neither possessed nor viewed a tape of the Rams’ walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI, nor did we speak to anyone who had. We should not have published the allegation in the absence of firmer verification.

The Boston Herald regrets the damage done to the team by publication of the allegation, and sincerely apologizes to its readers and to the New England Patriots’ owners, players, employees and fans for our error.

More from Tom Brady's interview today on The Big Show -- Sports Radio 850 WEEI Radio:

On whether he was surprised Matt Walsh had no new information
It hasn't surprised me for a long time. I think the stuff before the Super Bowl, that was unfortunate that something like that had to come up before the biggest game of the year. We dealt with it all season. We dealt with it now, until today, throughout the offseason. At some point we've put it behind us. We put it behind us the following week when we went out to play San Diego after the Jet game. So I think it's just . . . it was an incident that we accepted and we paid the price for, and a very heavy price at that, and we moved forward. So I hope everybody else does, too.

On the timing of the report of the Pats' allegedly taping the Rams' walkthrough
I don't know why they choose that time to do it. I think it was the Boston Herald that [were] the people that started it . . . Because [coach Bill Belichick is] not the type of person that wants to go out and talk about his game plans and talk about injuries and talk about how to beat teams, I think people don't like that. And because he doesn't say much, you're left to assume a lot of different things. For us, in terms of us winning games, that's what's the best thing for us, but obviously, for our fans and for the media, it's not the best thing for them. They want to know all the information right away and Coach Belichick says, "Wait a minute, I want the other teams to have to figure these things out." Which we love as a team. We love, as players, that our coach doesn't want to go out and toot his own horn and talk about how great of a coach he is. He just wants to win. And I think the best thing that he does for us is, he doesn't talk about anything other than . . . kind of the ways that we want to approach each week without getting into details, game plans, and stuff like that. We've come a long way in eight years and I think we've gained a lot of credibility around the league. And I think, in this particular instance, people kind of want to chop us down a little bit. I understand that, too, and that's part of the competition. It didn't mean anything. We won 18 games this last year. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out at the end the way we would have hoped. But we moved past it then, and we're moving it past it now.

On the taping of opponents' signals
I guess, in a lot of ways, it wasn't the right thing to do. We paid the price. We accepted it. And we moved on. And that's what life's about. In life, you're accountable for your decisions, for all your actions, and once you take responsibility, and you accept the punishment, you move on.

On whether the reports were a distraction in the Super Bowl
No, it wasn't a distraction one bit.

On the Giants
t was really a great game. I wish we would've played better at certain times, but [the Giants] made the plays and they deserved it. And I have a lot of respect for that team because they work hard, and they have a lot of great leaders on that team. It's kind of a blue-collar team. When you do lose a game, you at least want to lose to guys you respect. And I certainly respect those guys. I don't respect everybody, but I do respect the Giants.

On teams he doesn't respect
There's four letters in their name.

Those green guys?
Yeah, exactly.

The attitude of opposing players toward the Spygate controversy
Nobody really said much. Actually, it was funny. I got an e-mail from Lawyer Milloy the other day and he said, 'Ha, you guys cheated when you played us. Therefore, we beat you guys.' And I said, 'Okay, you're right. We give you four touchdowns back. Oh, [shoot], we still win.' He laughed. He laughed. Believe me, everybody . . . none of the players think anything of it. Believe me. Not one person has expressed anything to me. And for that reason: It's a dead issue. It's a complete dead issue. It's been that way for a long time.

Colleague John Mulligan calls in to report that the Matt Walsh-Arlen Specter press conference has been postponed until sometime tomorrow.

The meeting between Walsh, attorney Michael Levy and the Pennsylvania Senator is still going on presently, and the decision was made to push back the media portion until tomorrow.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter's news conference in Washington, which was expected at 4 p.m. after his meeting with former Patriots assistant Matt Walsh, has now been cancelled.

The Patriots have just released the following statement:

"We want to address the allegation that the Patriots taped the Rams’ walkthrough prior to Super Bowl XXXVI. For the past three-and-a-half months, we have been defending ourselves against assumptions made based on an unsubstantiated report rather than on facts or evidence. Despite our adamant denials, the report ran on February 2, 2008, the day before Super Bowl XLII. That game was the second-most watched program in television history and it is unfortunate that today’s news will not also reach an audience of that size. We hope that with Matt Walsh's disclosures, everyone will finally believe what we have been saying all along and emphatically stated on the day of the initial report: 'The suggestion that the New England Patriots recorded the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 is absolutely false. Any suggestion to the contrary is untrue.'”

Here are more points from this morning's press conference/circus with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell:

** Before the commissioner arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel, excerpts from seven of the eight tapes Matt Walsh submitted to the league were shown. On the tapes were the following games: Sept. 24, 2000 in Miami; Oct. 7, 2001 in Miami; Nov. 11, 2001 vs. Buffalo; Dec. 9, 2001 vs. Cleveland; Jan. 27, 2002 in Pittsburgh (AFC championship); and Sept. 29, 2002 in San Diego.

At one point during the tape from the Chargers' game, there was about 45 seconds showing the cheerleaders dancing in an end zone, with the camera trained on one particular cheerleader (and her derriere). A representative from lawyer Michael Levy's firm quickly came around the room and said that Walsh was not the cameraman for that game, he was just in possession of the tape.

** Walsh acknowledged to Goodell that he was at the Rams' walkthrough on the eve of Super Bowl XXXVI with other members of the Patriots' video staff. He was in Pats' gear and was working to set up tables, printers and other equipment on the New England sidelines for the game.

"No one asked him to tape the walkthrough, he's not aware of anybody else who may have taped the walkthrough, he has not seen such a tape, he does not know of anybody who says there is a tape," Goodell said.

After Goodell's press conference, a group of media members were brought before NFL outside counsel Gregg Levy, who was also at the Goodell-Walsh sitdown.

According to Levy, Walsh was asked by former New England assistant coach Brian Daboll what he saw at the Rams' walkthrough, and Walsh offered that Marshall Faulk was in punt or kickoff receiving formation. Daboll apparently also asked Walsh about offensive formations, particularly about the use of tight ends.

Levy said the story was uncorroborated, but will be looked into. Daboll is now an assistant with the Jets.

** Once the Spygate scandal began, all sorts of other charges were made by other teams and outsiders about additional wrongdoing by the Pats. Walsh told Goodell that he had no knowledge of the team bugging opponents' locker rooms, scrambling the coach-to-quarterback radio signal, placing microphones on defensive players to pick up a quarterback's calls or any other claims.

** When asked why Walsh had kept the tapes, Goodell said the former New England employee had said he was thinking about becoming a coach one day (he apparently also kept tapes of Pats' practices), and for resume purposes: if a potential future employee asked what he did with the Pats, Walsh could break out the tapes and show them.

** Goodell had not yet spoken with the Patriots to let them know of his findings, nor did he say he planned on speaking with Robert Kraft, Scott Pioli and/or Bill Belichick. New England did have an attorney, Dan Goldberg, at the meeting today.

** There were two new bits of information Walsh offered to Goodell that were not previously known: in 2001, a player New England had on injured reserve practiced with the team, a no-no, and Walsh helped a couple of players scalp Super Bowl tickets, saying it was between 8 and 12 tickets total over a two-year period.

Walsh identified the player on IR and Goodell said the league is trying to verify that, though, he added, there would be no further fine imposed on the team if it is found to be true; Goodell said it would be included in the $750,000 in fines already assessed to the franchise and Belichick.

As for the tickets, which he said is a non-competitive issue, Walsh named names for that as well and Goodell said that will be looked into as well.

** Walsh said after making recordings during games, he handed the raw footage over to Ernie Adams, New England's football research director. According to Goodell, Walsh had little to no interaction with Belichick, whom he referred to as "the man behind the curtain" at one point during his meeting with Goodell.

Tom Brady spoke in depth about the 2007 season, and the loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl, in a wide-ranging interview on WEEI Radio this afternoon:

On whether pressure built during last season as the team remain undefeated
As a team we really insulated ourselves from it. I think the great strength of ours is our coach keeps us focused on each game, each week and each day of practice. And if we didn't have a good day of practice, we heard about it. So we never got caught up in it . . . And I think that's the way to approach it. because if you don't, you lose . . . When we started last season, the goal wasn't to go undefeated. It was to win the Super Bowl. And that will be the goal this year.

On how the Pats felt after losing the Super Bowl
It was numbing. It's just a numbing experience because we just didn't see that happening. Not that you can't lose any game, and you know going in that you can lose any game, but after the game, everyone was reflecting on what could have happened if we'd have won. I'm glad we were in that position. A lot of guys have moved on, we've made significant changes to the team. . . I think we have a great team. We start practice on Monday, I know all the guys are excited to be back.

On whether or not the Pats didn't take the Giants seriously
There was no way that we did that. I think that's why you can get over that, because I reflect back . . . we were prepared. It wasn't like we left anything on the table. It was a game of field position . . . [that was] a great defense we played and one of the best defensive lines in football. We finally scored there at the end and they just had a miraculous drive at the end to score on our defense. That game will stay with us for a long time, obviously, but hopefully we can have more opportunities. And I'm confident that we will. As long as we have [owner Robert Kraft] and [coach Bill Belichick], I'm confident that we will.

On the Giants
They have a great D-line and a very complimentary secondary with very athletic linebackers. I thought they did a good job of picking their spots to blitz us. They played incredible [in] that game.

On plays the Pats failed to make during the Super Bowl
Just before [halftime], on the strip sack, Randy [Moss] was behind the defense, but we just weren't able to find him in time. That should have been a touchdown.

On comparisons between the Pats' victory over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, and the Giants' win over the Pats in Super Bowl XLII
There was no way we should have won that game in 2001 but we found a way to win because we executed. And I think the Giants executed that way against us this year.

On mistakes the Pats made against the Giants
We didn't have a lot of possessions and we needed to play more of an error-free game. We just made errors at the wrong time, and they capitalized.

On the game
It was a great team game for the Giants . . . For us, it was back and forth. We were in control, and then we weren't in control. If we made one or two plays, the outcome's different. I think they had a great scheme on defense, they found ways to put pressure on us, they did a great job in those short-yardage situations . . . it just wasn't our day. It just wasn't our day.

On whether he was bothered by the Giants' pass rush
I don't get ever frustrated with pressure. I was frustrated we weren't able to put together drive after drive. They put pressure on you, and we knew that.

More on the game
We went down and scored right when we needed to, at the end. We had our opportunities. That's all you can ask for in the game, and that's all you can ask for in life.

On the last-minute pass to Randy Moss that was broken up by Corey Webster
Aw, man, when I let that go, I thought we had it. I thought that was it.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell just wrapped his press conference and said much of what Matt Walsh told him during their three hour, 15 minute meeting was consistent with what the Patriots had admitted as far as videotaping opponents' signals.

Due to that, Walsh said he expects no further sanctions against the team above the $750,000 in total fines and loss of a first-round draft pick levied against the team.

More shortly...

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, speaking at the moment to the media, said Matt Walsh brought no new information on the Spygate scandal to their meeting today and that Walsh didn't tell him anything that the Patriots hadn't already been punished for.

He also made clear that Walsh did not tape the Rams' walkthrough prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, and that Walsh had no knowledge that anyone taped it.

"As I stand before you today . . . I don't know where else I would turn [for more information],'' Goodell said when asked if Spygate was over.

More to come . . .

Assistant Sports Editor Mark Divver just sent me this link from the blog ColdHardFootballFacts. Intriguingly, the post links to a New York Times story from 2002, as the Patriots were preparing to face the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. The gist: someone was seen spying on the Patriots' practice with some sort of telescope as they were preparing for the game, and league officials themselves saw it.

We have now relocated back to the Astor room at the Intercontinental The Barclay, just a block from NFL headquarters.

As we wait for commissioner Roger Goodell to arrive, league PR officials have begun playing the eight tapes Matt Walsh submitted last week. So far, video from a Sept. 24, 2000 game in Miami, an Oct. 7, 2001 game in Miami - with both defensive and offensive signals, the Jan. 27, 2002 AFC championship in Pittsburgh and a Sept. 29, 2002 game in San Diego have been shown. Next up, apparently, is a Nov. 2001 game in Buffalo.

After waiting an hour and 40 minutes outside NFL headquarters on Park Avenue for Matt Walsh and attorney Michael Levy in the hopes Walsh would take a few questions, the pair came out of the building without Walsh saying a word.

The former video assistant stood stoic in a black double-breasted suit as Levy delivered the following statement:

"Mr. Walsh is pleased to have been able to assist the National Football League in its investigation of the New England Patriots' videotaping practices. Senator Arlen Specter has waited quite a while to meet with Mr. Walsh, and we are heading immediately to Washington, D.C. for an appointment this afternoon with Senator Specter. Out of respect for Senator Specter, neither Mr. Walsh nor I will speak with the media prior to meeting with the Senator."

With that, Levy and another gentleman ushed Walsh through the throng, which had grown to include passerby wielding cameraphones.

AP photo / Louis Lanzano
Matt Walsh, left, arrives at NFL headquarters for his meeting this morning with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

This is the status of the Matt Walsh situation: I and a couple dozen other reporters are standing here at 280 Park Avenue, outside NFL headquarters, waiting for Matt Walsh and his lawyer, Michael Levy, to make an appearance. The feeling is he's going to duck out on the press conference with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, so the hope is Walsh will say something before heading to the airport to fly to Washington D.C. for his meeting with Sen. Arlen Specter.

We'll update you further when we have more.

Click here to see the video, from the AP, of the Spygate figure checking in to meet NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this morning. And check back here for much more throughout the day.