Steelers Blame Patriots for Headset Malfunctions
Sigh. I thought yesterday, the NFL’s season opener, was the day that I got off the Patriots Cheat Beat, but a yeoman’s work is never done, so, another day, another dollar.
(drops lunchpail in back of pickup truck)
-= Related: Tuesday’s Spygate News Blitz Exposes NFL’s PR Warfare =-
In a clearly perturbed press conference after Tom Brady re-introduced himself to the Steelers, particularly Pittsburgh’s duct-tape-and-popsicle-sticks secondary, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was asked about headset issues during the game. Here’s the postgame interview, from CBS Sports:
Reporter: “Mike, there was a report that your radio went out?”
Tomlin: “That’s always the case.”
Reporter: “Here?”
Tomlin: “Yes.”
Reporter: “So you’re saying every time you play here you have rad-“
Tomlin (interrupting): “I said what I said.”
Reporter: “Mike, what exactly happened, you just didn’t have any communication?”
Tomlin: “We were listening to the Patriots radio broadcast for the majority of the first half. On our headsets.”
When a reporter pointed out that the Steelers head coach was making an accusation, Tomlin snapped, “I’m not indicating nothing. I’m telling you what happened.”
Whoa! Big, if true!
The NFL also released a statement about the incident, which reads as follows:
“In the first quarter of tonight’s game, the Pittsburgh coaches experienced interference in their headsets caused by a stadium power infrastructure issue, which was exacerbated by the inclement weather. The coaches’ communications equipment, including the headsets, is provided by the NFL for both clubs use on game day. Once the power issue was addressed, the equipment functioned properly with no additional issues.”
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(Note that the NFL’s statement makes sure to specify that the NFL provides headsets, not the home or visiting team.)
Amusingly, while the NFL’s explanation of Thursday’s headset malfunctions is all we have to work with at the moment, the issue of the Patriots being at fault for malfunctioning coaching headsets was also unintentionally debunked earlier this week…
…by ESPN’s dissertation-length “Outside the Lines” report on Spygate and Sports Illustrated’s NFL group therapy session earlier this week.
No, really. Check this out:
In the ESPN feature, scrambling and jamming of the opponents’ headsets is described by one of their sources (described as a “former Pats assistant coach) as “small s— that many teams do”. It’s about ¼ of the way through the piece.
And SI’s article goes so far as to say “Incidents that might be considered innocent snafus elsewhere are viewed more skeptically in Foxborough. Headset failures are not uncommon around the league – Sun Life Stadium in Miami, for instance, is notorious for frequency issues. But representatives from several teams told SI they have experienced problems with the coach’s equipment at Gillette…”
Finally, not that anybody is going to believe him anyway, but when asked about headset problems in his postgame interview, Bill Belichick had the following to say:
“We had a lot of problems. We had to switch headphones a couple times. The communication system wasn’t very good. We deal with that, it seems like, weekly. Yeah, they told us they were on the verge of shutting it off, but then they, I guess they got things working. I don’t know, but it was a problem the whole game. We almost had to switch helmets with Brady there at the end – couldn’t get the plays in to him. It was a problem all night.”
No word yet on whether the Steelers’ Gatorade was cold, ice cold, frosty, chilled, room temperature, lukewarm, or steaming. Maybe Bobby Boucher can lend a hand.