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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By “Bull” Allen. May 12, 2008: Well,  pro football has a lot to explain.  It seems that 8 new video “sideline surveillance tapes” showing both offensive and defensive signals  of  6 games involving 5 opponents from the New England Phonies have been turned over to the pro football league offices by a former Phonies employee. We wonder what the Commissioner is going to do about these?

Old Yankee Stadium, 1956– BVE  (Before Video Era)

The paragon coaching genius of the league – the defensive “guru” – the man whom of it has been said, give him two weeks of preparation and he can stop any offense, wasn’t that much of a genius without his tapes, was he? Well, now we know why, don’t we?

 

The last eight years of the New England Phonies  success  may very well be due in large part to being very good at breaking down tape of sideline signals, (perhaps during the games to be used at halftime to make adjustments),  matching them to plays called,  and by virtue of painstaking analysis, and comparison of tapes —  knowledge of every play as it was about to come at them, defensive and offensive when they played those teams again.

Where’s the investigation, National Phony League?

However, let’s think for a moment.

Videotape shot during  a game in progress could conceivably have been analyzed on the fly as a game was unfolding, enabling the Phonies’ defense to be perhaps more successful in the secondhalf, and their offense to exploit defensive sets – especially if the New England masterminds knew the signal that had called a defensive set or an offensive play that went for a big stop or a long gainer earlier in the game.

One of the tapes turned over by the former Phonies employee, according to the Times was of the Pittsburgh Steelers- Phonies Championship of January 27, 2002!

How indicting is that?

Think for a moment what such a tape might mean?

Were the Phonies taping Steeler signals, matching them up in the first and second quarters to plays, preparing for the second half? That’s what the tape of the Steeler game showed according to The Times:  the tape shows Steeler coaches calling a signal and the play that ensued (easy to do if you have a simultaneous video switching system to feed two different video feeds into the same master recording tape).

It is instant replay you can use! If the Phonies  were doing this , sounds like cheating to me. Big time cheating.

Do we have to draw a picture here? The reason to tape signals in a championship game – is to figure them out instantly – and know every play the hapless Steeler staff is going to call offensively and defensively in the last three quarters.  You can blitz, you can nickel, you can man-to-man with confidence.  Think of it this way, it would be as if a batter were getting each pitch signal sent to him, fast ball, change, curve, slider, etc.

If the National Phony League does not corral the New England Phonies who played in that Championship and ask such questions, it is very suspicious.

More to the point, I believe they should launch a major investigation as to how all these tapes were used,  when the information was used, and of course, the all important question were they analyzed during a game as soon as they were made?

Tell you fans, they really don’t want to know. Do you?

According to  Times reporter Greg Bishop’s report, of May 8, “In that (championship) game, the tape had been edited to show Steelers coaches signaling plays, followed by two different camera angles of the actual plays that were called.”  The Times noted the eight tapes were of regular-season games with the Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns and the San Diego Chargers, and the Steeler Championship game.

 In games against teams that the tapes were taken of,  Mr. Bishop’s story reports  the Phonies had a solid winning record. Bishop reports the Phonies were 9-6 against Miami after the taping,12-1 against Buffalo, 3-0 against Cleveland, 4-1 against Pittsburgh and 3-1 against the Chargers.  What kind of “competition” is that? Sounds like the Phonies knew what was coming doesn’t it?

It’s bogus football.

Denison Hatch the marketing writer first called attention to this when the New England Phonies were discovered video-taping the New York Jets (why you would bother taping the Jets is beyond belief), from the sideline. Hatch a season ticket holder with the Philadelphia Eagles wondered out loud if the genius coach of the Phonies  hadn’t been taping his Philadelphia Eagles, and that was why the Phonies sniffed out every play in the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to the Phonies.

 How many more oodles of the New England Phonies’ tapes have been destroyed?  How come New England has not had their franchise revoked for breaking league video taping rules? What kind of security exists in this league?

How many other successful teams are cheating in different ways: with long distance digital cameras? Long distance close circuit cameras? Is it widespread?

What the rather sedate New York Times reports on the new tapes turned over to the League indicate is that the New England spying operation which their head coach has admitted to using since 2000, was far more sophisticated than the league officials would have us believe.

 

 

But the Times sports section misses the much larger moral issue– as do the pro football owners and executives.  The Commissioner of the National Phony League has said the taping did not taint the Phonies accomplishments.

 

No kidding. Who is he kidding?

 

It taints it big time.

 

It taints every New England player, coach, and forever gives the National Phony League a pall of shame for all time.

 

No one should ever watch a pro football game again without a suspicious eye.

 

But, the real shame is – the players had to know this was happening. All of them knew.

 

The Eagle Quarterback said he was astonished how New England Phonies always seemed to know what plays the Eagles were going to run in that Super Bowl.

 

Well now, we know, don’t we?

 

What  these surveillance tapes  call into question is the integrity of every player on the New England Phonies  roster. How could the players live with the knowledge that their success was not based on their skill but, instead, perhaps knowing the plays they were going to be run at them on each play, and knowing the defensive set that has just been called?

 

Did they think this was all right?

 

How could you put on the uniform and play knowing you were cheating every week.

 

The genius coach was not such a genius against the in this year’s Super Bowl was he?

 

How could the players not know?

 

Why didn’t they speak out that this was wrong?

 

A  half million dollar fine on the genius coach – for breaking  league rules for eight years, and losing a couple of draft picks for basically stealing every game by cheating – that’s like a false start penalty

 

Perhaps the only reason the Phonies lost a game was a sense of overconfidence.

 

But again, the integrity of every player on the team – who knew – and did not speak out – well that is just pathetic.

 

It also goes back to the genius coach earlier in his career. Did he tape signals then? Do other coaches tape and “spy” in ways different and more sophisticated than the exposed genius?

 

It’s fascinating that not too many sports shows are even covering this story. They want it to be over.

 

But I have a feeling it is just beginning.

 

Shame on the New England Phonies for committing the biggest scandal in sports since the Black Sox Scandal in 1919.

 

Shame on the National Phony League for not throwing the book at them, disbanding the team, and kicking out the franchise, and banning every Phony Coach, player and executive who knew this was going on for eight years  — for life.

 

Don’t tell me it’s part of the game.

 

Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns (the real Cleveland Browns of Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Otto Graham), when he was coaching the Cincinnati Bengals always sent in his plays by guard substitutions for exactly that reason. He was laughed at in the days of videotape and electronics. But he still did. He was afraid someone would steal his play signs.

 

The original Mr. Brown was right all along.

WPCNR’S The Real Deal By The Wedding Jeannie, Jeannie Uyanik of Cap and Gown Weddings. The Mother’s Day Column May 10, 2008:

 

I have an almost two-year old son. He does not sleep, never stops moving, and more often than not, unlike my friends with little girls, needs to be constantly entertained.  I am told though that while the first few years with a boy are harder, I will be laughing through the teenage years and wedding planning while those with girls struggle.  While I am far from knowledgeable about children and teenagers, I can impart wisdom about mothers and daughters during the wedding planning process; from what I see and have learned personally, it might just rival moments with a teenager and for many of the same reasons.

 

Jeannie Uyanik, Planner to the World

The Wedding Jeannie

 

Much like turning 13, planning a wedding is a milestone in a woman’s life.  She needs the support and love of her mother, but has her own ideas about what to do and how.  While the everyday guidance of a mother to a bride is not as essential as it might be for a teenager, the approval and tacit support is, even in just the assurance that disapproval is not soon coming.  Hopefully this column will serve to provide a backbone of a few do’s and don’ts because at the end of the day, a mother/daughter relationship is more important than any venue, florist, caterer or schedule. 

 

 

 

A few key rules:

 

1)      Remember how much you love each other; clearly, neither the bride nor the mother of the bride says or does things to intentionally irritate the other.  On the contrary, I am sure that each side would be thrilled if everyone could just get along.  So keep in perspective that just because you disagree does not mean that changes the level of love and respect that you have for each other, or that you are trying to hurt the other person. 

 

Why would any mother want to see her daughter unhappy?  Remember, they might just think that they know better; on the flip side, why wouldn’t a bride want her mother to love everything that she is doing?  There are probably no bad intentions, just a lot of bad discussions.

 

2)      Embrace the differences; mothers and daughters, even with the closest relationships, will not see eye to eye on everything. As the bride, this is your day, your time to make choices and even mistakes, but don’t let them be relationship changing.  Focus on the things that are most important to you, compromise for those that are most important to your mom.  But each side has to understand that planning a wedding is less about logistics and décor and more about personalities. 

 

In appreciating how what you want is different from your mother, explain that.  In understanding how your daughter is not doing what you think is right, allow her to express herself as long as it’s not putting a strain on the finances and causing family controversy.  If you are both clear with each other on why something is important, this will eliminate much of the angst.  And, 10 to 1, if you listen to each other and compromise, it will be a better solution in the end.  Each of you brings something different to the table. 

 

3)      Be sensitive; we tend to forget how much planning a wedding can raise and/or heighten sensitivities on both sides.  Take the time to be cautious about the way that issues are discussed. Try not to have conversations about important issues by phone or on the fly; this can exacerbate the feeling that the other side just does not care.  Focus on how you feel, why and where you might be willing to compromise. 

 

4)      Don’t loose perspective; don’t do something that you will regret forever in the name of one day.  And don’t let the smallest details overshadow your relationship. The most important thing to remember during this time is that it’s the celebration of a life changing event and the recognition of that change with all of your friends and family. (N.B. brides, that may probably be why your parents always want to invite more guests than you would prefer; accommodate them in as much as you can, its an important day for everyone).  

 

My own mother in times of crisis or stress is the wisest, calmest person that I have ever known and perhaps that’s why she handled my own screw-up with grace, but it haunts me to this day.   As a wedding planner, I had my eye constantly on the schedule the day I got married and suddenly noticed that we were of course running late (its harder to run your own wedding than other peoples). 

 

Unfortunately, this was just as I was about to put on my wedding dress.  I told my mother she had to leave right away in order not to be late, just as the dress was about to go on.  As my 6 bridesmaids surrounded me, I noticed as she was leaving with tears in her eyes, but she smiled and left saying she loved me.  It’s a moment that I remember to this day.  I was wrong for the right reasons in theory, but what a waste. 

 

I was so focused on what needed to be done and how, I forgot so seamlessly the importance of what was being done.  My mother in an effort to mitigate my stress did not argue or impart that she had been waiting my whole life to help me with my dress, and though I see how wrong I was, had she fought, it probably would have been more stressful.  She was and always will be smarter than I am. 

 

My mother continues to be my best friend, even if she did not help me put my dress on, but it’s a moment that I wish I could take back.  As you read this, remember my story and if even only once, hold your tongue when you would like not to, smile and laugh when you want to scream and just be mother and daughter instead of mother of the bride and bride; the first will last a lifetime. 

 

Not surprisingly, I have to give all credit of this column to my mother; I was telling her about how hard it can be for mothers and daughters during the planning process these days and she said that I should probably write about it in one of my columns.  She did not even realize mother’s day was this weekend.  This one is for you mom – Happy Mother’s Day and I love you. 

 

And, thank goodness I have a son.