Senator: NFL Needs to Keep Open Mind About New Tapes

As NFL officials began reviewing the eight videotapes submitted to the league by former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said yesterday that the league's leaders should remain open-minded about the evidence provided by Walsh before deciding whether to impose new penalties on the Patriots.

"I think it is very unfortunate that the NFL has already started its 'nothing new' spin before watching the tapes or finding out what Mr. Matt Walsh has to say," Specter said in a written statement. "Let's see where the evidence leads."

Specter has been critical of the league's investigation of the videotaping scandal involving the Patriots and their coach, Bill Belichick. Walsh is to meet Tuesday in New York with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Walsh will meet with Specter in Washington later that same day.

The tapes arrived at the league offices in New York yesterday, as promised in a letter Wednesday from Walsh's attorney and required by the NFL's agreement with Walsh providing him legal protections. Walsh's attorney, Michael Levy, had informed the league that the tapes would show the play signals of opposing coaches in six games between the 2000 and 2002 seasons, including an AFC championship game in which the Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Goodell punished the Patriots in September after they were caught taping the play signals of New York Jets coaches in the opening game of last season. He later said that Belichick had admitted the videotaping program had been in place throughout his coaching tenure in New England. Goodell has said he would penalize the Patriots further only if evidence is uncovered of wrongdoing other than taping opponents' play signals.

Walsh did not provide any evidence that the Patriots taped the St. Louis Rams' walk-through before the Super Bowl in February 2002, as reported by the Boston Herald but denied by the Patriots.

-- Mark Maske