Cam Newton and the New England Patriots fined again. This time, for the production crew illegally recording opponents. The New England Patriots just can’t seem to stop illegally filming their opponents. Last season, the team’s video crew was caught filming the field. Also, sidelines during a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns for a Patriots web series called “Do Your Job.”
The Patriots got permission from the Browns to film. However, didn’t inform the Bengals or the NFL, which they called “an unintended oversight.”
On Sunday, the NFL came down on the Patriots. Fining the team $1.1 million while also taking away their third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Patriots’ television production crews will also not be allowed to shoot any games during the 2020 season, and senior club officials will undergo required training on league operation and game policies.
The NFL also banned David Mondillo, who was suspended by the Patriots at the time of the NFL investigation, from NFL facilities until further notice. The Patriots had already fired Mondillo before the league announced the punishment.
Patriots Fined Again…
The Patriots admitted that their production crew acted inappropriately when they filmed the sidelines during the game.
“The sole purpose of the filming was to provide an illustration of an advance scout at work on the road,” a Patriots statement said at the time. “There was no intention of using footage for any other purpose.”
The team added that the production crew, which was made up of independent contractors, is not part of New England’s football operation. Convenient. What does the Patriots fined again mean for 2021? Nothing. Business as usual.
“They 100% know. All of our scouts, all of our video people and everything, they know what that is,” head coach Bill Belichick said. “Again, I have nothing to do with the TV production shows and stuff like that. I have no idea what they do. Or what their projects are and everything else.
“As I understand it, they were videotaping him, trying to show kind of what an advance scout does, or something Iike that, I don’t know. You’ll have to wait to see the show I guess and see how it’s presented.”
A spokesperson for the Patriots said the team will not contest the NFL’s ruling.
