Any time you have to ask, “What is cheating?” it’s not a good sign for your integrity. But that’s exactly what happened Wednesday when former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy responded to allegations leveled by Deion Sanders after Super Bowl LI that the Colts too had stolen signals under Dungy.
Sanders ratted the Colts out after his fellow NFL Network analyst and Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson brought up SpyGate as a recurrent stain on the New England Patriots Dynasty*. SpyGate, at the very least consisted of the Patriots videotaping opposing teams signals from various, illegal locations. And, at most, were flat out spy tapes on the opposition’s prep work, walkthroughs and practices. We’ll never really know since NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell destroyed the evidence for the Patriots like the good little dog he is.
Tony Dungy, responding to Deion Sanders' accusations, says Colts stole signals but didn't cheat https://t.co/aiBRedr9yC pic.twitter.com/2wlJgQLpMo
— Agustín Melara (@Agustmelara) February 8, 2017
What Sanders claimed the Colts did was matching signals to on-the-field calls during games.
“…They were getting everybody’s signals,” Sanders said. “Come on, you don’t walk up to the line and look over here and the man on the sideline giving you the defense that they’ve stolen the plays of. We all knew. LT (Tomlinson) knew. Everybody in the NFL knew. We just didn’t let the fans know. That was real and that was happening in Indy.”
Tony Dungy says the @Colts stole signals but didn't cheat ? #Colts #TonyDungy pic.twitter.com/WOAsRgjwMR
— Jason Hagholm (@JHagholm1) February 8, 2017
Dungy didn’t deny it, but instead parsed his response.
“I think we have to go back to what is cheating,” Dungy said Wednesday. “People accusing us of cheating? I don’t think that’s the case. Stealing signals? You can go back to the 1800s in baseball, you can go anywhere there were signals done, and people were looking and watching and trying to get signals.”
Matching up a call with what’s on the field during a game is a far cry from extensive video taping and game prep spying, but it’s not exactly fair play either. It’s not against the rules, but it’s probably dirty. It’s why offensive and defensive coordinators cover their mouths when they call a play into their headset. They know somebody on the other sideline is probably trying to read their lips. It’s the same reason quarterbacks send out so many dummy signals at the line. Everybody’s looking for an edge. Not everybody emptying out the spy equipment stock of a SkyMall catalog.
Eagles cut Leodis McKelvin
The post Super Bowl cuts are already beginning as teams gear up for the March 1 deadline on salaries and roster bonuses. Wednesday, the Philadelphia Eagles bid farewell to cornerback Leodis McKelvin and the $3.2 million in cap space he was going to take up next season.
McKelvin played all last season with a hamstring injury but still started 13 games and made 43 tackles, defended 16 passes and made two picks. As long as he’s healthy, he won’t have trouble landing with another team for probably about the same amount of cash.
Roster Move: #Eagles release CB Leodis McKelvin. pic.twitter.com/JBf7oKxG1w
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 8, 2017
McKelvin’s release was made easier by the emergence of rookie corner Jalen Mills last season. Mills, who the Eagles tole in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft, had 61 tackles, played in all 16 games and defended seven passes.
By cutting McKelvin, the Eagles should have a little more bread to toss at his fellow corner Nolan Carroll, who will be a free agent.
Packers release Sam Shields
The Eagles weren’t the only team to divorce a defensive back. The Green Bay Packers sent cornerback Sam Shields on his way, with Shields making the announcement on his Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQQPsH1gs6z/?taken-by=samshields37
Shields will be entering his eighth season in 2017 after spending his entire career with the Packers, if he can play again. Shields missed 15 games last season after suffering his fourth concussion. It was his second in nine months and he was not cleared to play again.
According to ESPN, Shields has no plans to retire, but even as late as January he was still experiencing concussion-related symptoms.
“Some days it’s tough headaches, some days it’s mild,” Shields said. “It varies. I never know. I’m so used to it that it’s just normal. Like I said, each day it’s getting better. I’ll be back.”
If Shields is able to come back, he’ll probably have to deal with a four-game suspension after getting busted with pot on Oct. 19.
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