Hardball Heaven

So as you probably know by now, word leaked out this week about the contents of Matt Walsh's videotape collection, and as many people suspected there was no smoking gun - i.e., a tape of the Rams' walk-through before SB 36. Thankfully, the Spygate stuff can now end.

Or can it? If it's up to ESPN, Mike Fish, Gregg Easterbrook, Arlen Sphincter, and Walsh's attorney, they're going to do everything in their power to keep the story alive. You want proof, you say? The second headline on ESPN.com right now says 'Tapes show Patriots also stole offensive signals' - written by, shockah of shockahs, Mr. Douche, ah, Fish. That was preceded by another story by Fish this morning with the headline 'NFL might be interested in certain aspects of tapes'. I mean, are you shitting me? ESPN has slowly deteriorated over the last few years, but this is just irresponsible, biased reporting. ESPN's hatred for Belichick and the Patriots' dynasty is pretty obvious, which is shameful.

As for the demented Senator from Pennsylvania - big Eagles fan they tell me - he felt he was important enough to issue a statement today on the Walsh tapes, saying 'let's not rush to judgment here' and claiming the NFL is already putting a 'nothing new' spin on Walsh's uneventful evidence. Congress actually ought to launch an investigation into Sphincter's work routine, because he's obviously not spending much time on the things that really matter. The evidence against this clown is overwhelming. Yes, he's a big Eagles fan, and of course, they all suck. It also just so happens that the NFL is in the midst of a lawsuit against Comcast Cable, one of Sphincter's largest political contributors. And I just read today that Sphincter's actually got a book out - probably called "Me and My Agenda" - that has sold, like, five copies. Specter is a disgrace to his office and to his constituents. He should be impeached, and then tarred and feathered immediately thereafter.

The other fraud in all of this is John Tomase, who broke the story about the Rams tape on the morning of the Super Bowl, and his employer, the Boston Herald. For months after Tomase's initial story, the Herald and a bevy of writers went out of their way to bash Belichick, Kraft and the Pats at every turn. It really was a sharp turn into overly negative coverage, and was very distinguishable from the Globe's more measured approach. Again, I understand the Herald is also a tabloid, but I believe they went over the line.

And after all the B.S., the Patriots will be exonerated but their reputation will wrongfully take a hit. Tomase's ill-timed, fraudulent story took the steam out of what should have been a historic Super Sunday, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that he or the paper could face some type of legal action. I'd love to know what Kraft and his lawyers are thinking of doing. I'd sue the whole lot of them for slander. Make Tomase take the stand and identify the "source" that he was so confident in.

Oh, and one last note on the biased media coverage, this one actually made by Pete Sheppard on WEEI this afternoon. If it was a Patriots star player who was part of a shooting investigation that killed someone and injured a child, and it was proven that his gun was used in the killing, would he be getting the same pass Marvin Harrison is right now? Exactly.