Now We Know What Belichick Has Under That Sweatshirt

All this time we've wondered what New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick hid under that sweatshirt. Was it some Pete Carroll style abs? Maybe a six pack of Sam Adams? What about a blackbook full of married women's phone numbers?

Or maybe a hidden camera that records through a tiny pinhole in the Patriots logo?

If that's the case, he wouldn't be the first New England Patriots employee accused of violating the NFL's policy on sideline cameras. He wouldn't even be the first this season.

NFL security confiscated a video camera and its tape from a New England Patriots employee on the team's sideline during Sunday's game against the Jets in a suspected spying incident, sources said.

The camera and its tape were placed in a sealed box and forwarded to the league office for investigation, the sources said.

The Patriots' cameraman was suspected of aiming his camera at the Jets' defensive coaches who were sending signals to their unit on the field, the sources said. The league also is investigating some radio frequency issues that occurred during the game.

The league's competition committee could conduct a conference call about the incident, which violates NFL policy, and ultimately recommend a penalty that could cost the Patriots a future draft pick or picks if it verifies that the team was spying on the Jets.

And apparently it's not the first time that the Pats have been accused of doing something like this.

"It's not their first time," a member of the committee, who did not wish to be identified, said.


In fact, Green Bay Packers president Bob Harlan confirmed a similar incident that occurred when the Patriots played at Lambeau Field last Nov. 19. The same cameraman who was questioned by NFL security on Sunday was also the one whom the Packers removed from the sideline and escorted from the field during their 2006 game, according to Packers security official Doug Collins.

"From what I can remember, he had quite a fit when we took him out," Harlan said. "We had gotten word before the game that they [the Patriots] did this sort of thing, so we were looking for it."

So, are the Pats employing a cameraman just to spy on their opponents in an attempt to steal their signals? I wouldn't put anything past Belichick, and the New England front office, though it still seems a little far-fetched. However, it does add a little more intrigue to the Jets/Pats game on December 16. I suggest the Jets demand that Belichick gets a pat down, and has to lift up his sweatshirt to reveal what's underneath.