So, the infamous Walsh Tapes have been delivered to the NFL commissioner’s office and the big relevation appears that not only did the Pat’s try to steal Defensive signals they tried to also tried to steal Offensive signals.

While the tapes are a little less important than say the Zapruder films these could have a lasting impact on the NFL. SpyGate, as this has been so cleverly named by the media, is not all that surprising. Teams are consistently looking for an edge in a game where a few plays here or there can mean winning a Championship or not.

So why is this going to be so important? Because the league is very much a copycat league. Teams, coaches, GM’s etc., willingly and openly borrow from other successful organizations. Whether it is an offensive/defensive style/scheme or how teams handle free agents, organizations watch what each other are doing and mimic one another.

So my guess is that the Patriots are not the only team doing this. In a league where the coaching trees branch from a few successful coaches and teams, you know that others have known or are practicing the same type of behavior. I am not saying it is right, but my guess is that while this may be going on in other organizations, the Pats were caught because they have a mark on their backs being a successful franchise for the past few years. Also, because I think Belichick is not as popular as other head coaches amongst his peers.

So, if the league determines that the Patriots were in fact stealing signals in such a habitual and systematic way, they are going to come down harder than the first time around. They will have to send a signal that if other teams are doing it, that they will pay the price.

I wouldn’t be surprised if news slowly trickles out that other teams have been doing this and that it is more prevalent than we want to believe.

What do you think - is this going to be important and do you think other teams are doing the same thing?