Breaking .. Another Saints Scandal
 

New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis has been accused of using rewired lines in his Superdome suite to listen in on opposing team's communications during games from 2002-2004, according to an ESPN report Monday. The team has denied the allegation.


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New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis


Sources: New Orleans Saints' Mickey Loomis could eavesdrop on opposing coaches during home games - ESPN

The charges have been referred to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. It is unclear if Loomis' alleged actions would constitute a federal crime. However, it appears the statute of limitations on any possible state or federal violations has passed.

"I was made aware of the allegations on Friday," Letten said. "I can simply confirm that. I can't indicate anything else."

He said he was "not at liberty to say" who briefed him, or whether he alerted the FBI.

The explosive allegation is the latest to bedevil the Saints in what has surely been the most tumultuous off-season for a club in NFL history. Already reeling from a bounty scandal that led to Coach Sean Payton's suspension for the 2012 season as well as an 8 game suspension for Loomis, a 6-game suspension for Coach Joe Vitt, and the loss of draft picks and a $500,000 fine, the Saints now find themselves fending off a possible criminal investigation.

A spokesman for the NFL said the league was not aware of the allegations.

"This report is 1000 % false- completely inaccurate- we asked ESPN to provide us evidence to support thier allegations and they refused," said team spokesman Greg Bensel. "The team and Mickey are seeking all legal recourse regarding these false allegations."

link back



Sources: New Orleans Saints' Mickey Loomis could eavesdrop on opposing coaches during home games - ESPN

I can't believe I'm watching this.

Oh boy... Here we go again, more controversy.

it keeps getting better!

WTF??? Really? They just won't quit will they.

Man, you guys can't get away from it. I feel bad for you (the fans) because you had no idea...now your season is in jeopardy. Not fair to the fans, or the players who were not associated with this (and other alligations)

Bizarre to say the least. At this time, I don't believe it. I think I am in some sort of hallucination after reading too much science fiction.

I don't suppose I was trying to be a Patriot is any defense?
:confused:

Sweet Jesus.

Even thought the device was disabled after the 2004 season, I bet we lose another swath of draft picks. So much for being competitive for the next 10 years.

BTW, I have no idea if this is true or how to prove it one way or another but I still bet we get beaten with a metal rod because of it.

When it rains it pours.
why are they trying to put wholes all in our umbrella!!!!!!

You mean you guys knew about it? Or another incident in the past? Sorry, I'm not one to follow the Saints so I don't really know much about it. Don't get me wrong, this isn't the only reason I am here. I participate in the Hockey Group, so I have been here for a little while, just haven't posted in any real topics before.

Here's the link:
Sources: New Orleans Saints' Mickey Loomis could eavesdrop on opposing coaches during home games - ESPN

According to the Saints, this whole story is "1000% inaccurate." I'm guessing the "inactive after 2004" piece came from the person making the allegation.

1,000 percent false. 1,000 innacurate.

Funny, I had posted that elsewhere and hadn't bothered to read most of it. That is what I get I guess. Thanks for the link

It's becoming trendy to pile on the Saints right now. I need more than some anonymous source to believe this. I'll be curious to see how this plays out.

For what its worth, the guys on ESPN are shockingly not jumping to conclusions right away like they did with 'bountygate.' They're all saying they need more evidence.

This is just awful.

The worst part is they throw in the "it was disconnected after 2004." So how are we supposed to prove it's not true? Come in and check our equipment for a connection that they admit isn't there?

This is like the old "Sentator, when did you stop beating your wife?" question. No matter how we answer, we're hosed...

I really really hope it's not true.

Yep, there's the evidence. I mean there couldn't have been any other reason for the 3-13 record that season - clearly they were lost without the electronic eavesdropping.

I'm hoping this turns out to be BS, but in any regards the Pats weren't punished that hard for their Spygate - at least in relation to the Bountygate punishments - and this type of a violation would fall into the same category of competitive edge violations, so because of that precedent the potential punishments would have to be fairly similar.

Unnamed source? ESPN? Bogus...

Nothing to see here. Someone is just trying to pile on on an already crazy off season.

I'll say this(and Drew really needs to get signed and be a friggin leader for this team), all they are doing is pissing off an already extremely focused team that is hell bent on blowing this league up in '12. LOOK OUT!!!

So what kind of legal options do the Saints and Loomis have? I'm so sick and tired of ESPN and most of the fickle sports journalists out there

Except 1) we'll probably get slapped with the "repeat offenders" tag so Rog'll come down even harder on us.

2) We already don't have a first rounder this year, or a second rounder for the next two years. If we lose a first rounder next year (same punishment as the Pats) we're looking at 2 years in a row with no picks until the third round.

Add into that the fact that this could be the end for Loomis (if proven true...have I mentioned that I REALLY hope it's not?) and this could be really, really bad for us.

funny how NFL.com hasn't posted anything yet.................yet.

This is so ridiculous. Even if it were true, which I doubt it is, it's so obvious that everyone is hell bent on digging up anything thing they can find on Loomis and Payton, even if it means going back before their time here.

Because what did everyone say about spygate? "Oh this is what everyone does, but Bill just got caught". That's what we've been screaming about Bountygate, but who is listening? No one in the media, for sure. So now they want to accuse Loomis of eavesdropping, and I'm sure the seagulls (media) will try to say that no one else would do that.

But again, this is nothing more than fishing for garbage.

Naturally, but that wouldn't really be fair because this violation had happened earlier than the recent violations, so technically if these accusations turn out to be true - the Bountygate punishments should've been harder with the Saints being "repeat offenders" of sorts, not the other way around.

I think there's a technical (correctional) term for it, but I can't remember what it is at the moment.

You're absolutely right, and yet I find myself wondering if that logic will matter in Goodell's court of "flaw".

Sacrebleu!

Look at it this way....at least all this **** is getting rid of the fair weather fans! Lmao! **** this!!! This is just more BS! I'm not buying it.

ESPN reporting this is irresponsible. I hope the Saints prove this wasn't true so this kind of reporting is frowned upon, I'm getting sick of the media.

If this doesn't prove that the NFL has something against us, then I don't know what will.

saints are becoming one of these teams in the NFL that no one is neutral about...you love them or you hate them

This was ESPN, not the NFL.

True, he clearly hasn't honored Habeas Corpus in relation to allowing the "offenders" see the evidence against them nor the NFLPA.

The question though, is what sort of loose tongue "source" told espn about this. It could be someone from the NFL or it might be a homeless guy offering stories about a saints scandal in exchange for 10 bucks.

You know espn couldn't pass up that deal. Reliability doesn't matter to them, just as long as they have something to talk about.

ESPN has lost it completely... ROFL.

:whatever:

:bs:

:hallucinate:

:bugeyes:


... makes you want to :puke:

F*** IT!!!

This is a freakin' witch hunt! I have just stopped watching the sports channels altogether. I'm stickin' with my Saints no matter what, so none the crap they come up with is going to matter anyway. Geesh, I bet Loomis picked his nose as a child, too....and, and....Sean has probably smoked pot before....and Mr. Benson has most certainly told a lie or two in his lifetime. This is just "unbelievable" at this point!

A Saints source to CBSSports.com on ESPN's allegations that GM Mickey Loomis could have eavesdropped on opposing teams from 2002-04 without being detected: "It is impossible to do (eavesdrop)," the source said. "Plus the NFL frequency coordinator would know and he knows every signal (where) this could happen. The NFL frequency coordinator controls every signal in the stadium so you can't do it."

With some of this shoddy/attack reporting, you'd think the Saints were running for president!

UNEARTH ALL THE DIRT, TRUE OR NOT!

Hitta - so your saying the saints bribed the NFL frequency coordinator also?!

I now hate ESPN.

we stunk under Has, come on man. advantage...

Fact is, you are already under the microscope from previous incidents, its not that they have something against the Saints, its that they are being more closely monitored. They got caught. No, I am not trying to Bash the Saints. You (the fans) have been nothing but nice to me thus far.