As if there wasn’t enough (overblown) cheating talk and accusations with regards to the NFL, we now have even more finger pointing — and it doesn’t involve the New England Patriots.
Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders accused the Indianapolis Colts of stealing opponents’ defensive signals, according to Pro Football Talk.
Sanders, who works for the NFL Network, made the accusation after LaDainian Tomlinson wondered whether the Patriots’ past cheating accusations would tarnish their legacy after their fifth Super Bowl win Sunday.
Sanders had none of that.
“Those same critics, did they say anything about the wins that the Indianapolis Colts had? You want to talk about that too? Because they were getting everybody’s signals,” Sanders said, according to Pro Football Talk’s transcription. “Come on, you don’t walk up to the line and look over here and the man on the sideline (is) giving you the defense that they’ve stolen the plays of. We all knew. (Tomlinson) knew. Everybody in the NFL knew. We just didn’t let the fans know. That was real and that was happening in Indy.”
Sanders didn’t name names and didn’t get into the nature of the alleged signal stealing. That didn’t stop former Colts coach Tony Dungy from responding, saying everyone did it.
“I think we have to go back to what is cheating,” Dungy said Wednesday on “PFT Live.”
“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.”
Dungy went on to give a long, detailed history of sign stealing, specifically in the NFL. What he seemed to take most exception with, however, was Sanders asserting the Colts did what the Patriots got in trouble for doing: videotaping opposing coaches.
“That’s all part of the game, but doing it legally and illegally, that’s the difference. I hope Deion is not saying we did something illegally. Of course we got signals when we had an opportunity to do that, and so did Deion.”
Dungy added: “It wasn’t getting signals, it was the process of videotaping and using electronic equipment during the game.”
We’ll have to wait and see if Sanders elaborates at all, but we probably haven’t heard the last of this story.
Thumbnail photo via Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports Images
