The New England Patriots had to face a couple of damning scandals during their golden era. While Deflategate is the more popular one, Spygate isn’t far behind. The thought of the Patriots eavesdropping on their opponents may seem like an exaggeration. However, it was enough to convince Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and prompt him to take some rather weird measures.
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Allegedly, the Patriots had a very bad habit of recording opposition coaches from non-designated zones. Something for which the team and their coach, Bill Belichick, received heavy fines. However, there were a few, including Manning, who believed the Patriots had installed hot mics in the locker room, which gave rise to some pretty hilarious paranoid outcomes.
Peyton Manning admitted to being afraid of the Patriots’ locker room
During live coverage of the Packers vs Giants game in 2021, Peyton revealed to his brother that he was paranoid about letting his plans get leaked while visiting the Gillett Stadium. “Every time I played against New England, I used to talk to my receivers in the showers,” he said. “Don’t talk about a play next to my locker because I know it’s bugged. Very strange to see seven guys hanging out in the shower.”
Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy had earlier said something similar about Manning’s paranoia. During an appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show” in 2015, Dungy said, “We didn’t have a lot of strategy discussions inside the locker room there. Peyton takes everything to the nth degree.”
The Patriots have their golden era marred with controversies
New England perhaps had their best years in the early 2000s, when they managed to bag 6 Super Bowl trophies. However, while their achievements have not faded away, it is still somewhat followed with an asterisk. Indeed, becoming entangled in two different scandals during what is believed to be their best years does not portray them in a good light.
However, with the end of those scandals came the end of their successful run. Now, the Patriots are only a shadow of what they were not very long ago. With the new season approaching, their chances of making the playoffs are still dim. Will they resort to yet another controversial move to bring back their glory days? Or are the Patriots not going to rise till another Tom Brady comes along?
