NY Jets: Controversy Erupts with Sideline Pic of Jets Staff Filming vs. Patriots

Do you remember Spygate, the four-year-old incident of the New England Patriots filming the New York Jets sideline during a Week 1 game?

Well, it's back—only this time it is the Jets who are in question of violating league rules.

According to Pro Football Talk (and kudos to the people who captured the image) a credentialed Jets staff member can be seen filming from the sideline at the start of the second quarter.

The image, which PFT confirms as unaltered, clearly shows a violation of league rules. The report sourced an article from ESPN NFL blogger Mike Sando from back in 2007 regarding the rules.

It reads:

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The "Game Operations Manual" states that "no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field or in the locker room during the game." The manual states that "all video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."

"

This is clearly a Jets employee (see the tag dangling from his neck reading "staff") and it is clearly on the sideline (see offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer standing directly in front of the camera man).

But as of 10:02 a.m. EDT this morning, PFT updated the report with an explanation from the Jets in a separate Pro Football Talk article.

Basically, there is a rule that allows for filming from the sideline:

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The Jets have explained to PFT that the man with the camera “works for Jets TV and shoots footage for our team programming."

"

They also pointed to 2011 league rules on media access for the sideline, and everything checks out. The Jets staff member is even wearing a lime green vest, which indicates he is sideline video personnel for the team.

Every team is allowed to do this, and every team is aware of it.

Essentially, every team could be filming other teams' sidelines this way. 

Technically, everyone has that "advantage," although the filming is for different purposes. Should any team choose to violate that honor code is another question and/or problem entirely.

This Spygate investigation appears to be over and is far less noteworthy than its predecessor.