Not long after we posted the video of Brett Favre’s triumphant tunnel-jog after the Jets defeated the Patriots to start Week Eleven, the video was removed from YouTube, apparently due to a “copyright claim.”
Initially, we thought that the video had disappeared because Lord Favre could be heard talking like a sailor (as, as the case may be, a Browns G.M.) But, as it turns out, it could be that the video disappeared because it contains images of one or more league officials apparently celebrating the win with Jets G.M. Mike Tannenbaum and others.
In the video, a portion of which is still available at Deadspin, V.P. of football operations Ray Anderson appears within the first few seconds, walking down the tunnel with a fedora on his head. He ducks away when he sees the camera.
We’re told that the first guy in the video — whom we’d swear was Red Auerbach wearing a headset if Red Auerbach weren’t presently smoking cigars with Groucho Marx — also is believed to be a league office employee, but we’ve yet to dredge up his name.
Later in the video, the unidentified (so far) league official reappears from the right of the lens and says to Tannenbaum, “Michael, I told ya.”
On the surface, none of this looks all that bad. But, as we understand it, it’s highly unusual for league officials to celebrate non-Super Bowl wins with the victorious team. And some league insiders believe that the longer version of the video promptly exited YouTube specifically because of the presence of Anderson and “Auerbach.”
_2.gif)




November 22nd, 2008 at 11:26 am
LMAO, translation for those who don’t read this site often:
Florio was having a boring Saturday so he decided to stretch a non-story into his typical Jet-bashing. Get a clue, dude.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1.95 / 5 with 14 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:30 am
spy gate 2.0?!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.15 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
and this is a surprise…???Why??The NFL is just salivating a NY_Jets?NY-Giants Superbowl..or maybe Dallas..it’s obvious the league wants the Jets in there..and as far as those “water-pill”suspensions?? If Pac-man Jones is allowed to be reinstated, than the NFL can’t justify suspending anybody..they might as well throw all the rules out now, they just raised the bar for bad behavior
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 8 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:36 am
I really fail to understand why all you Florio bashers continue to read the site (although I’m sure Florio appreciates it). I like reading nfl news that is not filtered through the nfl media. Just because your particular team gets disparaged once in a while doesn’t making it bashing.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.45 / 5 with 12 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:43 am
florio loves to create controversy but if it’s a true story, just proves the nfl has gone all fixed like the nba went
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:44 am
We already knew the league had an agenda…
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 am
Reading between the lines, conjecture of course, is that the league office officials don’t think highly of the Patriots.
Possible reasons why? Tainted Superbowl wins? a morally bankrupt headcoach with enabling assistant head coaches, an owner that is as dislikable as Scoorge, a tuck rule call?
Or maybe karma has finally arrived in NE.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.45 / 5 with 14 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 am
What does Brett say..
Tannenbaum: “That was f’ing great…”
Favre: “That was better than ……” I can’t make out the last word. He says it with 4-5 seconds left to go in the video.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:49 am
Actually, the video is down because the Tribune asked for it to come down…
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: Not yet rated
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:51 am
I’m sure it’s all totally legit…
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:52 am
League officials are football fans too. Most, although not all, fans can’t stand the creepy, little cheating b@st@rd in Boston who violated the integrity of the sport they love.
So please excuse those league officials while they celebrate with the rest of us in shouting:
F*ck Yeah!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2 / 5 with 12 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:59 am
And the crybabying and bellyaching continues, why don’t you just shut up and get over it, you don’t see us whining over crap like this. Every time there’s even the slightest chance of linking cheating and conspiracy to the Patriots you haters come worming out of the woodworks. You don’t see us complaining when stuff like this happens to the Patriots.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.65 / 5 with 10 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
“On the surface, none of this looks all that bad. “
Have to disagree. “On the surface” it looks effing awful, even though it may not have been anything more than getting caught up in the general jubilant spirit of the moment and in the enthusiasm of their long-time acquaintance, Brett Favre. Even as a Pats fan, I can cut them some slack on that.
But it’s precisely the appearance of favoritism that is extremely damaging to the League’s credibility. And these guys should know better.
They should fine themselves a few thousand. Or maybe donate to the Bellicheat/JimmySmith Fwap Fund. I’m sure they’re both liable to run out of Kleenex over this.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Shenanigans!!! Shenanigans!!!
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
well said bellicheat…..well said
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.55 / 5 with 8 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 pm
pretty interesting
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
First the Favre commercials and now this…
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Of course the NFL has an agenda. Do you really think Favre ended up on the Jets by accident?
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I always like to see idiots like Jimmy Smith bash on Bob Kraft, it just demonstrates your ignorance. Kraft is the best owner in the league, a very nice guy, and by the way ONLY owner who did not extort the funds for a stadium from the taxpayers. He built Gilette Stadium with his own money and will be paying for it for a long time. But keep on in the fantasy world you’ve created Jimmy, I wonder how long it took you to create it ?
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.9 / 5 with 12 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I love unfiltered news items that show things candidly, but this is a whole lot of nothing, in my opinion. I’ve had field passes at NFL games and I’ve seen league officials commiserating with team personnel. One game 1n 1996 sticks out in my mind- Cowboys at Vikings, Monday night. I saw then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue congratulating Jerry Jones after the game, which the Cowboys won in overtime to beat the Vikes (he was there to appear as a guest on some NFL Films documentary on the Cowboys). It’s not necessarily favoritism or partisanship, but a lot of league officials hang out where their bread is buttered. They also force things downb our throats, too. On a seperate note, I’m getting pretty sick of seeing the New York Bretts on national TV every single weekend. I live in Milwaukee, and I see them more than the Bears.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Nothing new here. The refs also celebrated the Giants win at last year’s super bowl.
What’s good for New York is good for the league
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
@ HarrisonHits –
Jimmy Smith didn’t create his fantasy world, he was born into it. Which means he’s been living in it for about 9 1/2 years now.
[JimmySmith says, “I’m THIS many!” while holding up eight fingers and grinning stupidly.]
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I don’t see a problem here. League officials are fans too, right? There is no conspiracy here, guys, sorry.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 2.8 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
this just in— NO ONE likes New England outside of New England…when you’re a garbage franchise that won it all in 2001..people LOVED you..loved Brady, bellichick, everyone….even in 03, still had major fans…even 04..wow..a dynasty this is awesome…2007 ruined the patriots as it exposed what they really are…not even talking about the cheating specifically but the fact that they chose to dissrespect the football gods and run it up week in and week out…well, as it turns out the gods were watching the entire time.
It’s no surprise even the NFL hates this joke franchise.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
>>>Bellicheat says:
“League officials are football fans too. Most, although not all, fans can’t stand the creepy, little cheating b@st@rd in Boston who violated the integrity of the sport they love.”
As misguided as you are, it is good to see that even a simpleton such as you acknowledge that league officials are biased. Think 2005 playoffs, Pittsburgh-Indy- you can bet you would have seen Bill Polian hi fiving Paul Tagliabue and co., only the zebras couldn’t quite finish the job. And then there’s the black eye that was Super Bowl XL.
Say what you will he 11-10 SD-Pittsburgh DEBACLE last week, either it was total incompetance and just a coincidence that Pittsburgh was outpenalized 115 yards to 5. That, or there was no way in hell those officials were going to allow SD to lose by more than 5 points.
Either way, there is no more integrity in this league we love.
(report as inappropriate)
Rating: 4.25 / 5 with 7 rating(s)