February 1, 2008 2:49 PM
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Specter's Super Bowl Spoiler?
Jill Jackson is a Capitol Hill field producer for CBS News.
It's just two days before Superbowl Sunday, but Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter held a press conference today to rail against National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell. Specter is criticizing the NFL's investigation of the New England Patriots after it was discovered early this season that they'd taped the Jets' defensive signals during games.
Goodell did force the Patriots to hand over all their tapes and fined the Patriots $750,000. The number one team also lost a first round draft pick.
But that's not enough for Specter.
The senator's sent two letters to the NFL commissioner since the story broke. The first on November 15th asked if the NFL's investigation of the Patriots stealing Jets' defensive signals revealed whether the team had also done so in the 2005 Super Bowl when the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles.
His second letter to Goodell was sent December 19, 2007. Specter was outraged over reports in The New York Times that the NFL had destroyed the Patriot's spying tapes and asked if there were still any copies.
Goodell finally wrote Specter back yesterday and said that was the first day he'd seen the senator's letters. The commissioner says the NFL found no evidence of spying at the 2005 Patriots-Eagle Super Bowl and that the tapes were destroyed to make sure no one could gain a competitive advantage in the future with those tapes.
But Specter's not buying any of it. At the press conference, Specter was skeptical that yesterday was really the first time Goodell saw those letters.
The senator is pushing for a meeting with Goodell soon to discuss the destroyed tapes and possibly notes. He also wants the names of individuals who did the taping at those games. Specter says at this point there is no need for a hearing, but would not rule out that possibility in the future.
And instead of watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, Specter says he might just play squash.
(CBS)
Goodell did force the Patriots to hand over all their tapes and fined the Patriots $750,000. The number one team also lost a first round draft pick.
But that's not enough for Specter.
The senator's sent two letters to the NFL commissioner since the story broke. The first on November 15th asked if the NFL's investigation of the Patriots stealing Jets' defensive signals revealed whether the team had also done so in the 2005 Super Bowl when the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles.
His second letter to Goodell was sent December 19, 2007. Specter was outraged over reports in The New York Times that the NFL had destroyed the Patriot's spying tapes and asked if there were still any copies.
Goodell finally wrote Specter back yesterday and said that was the first day he'd seen the senator's letters. The commissioner says the NFL found no evidence of spying at the 2005 Patriots-Eagle Super Bowl and that the tapes were destroyed to make sure no one could gain a competitive advantage in the future with those tapes.
But Specter's not buying any of it. At the press conference, Specter was skeptical that yesterday was really the first time Goodell saw those letters.
The senator is pushing for a meeting with Goodell soon to discuss the destroyed tapes and possibly notes. He also wants the names of individuals who did the taping at those games. Specter says at this point there is no need for a hearing, but would not rule out that possibility in the future.
And instead of watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, Specter says he might just play squash.
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Jill Jackson Jill Jackson is a CBS News senior political producer.
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