What I saw behind the scenes at the NFL’s worst scandal.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback: The final secrets of Spygate.

About this week’s TMQ:

When the Michigan sign-stealing charges hit the news, I polled readers on whether I should tell the story of my own involvement in the 2007 New England Patriots sign-stealing scandal, known as Spygate.

The response was 93 percent yes, with the most total votes of any TMQ poll so far.

So tell the tale I will. It’s below. With the exception of a few sentences, I’ve never written or spoken of this before.

This week’s edition is taken over by Spygate. Regular features return next Tuesday, including the promised report on the NFL’s Salute to Service program.

This is the first longform in this space – a reminder that Substack is both a new medium for writers and also a new way of being a reader.

Photo by Unsplash.

The argument against a Spygate tell-all is that it’s yesterday’s news, my role was minor, and there is no larger significance to who wins football games.

The argument in favor is that if the NFL can get away with concealing truth from the public about something as slight as football games – what truths are being concealed by government, business, science, academia, political lobbies? Unlike sports, these matter a great deal.

I hope you don’t find the account a letdown – no secret 4 a.m. meetings in parking garages.