Bart Scott not surprised Steelers had headset issues against Patriots
On Friday, hours after the Patriots beat the Steelers 28-21 in the 2015 season opener, former NFL player Bart Scott was asked about Headsetgate.
By
Ryan Wilson
•
1 min read
Bart Scott knows the Patriots very well. Now an analyst for CBS Sports' The NFL Today, the former Ravens and Jets linebacker might be best known for his "CAN'T WAIT" postgame tirade after his Jets team beat the Patriots in a January 2011 playoff game.
On Friday, hours after the Patriots beat the Steelers 28-21 in the 2015 season opener, Scott was asked about the latest controversy: Steelers' coaches couldn't communicate during the first half of the game because all they could hear in their headsets was the Patriots radio broadcast.
"Man, you lose communication. All of a sudden your headphones don't work. It's always something, man," Scott told CBS Sports Radio's Gio and Jones. "This thing has taken on a life of its own. But it's not uncommon with teams that I have played on as well."
So does Scott think the Patriots are guilty?
"I confess, yes they did it," he said. "Unless it's some computer tech guy that's a huge Patriots fan that knows how to mess stuff up. I'm sure we don't know the names of the communication people ... they'll take a leave of absence pretty soon here."
Scott described Foxborough as "the Bermuda Triangle," adding that "everything goes a little crazy out there" including the fire alarm at the team hotel, which was triggered at least twice during his time with the Jets.
Here's where we point out that the league -- not the home team -- is responsible for the headsets.
"In the first quarter of tonight's game, the Pittsburgh coaches experienced interference in their headsets caused by a stadium power infrastructure issue, which was exacerbated by the inclement weather," the NFL said in a statement released after the game. "The coaches' communications equipment, including the headsets, is provided by the NFL for both clubs use on game day. Once the power issue was addressed, the equipment functioned properly with no additional issues."
Still, the Patriots' track record of skirting the rules makes them easy targets anytime something goes wrong.
