Goodell: No Regrets About Destroying Spygate Tapes

Washington, DC (Sports Network) – NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with Senator Arlen Specter Wednesday, and reiterated his stance on how he dealt with the New England Patriots’ illegal taping of coaching signals.

Goodell said prior to the Super Bowl on February 3 that he thought he made the right decision in destroying the Patriots’ tapes and notes from the tapes. On Wednesday, after meeting with Specter — the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee — Goodell had the same view.

"I think it was the right thing to do," Goodell said. "I have nothing to hide."

Specter first requested the meeting through a letter in November and asked Goodell to explain why the tapes of the Patriots videotaping the defensive signals of the New York Jets during the season-opener earlier this year were destroyed by the league.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000, and the team was fined $250,000 and will forfeit its first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Later, a Boston newspaper claimed that the Patriots videotaped the St. Louis Rams’ walk-through a day before Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. The Boston Herald reported a member of the Patriots’ video department remained behind after the team worked out at the Louisiana Superdome the day before the contest, and filmed the Rams in the walk-through.

The Patriots and NFL both denied the report, and the Patriots won that game versus the Rams. New England was upset by the New York Giants at this year’s Super Bowl.

Goodell, though, also said Wednesday that Belichick told him that he thought the taping was legal. Goodell didn’t agree with Belichick’s interpretation of the rules.

In all, Goodell acknowledged during a meeting with the media at the Pro Bowl that six tapes handed over by the Patriots were destroyed.

Specter also wanted to know if the NFL has spoken with Matt Walsh, a former Patriots assistant coach who did some of the videotaping. Wednesday, Goodell said he has not met with Walsh, currently a golf pro in Hawaii.

Finally, Specter also indicated that he wanted to know if the Patriots cheated when they beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl following the 2004 season.

02/14 01:09:57 ET