The most sought after golf pro in the nation may soon be willing to reveal his secrets. After a protracted negotiation process, former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh is close to reaching an agreement with the NFL to tell his side of the story in the club's film scandal.
Early on, the league didn't seem terribly interested in talking to Walsh, who worked seven years with the Patriots before being fired in 2003. Walsh's attorney has been seeking full indemnification against possible lawsuits, but that's not something the NFL was interested in granting. Now, it appears that negotiations have suddenly gained momentum.
Here's a statement issued by the league last night:
"Our counsel and Mr. Walsh's attorney have been engaged in a serious effort for some time now to reach an agreement that would permit Mr. Walsh to come forward. In the last seven days, the lawyers have had intensive and constructive discussions regarding some new and promising approaches. They have made substantial progress toward an agreement that will allow Mr. Walsh to be interviewed. Both sides are optimistic that any remaining issues can be addressed successfully and they are committed to reaching a full agreement as promptly as possible."
Why does the league seem to be taking Walsh a lot more seriously? Well, look no further than Sen. Arlen Specter, the Republican leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Specter has been relentless in his criticism of the league's handling of this investigation. In recent days, he's even asked the league to make its correspondence with Walsh's attorney public.
Whether or not you think the government should be involved in this case, it's obvious Specter's the main reason we may finally hear from Walsh. The league simply wanted this whole controversy to go away after fining Bill Belichick and taking away a first-round draft choice. Now, the league has no choice but to appear vigilant in trying to find out what Walsh has to offer. We now know that Belichick's taping practices date back to when he became the Patriots' head coach in 2000.
The Patriots have already tipped their hand on a defense strategy. Vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli said that Walsh was fired after he was caught trying to record their private conversation.
They will paint Walsh as an unsavory character who has an agenda against the organization because of his termination. But at this point, the league has no other choice but to listen to Walsh. They've taken the embarrassing step of having to re-launch an investigation they'd already put to bed.
