The Patriots video producer responsible for taking illegal video footage of the Bengals sideline released a statement on Sunday without the team’s knowledge, according to Pro Football Talk.
After the Patriots admitted to having a production crew affiliate with Kraft Sports take footage of the Cincinnati sideline during their Dec. 8 game against the Browns, the NFL launched an investigation into the organization’s violation of league rules. Dave Mondillo, the supervising producer of Kraft Sports and Entertainment, took it upon himself to address the matter four days after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the ongoing investigation.
“On December 8th, I was doing what I have done for more than 18 years — working to produce high-quality content that tells the unique, behind-the-scenes stories of people, players and the organization,” Mondillo said in the statement. “It never occurred to me that my actions and the actions of my crew would be misconstrued.
“…We stopped shooting immediately when asked to do so and cooperated fully. We had a detailed exchange about who we were and why we were there and what they wanted us to do. I gave the Sony SXS card to NFL security, and we complied with their request, packed up and went home. I had no intention to provide footage to football operations, I did not provide any footage, and I was never asked to do so.”
The Boston Globe reported Sunday that the Patriots suspended Mondillo, who is apparently a longtime employee of Kraft Sports and Entertainment.
In a statement last week, New England said the video crew was working on an in-house documentary about an advanced scout for a web series about Patriots employees called “Do Your Job.” The Patriots took full responsibility for the violation of NFL rules but claimed the crew was unaware of the rule, adding that they obtained permission from the Browns but neglected to inform the Bengals or the NFL. Bill Belichick said nobody from football operations was involved with the video.
Footage of the incident aired on Fox Sports’ pregame show just before the Patriots kicked off in Cincinnati on Sunday. A Bengals security official can be heard saying, “Come on, guys!” after the videographer says he is focusing on a scout while the video shows the Bengals’ sideline.
The videographer claims he was looking for “field perspective” and said he didn’t know he couldn’t film the sideline. After offering to delete the footage twice and explaining that there was no copy, the Bengals official laughs and says, “The damage is done, my friend.” It’s unclear if any of the voices heard in the video is Mondillo’s.
The league investigation is still ongoing, but the Patriots could reportedly be fined six figures and lose a low-level draft pick.
