Teams concerned about being miked up
New York Jets center Nick Mangold walks off the field at practice during training camp at the Atlantic Health Training Facility. (Aug. 18, 2011) Credit: Joe Epstein
If you tune in to today's Jets-Chargers television broadcast, chances are you'll hear center Nick Mangold yell out protection calls from the line of scrimmage. You might even hear Mark Sanchez yell out signals before the snap. Same goes for Chargers center Nick Hardwick and quarterback Philip Rivers.
Tune in to any NFL game this season, and you'll hear the same thing.
All of which might be cool for viewers who get to hear the sounds of the game, but not so much for many players and coaches, who are increasingly concerned that opposing teams might be acquiring potentially valuable information from what they hear.
"If you get the sound and [other teams] start to listen to the calls, that could be a problem," said Giants center David Baas, who is miked up for every game. "I don't mind wearing it, but only as long as something like that is not going to allow other people to hone in on what we're doing."
As part of the NFL's recently approved collective-bargaining agreement, all teams are required to have either their center or two guards wear microphones during the game so the television networks can pipe in the sounds. But because some of the protection calls and quarterback cadences are clearly heard during the broadcasts, concerns have been raised about the possibility of teams listening in and gaining a competitive advantage by matching the calls to the plays that are being run.
At last week's NFL owners meetings in Houston, the competition committee was apprised of the situation, and the league is working with the television networks to reach a compromise that will satisfy both sides.
"There has been discussion about this, and it is a concern," said Giants president and co-owner John Mara, a competition committee member. "The networks want the mikes, so we're trying to figure out a solution."
Falcons center Todd McClure said he believes teams are paying closer attention to the television broadcasts to try to gain a strategic advantage.
"I don't know if you call it stealing signals, but I'm sure there are teams that are watching TV copies to see if they can pick up on some things," he said. "If you can get any advantage, I don't know why not. I'm sure everybody in the league has somebody watching a TV copy, trying to see what they can pick up and can hear."
Before the offensive linemen were miked up, the umpires wore microphones to pick up sound near the line of scrimmage. But because the umpires were moved last year from the defensive backfield to the offensive backfield as a way of protecting them from dangerous collisions, the networks wanted a better way to pick up sound. The league and the NFL Players Association eventually agreed on a system in which the microphones would be placed on an offensive lineman's shoulder pads.
It doesn't bother some teams and players. Jets coach Rex Ryan said he doesn't have a problem with it and isn't worried about teams stealing signals. Mangold isn't bothered, either.
"There are 300-pound men across from me to worry about," Mangold said, "not a little microphone."
Nevertheless, the league is taking the issue seriously.
"We're trying to strike the right balance," said Dan Masonson, the NFL's manager of corporate communications. "You want fans to hear the sounds of the game, but you don't want people to get any tips and use it for competitive advantage."
Masonson said there are strict guidelines governing the microphone usage. The mikes are turned off in the huddle, on the sidelines and in the locker room. The sounds are not kept on recordings and are used only during the live broadcast.
"If it's causing other teams to be able to catch on with plays or signals or calls," Baas said, "then something needs to be done about that."
Mara said there will be additional discussions about the situation. In the meantime, the games will go on. And so will the sounds of the game. Just how much of that sound reaches the ears of television fans, and teams looking for any edge they can find, remains to be . . . heard.
