The NFL is investigating the explicit video of Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes that was leaked onto the Internet, apparently to determine whether Spikes violated the league’s personal conduct policy. “We are looking into it,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Boston Herald.
At first we were left with questions whether it was in fact Spikes engaging in sexual acts with another woman in the video, but Spikes’ agent, Terry Watson, has since come forward to apologize on his client’s behalf and called it an “embarrassing situation.”
“It was something that occurred before he became an NFL draftee and a New England Patriot. I think for anyone it would be an embarrassing situation,” Watson told ESPNBoston.com. “Brandon has shown to many people the kind of person he is before and after being drafted in the second round. He’s hoping to put this behind him and looks forward to having a great football season.”
Spikes, a second-round draft pick out of the University of Florida, became subject to the policy once he was selected in the NFL Draft. Assuming it’s true that the video was recorded off chatroulette while Spikes was still in college, it would be pretty ridiculous to dock him anything beyond a small fine (and even that is debatable). Before the video surfaced, he’d done nothing but impress this preseason, racking up tackles in the Patriots’ three games.
Spikes’ cousin, Rakeem McSwain, told the Boston Herald that a woman could have put the video online without Spikes’ knowledge, which is usually how these things seem to happen. “I don’t think he’d do something like this,” McSwain said. “He’s got too much to lose. He’s a good guy.”
For those if you not in the know, chatroulette is a website on which you can have webcam-based conversations with random strangers. Some use it for things of an adult nature. Others use it to mock people and upload the fun to YouTube. It’s debatable how many actual “conversations” happen on the site.
This whole mini-controversy should fade away before the Pats take the field for real football on Sept. 12 against Cincinnati. The lesson to be learned is clear, just like it was when defensive tackle Darnell Dockett was viewed showering online back in May: Keep your high-profile belongings off the web.
