This is just incredible from the Steelers’ website:

This is the kind of stuff that happens to the visiting team in Gillette Stadium all the time. From the start of the game through the opening 14 minutes of the first quarter, the Steelers’ coaches’ headsets were receiving the Patriots Radio Network broadcast of the game. The broadcast was so loud that the Steelers coaches were unable to communicate, and the NFL rule is that if one team’s headsets are not working the other team is supposed to be forced to take their headsets off. It’s what the NFL calls the Equity Rule. Strangely enough, whenever an NFL representative proceeded to the New England sideline to shut down their headsets, the Steelers headsets cleared. Then as the representative walked away from the New England sideline, the Steelers’ headsets again started to receive the Patriots game broadcast.

That, on top of this from Mike Tomlin:

Partial transcript via CBS Sports:

Mike there was a report that your radio went out?

“That’s always the case.”

Here?

“Yes.”

So you’re saying every time you play here you have rad—

“I said what I said.”

Mike what exactly happened, you just didn’t have any communication?

“We were listening to the Patriots radio broadcast for the majority of the first half. On our headsets.”

There has been a lot talk about Chip Kelly trying to implement the sort of culture here that Bill Belichick has in New England. But if that’s going to be the case, cheating – or at least gamesmanship – will need to be part of it.

Side note: Goodell may be smarter than us all. Constant controversy. Were the Patriots actively interfering with the Steelers last night? Probably. But there’s also a chance the league was fueling the story, perhaps even responsible for it. Goodell is willing to fall on the sword, look like the stooge, because, almost constantly, there is some sort of intrigue surrounding the league. It’s pure entertainment. Sports are entertainment. The NFL is closer to the WWE than it’s even been… and it’s fantastic.