TEAM: The Dallas Cowboys

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: The NFL took away millions of dollars of salary-cap space from the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins for unfairly front-loading contracts during the uncapped 2010 season, according to league sources.

At the time, the 2012 salary cap was estimated to be $120.6 million. The Cowboys were penalized $10 million in cap space, and the Redskins $36 million. Twenty-eight NFL teams received $1.6 million of additional cap space, the sources said. The teams receiving money were allowed to chose how they split it over the 2012 and '13 seasons.

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? Yes

PUNISHMENT: The Cowboys were penalized $10 million in future cap space, paying $5 million a year for two years.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Salarycapgate-2010

AWARDS EARNED: Avoid Media Scrutiny!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 5.0

TEAM: The Dallas Cowboys

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are used by players to illegally improve athletic performance above what legal training and preparation can do.

Players who illegally improve their performance unfairly penalize players who follow the rules. They not only put those players at risk for physical injury, but they also affect their economic livelihood by impacting their perceived value and their ability to secure appropriately-valued playing contracts.

SEVERITY = 0.5 video cameras per punished incident. Includes all documented infractions from 1960 to present with this Wikipedia page as the primary source.

• OL Louis Cheek (1990)
• QB coach Wade Wilson (2007)
• CB Orlando Scandrick (2014 - For MDMA aka Molly)

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? Yes

PUNISHMENT: Cheek was suspended for five games and Scandrick for four for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. Scandrick was later reinsted. Wilson was suspended for five games.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#PEDSgate-1990

AWARDS EARNED: Everyone Was Doing It!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 3.0

TEAM: The Dallas Cowboys

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was not disciplined by the league for an apparent violation of the league’s tampering policy in 2014.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that the Cowboys wouldn't face tampering charges as a result of a phone call between Jones and Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson reportedly told Jones that he would like to play for the Cowboys at some point and Jones failed to immediately report the call to the Vikings. Still, no action was taken by the league.

Per Mortensen, Jones asked his general counsel, Jason Cohen, to call the Vikings after the story emerged. The story emerged because a writer for ESPN The Magazine was present for the call, and because ESPN made a huge deal about the conversation. A Vikings executive told Jones they would not file a complaint to the league, and the league agreed, sources said.

VICTIM: Minnesota Vikings (The Vikings likely saw the Cowboy action as beneficial)

PUNISHED? No but ... it's more probable than not that this was cheating

PUNISHMENT: This seems like a textbook case of tampering. However, the Vikings in their apparent desperation to get the now-tainted Peterson out of their uniform, seemed eager that the Cowboys could help them so didn't file a complaint. Tampering which helps the tampered team is a different beast, I suppose, but it is still cheating.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Tampergate-2014

AWARDS EARNED: Everyone Was Doing It!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 2.0

TEAM: The Dallas Cowboys

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: On November 18, 1994, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue fined the Dallas Cowboys $10,000 for violating the National Football League's policy on reporting injuries.

According to the league, the Cowboys failed to follow proper procedures Nov. 11 after quarterback Troy Aikman injured his right thumb during practice. NFL policy requires teams to supply information on all injured players to the league office on Wednesdays and Thursdays for release to the news media. Guidelines require that if more injuries occur after Thursday, clubs are also obligated to report them.

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? Yes

PUNISHMENT: The Cowboys were fined $10,000 for this cheating infraction.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Injurygate-1994

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 2.0

TEAM: The Dallas Cowboys

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: Former Cowboys defensive lineman Tony Casillas says that when the team was winning Super Bowls in the 1990s, players frequently used a medication meant for horses.

Said Casillas: "When I heard about deer antler spray, when I heard that, I said, 'That’s nothing'. We used to use this stuff called DMSO. That’s what veterinarians put on horses, on a muscle, so this is stuff that you can rub, and we used it in the locker room. We had a bottle and you’d take it. It goes straight to the bloodstream.

An emailed response from YourTeamCheats.com reader, John C.:

Hi,

This is in reference to the “Horsegate” entry on your Dallas Cowboys page. It only takes a little research to determine that “Horsegate” is a load of horsehockey. There is no cheating here.

DMSO has been around since the mid to late 1800’s and used for medical purposes since the early 1960s. It is approved for use as a topical analgesic for humans in 125 countries and approved by the FDA in the US for limited human applications. If you talk to anyone involved in sports in Canada, they probably use it all the time for soft tissue injuries. It is approved in the US for medical use on dogs and horses.

DMSO isn’t illegal in the U.S. it just hasn’t been approved by the FDA for human use. The NFL hasn’t banned it and they are well aware of it. You can buy a bottle online for ~$10.

Pretty much the only confirmed side effect of taking DMSO is really bad breath. It passes directly into the bloodstream and during the oxygen exchange in the lungs. The result of the exchange produces Dimethyl Sulfide which has distinct strong odor.

In this Sports Illustrated article from the 80’s, they have an interview with Daryle Lamonica about DMSO usage.

“By 1968 DMSO was stinking up NFL locker rooms. Former Raider Quarterback Daryle Lamonica, who testified about DMSO at a Senate subcommittee hearing on medical research last summer, says, "One day I jammed my right thumb in practice and it hurt so much I couldn't make a fist. The trainer put DMSO on it and in 15 minutes the swelling and pain were gone; in 24 hours I was throwing again. It didn't work on a torn ligament, but without it I wouldn't have won the passing title in '69.

"A lot of us used it—Pete Banaszak, Jim Otto, Ben Davidson, other guys. And the only side effect we ever noticed was body odor and incredibly bad breath. It's a smell you don't forget. I got on an elevator in Washington after testifying and I smelled it. I was so excited I yelled. 'Who's using DMSO around here?" and a guy raised his hand.”

In this Washington Post article, Bill Romanowski talks about using DMSO when he first came into the league with the 49ers. (Romanowski was with the 49ers from ’88 to ’93). Tony Casillas, who is quoted in your “Horsegate” article, was with the Cowboys from ’96 to ’97.

This means Romanowski was using DMSO at least three years before Casillas was using it in Dallas. So, Dallas wasn’t the first and they weren’t unique. Romanowski even mentions in the article that he used to take DMSO intravenously.

Wikipedia article with history and sources.
Article on DMSO.org on the status of DMSO (circa 2002).

Thanks, John

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? No but ... it's more probable than not that this was cheating

PUNISHMENT: At the time, DMSO wasn't on the NFL's banned substance list. But that is because it is meant for horses and no sane NFL official every considered that a non-horse football player might try to abuse it.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Horsegate-1990

AWARDS EARNED: Cojones Ferreas!Points for Creativity!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 1.0

TEAM: The Dallas Cowboys

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: A TMZ video showed Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and son Stephen Jones, the team's executive vice president, partying with coeds outside the Bootsy Bellows nightclub in Los Angeles. In and of itself, not a big deal. However, one of the Jones' invited guests raised many eyebrows around the league.

As CBS' Jason La Canfora pointed out, NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino was with them on the bus, which certainly represented a conflict of interest. La Canfora spoke to several team officials from around the league who expressed concern about the image of Blandino in a social situation with two high-profile Cowboys execs, which could raise the question of competitive balance in the NFL.

Said one anonymous team official to La Canfora: "That's definitely Dean. Is the league trying to tell you it's not him? What is the league telling you guys about it? That looks horrible. I can't think of another owner in the league who wouldn't be pissed off after seeing that."

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? No but ... it's more probable than not that this was cheating

PUNISHMENT: The perception, no matter how weakly backed, of the Cowboys receiving beneficial calls from NFL officiating is not helpful, especially with party-bus-attendee Blandino acknowledging that Dallas got away with an uncalled penalty in their 2015 Wild Card game against the Detroit Lions.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Partygate-2014

AWARDS EARNED: Goalie for the Dart Team!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 1.0

TEAM: The Dallas Cowboys

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: Said former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson: "When I came into the NFL, back in '89, I talked to a Kansas City scout and he said, 'Here's what we do, we videotape the opposing team's signals and then we sync it up with the game film.' So I did it."

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? No

PUNISHMENT: Videotaping your opponent's signals has never been illegal in the NFL.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Spygate-1989

AWARDS EARNED: Falsely Accused!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 0.0

TEAM: All 32 NFL Teams

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: Tampering with free agents is rampant, it's laughable and it is against the rules (PDF). It's so bad across every team in the league that the NFL had to create a three-day legal tampering period. However, tampering still regularly occurs long before that annual three-day window opens. On March 9, 2015 the league once again felt compelled to warn all 32 teams about not tampering.

Why is tampering considered a problem? Because tampering with players still under contract makes it difficult for clubs to re-sign their own talent. It also puts those few teams that actually follow NFL guidelines at a distinct disadvantage. In many cases, contract agreements are in place days before any negotiations are allowed to begin.

This isn't fair, it isn't legal, and it is blatant cheating by the teams who engage in the practice.

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? No but...

PUNISHMENT: NFL commissioner and former Jets public relations intern Roger Goodell is doing all he can to curtail and punish the "commonplace" practice, although it admits that there is so much tampering that it is hard to police it all.

The CheatPoints earned for this leaguewide cheat is for all of this team's tampering incidents that have gone undiscovered or unproven. If specific instances are discovered, they are punished on top of this leaguewide penalty.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Tampergate-1960

AWARDS EARNED:Everyone Was Doing It!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 4.0

TEAM: All 32 NFL Teams

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: it's a common complaint around the NFL. In late, close games, the helmet communicators of visiting teams suddenly "malfunction" and stop working. It has been accepted as standard practice in the league. Are you on the road and the game is close? Then you are going to have problems with your headset.

In recent years, the Patriots have accused the Colts of doing it and the Jaguars have made the same charge of the Patriots. The Redskins accused the Buccaneers of disabling their headsets, and Tampa Bay accused Dallas. The Giants openly bragged about doing it way back in 1956. The charges go on and on and on.

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? No

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Headsetgate-1980

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 4.0

TEAM: All 32 NFL Teams

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: Stealing your opponent's signals has always been common and never been illegal.

Said former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, "We had people that always tried to steal signals. Stealing someone's signals was a part of the game, and everyone attempted to do that." Admitted former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson: "When I came into the NFL, back in 1989, I talked to a Kansas City scout and he said, 'Here's what we do, we videotape the opposing team's signals and then we sync it up with the game film.' So I did it." Bragged, former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan: "Our guy keeps a pair of binoculars on their signal-callers every game, with any luck, we have their defensive signals figured out by halftime. Sometimes, by the end of the first quarter."

NFL commissioner and former Jets public relations intern Rodger Goodell confirmed this himself in 2008, saying that the issue was not stealing signals, that is allowed "and it is done quite widely." The issue is where and how you record them. If you chose to videotape them, then (after 2006) you have to do that from a league approved location. If you hire lip readers, they can do it from your coaches lap, if you want.

After 2006, examples of allowed videotaping locations are: the luxury boxes, media booths and other enclosed spaces. Expressly prohibited locations are the sidelines, the field, locker rooms, the coaches booth or any other place accessible to team coaches and staff. The point of the rule is to not allow the footage to be useful in the current game.

Prior to the September 6, 2006 memo and, 2007 follow up, from NFL head of football operations Ray Anderson, there was no league restriction on filming location, which is the reason the memo was sent.

Many NFL head coaches have downplayed the significance of the practice, saying that attempting to decipher opponent's signals was a long standing practice and entirely common throughout the league.

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? No

PUNISHMENT: NFL commissioner and former Jets public relations intern Rodger Goodell suggested that the responsibility was on teams to conceal their messages, not on the ones trying to steal them. During his news conference before the 2007 Super Bowl he said that any coach who did not expect signals to be stolen was "stupid."

Prior to 2006, every NFL team is assumed to have done it, but none of them broke a rule. You can't punish something that is not prohibited. Filming from the sidelines was not prohibited until 2006 and filming your opponent's signals from approved locations has never been prohibited, even today.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Spygate-1960

AWARDS EARNED:Everyone Was Doing It!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 0.0

TEAM: All 32 NFL Teams

SEVERITY:

SUMMARY: Sign an opponent's recently-cut player to your practice squad to get intel on their plays, signals and tactics. This is not illegal and is a leaguewide practice.

Said one player, who chose to remain anonymous as he was still in the league as of 2015, "If teams have an opening at a certain position, they might not be looking for perhaps the best player to fill it on their practice squad. Instead, they might go for someone who has access to the opposing team’s playbook."

“Let’s say we’re playing the Jaguars in seven days and you want to know more about their playbook. From time to time teams will sign people off of practice squads. You don’t have to put them on active roster so if there’s a need for more depth at linebacker and you’re playing Jacksonville, there would be more of a chance to sign a linebacker off the team you’re about to play’s practice squad and hoping that the person you’re about to sign will divulge information about the playbook.”

VICTIM: The entire league

PUNISHED? No

PUNISHMENT: Not illegal.

SHARE: http://YourTeamCheats.com/DAL#Scrapsgate-1960

AWARDS EARNED:Everyone Was Doing It!

CHEATPOINTS EARNED:+ 0.0