By Jim Donaldson

The Providence Journal

You have to wonder about New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

You have to wonder why he's decided to go from being the second coming of Vince Lombardi to the second coming of Maxwell Smart.

Or Maxwell Dumb, as the case may be.

Because, if the Patriots did, as ESPN reports, violate NFL rules on Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets' coaches, that's just plain stupid.

It's also cheating. And dishonest. And disreputable. Also very disappointing.

And you have to wonder about all that, too.

You have to wonder what Robert Kraft, the Patriots' image-conscious owner, will say if it turns out that Belichick not only studies film of opposing offenses, defenses, and special teams, but also of other coaches signaling to their players — footage taken in clear violation not only of the spirit, but also of the letter, of NFL rules.

You have to wonder how this latest episode will affect the until-recently squeaky-clean image of the Patriots, which has become increasingly tarnished of late.

*

Last season, Belichick's name was dragged through the tabloids when he was named as the "other man," in a New Jersey divorce case in which the estranged husband claimed his wife, a former employee of the New York Giants when Belichick was an assistant, had a long-running relationship with the coach.

It wasn't long after that Pats' fans found out that star quarterback Tom Brady, the all-American boy, had fathered a child out of wedlock with actress Bridget Moynihan, with whom he'd recently broken up — moving on to statuesque supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

That was followed this spring by the acquisition of talented but troublesome wide receiver Randy Moss.

Only last week it was learned that popular safety Rodney Harrison would miss the first four games of the season after admitting he had taken HGH, a banned, performance-enhancing substance.

And now, it appears, the Patriots have a spy-cam.

So you have to wonder.

You have to wonder if, when Belichick wasn't drawing up plays while growing up in Annapolis as an only child, he was watching Candid Camera.

You have to wonder why, instead of having David Halberstam write a book about him, Belichick didn't opt for John Le Carre, author of such bestsellers as The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

*

Although Belichick claims to be a big fan of Bon Jovi, you have to wonder if his favorite song isn't Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man."

You have to wonder if, when he isn't watching game film, Belichick's favorite movie is The Spy Who Loved Me.

Speaking of which — do you suppose one of the Patriots will be changing his jersey number to 007 for Sunday night's game against the Chargers?

And what are the chances that, given his apparent proclivity for undercover operations, Belichick now will forsake his frayed, gray hoodie for a trench coat and felt hat?

*

One thing you most certainly do not have to wonder about is that the coach knew all about what was going on.

Because it's all but impossible to believe that Belichick was ignorant of what, according to ESPN, citing league sources, Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella was doing Sunday at the Meadowlands.

Estrella is described in the Patriots media guide as being "in his fourth season with the Patriots and his third year as a full-time video assistant. In his current position, he assists Jimmy Dee and Fernando Neto in editing game and practice tapes for use by the coaches, scouts, and players."

Believing Estrella was acting on his own initiative is tantamount to believing that third-string QB Matt Guttierez gets to call his own plays.

*

It's hard to believe that anything even remotely related to football takes place in the Patriots organization without the knowledge — and stamp of approval — of Belichick.

If film was being shot of the Jets' coaches along the sidelines — and ESPN is reporting that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has determined that evidence indicates such was, indeed, the case — then it almost certainly had to be at Belichick's behest.

You have to wonder why he'd do that, why he'd go from X's and O's to cloak and dagger. Why, when blessed with the most talented team he has had in his eight seasons in New England, he would stoop to such surreptitious and slimy skullduggery.

And this isn't the first time either. The Patriots were accused of similar activity last year at Green Bay.

Now you have to wonder what highly principled owner Kraft will say about this latest incident.

You have to wonder when the Patriots morphed into the Oakland Raiders, when they veered off the high road, on to the low.