Matt Walsh turns over tape showing Belichick in Darth Vader mask

NEW YORK CITY, NY — SSNN has learned that the tapes former New England Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh turned over to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell include footage of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick wearing a Darth Vader mask while alone in his office.

A source inside NFL offices said that Walsh turned in the tape because he agreed to turn over all of the remaining film he had from his time in New England. The tape does not show Belichick doing anything illegal, but does show the Super Bowl-winning coach drawing up plays on a dry erase board in his office, and appears to have been shot by Belichick himself.

“It was clearly videotaped by Bill,” said the source, on condition of anonymity. “He must have used a standard tripod, and probably taped the session so he could go back over the plays he was drawing up at a later time.”

Follow SSNN on Twitter!

Neither Belichick or Goodell commented on the matter, but an investigation by SSNN confirmed that Belichick does own a Vader mask, and Patriots insiders say he wears it to motivate himself – and others.

“Yeah, Bill wears that mask around the office all the time,” said one high-ranking member of Patriots management. “It gets him into a comfort zone so he can devise plays. He thinks it gives him some sort of advantage, so we just let it go. Occasionally he breaks it out in front of the team, but that’s pretty rare – like, only when he’s going to choke someone to show the players he’s serious.”

Belichick has been donning the mask since before the Patriots first Super Bowl victory – over the St. Louis Rams following the 2001 season. It apparently started as a joke, but the head coach took such a liking to the helmet that he has been wearing it ever since.

Sources also say that Belichick went so far as to order the black cape worn by Vader, but decided against wearing it much because he doesn’t like the heavy material it is made from.