That's an interesting
snide comment. Proof??
I won't be holding my breath.
Apparently, when you get called out, you start the personal attacks. Noted.
Evidently not.
When someone
quotes me, I tend to think they're
responding to me.
I'm
funny like that.
More personal attacks.
Evidently, you
do cry, or you wouldn't've projected that act to
me.
Crying is evidence of Grief, not Rage.
This exchange is deteriorating rapidly, my friend.
I think I'll just walk away from it. Peace.
you're being a total asshat. To be honest you are making jets and colts fans look intelligent and level headed.
Excellent off-season thread, gentlemen and ladies.
Goodell's a tough Commissioner which the NFL needs as it confronts some tough issues under the brightest spot light in US professional sports. The question of whether intentionally injurying a fellow player, especially in light of the concussion lawsuit, is an issue bigger than Goodell and even the NFL. A court case on this question has huge implications for professional hockey and baseball as well.
I thought Spygate should have been handled behind closed doors, but Eric Mangini dictated that it would be a very public affair. The penalty seemed proportionate to the offense - a 1st-round draft pick (the money was unimportant to the team's competitiveness.) The long-term damage to the Patriots (or Cheatriots, as some of my out-of-town friends call them) was done by Mangini when he chose to publicly go to the NFL. That could have been done quietly, by the owner to the Commissioner who could have told Bob Kraft to get his guy to knock it off. The Commissioner showed restraint by burying the tapes.
I think he handles the drug use really well and the off-field thuggery (Ben Roethlisberger, the Cincinnati Bengals, etc.) pretty well. Goodell embarrasses those guys, suspends them and reminds them where they work and who is boss.
The New Orleans thing is a different kettle of fish. Nailing the coaches and the team for team infractions make perfect sense. It's like OSHA violations. Dangerous workplace practices merit fines and remedies. Coal mine owners get nailed and licenses pulled. Management who put the workers at risk get fired.
The union employee suspensions do not. I do not like Jonathan Vilma, but he has a very legitimate legal case to demand evidence and force the NFL's hand in court. Suspensions are huge fines, in essence, and a game suspension is a very different matter if you are Peyton Manning or if you are the rookie special teamer - millions of dollars of difference.
I thought Goodell should have met with the player, the team and the union to present his evidence, ask his questions and ask for recommendations on player suspensions or outright fines like they did with head-to-head hits at first. The union bought in because they have an interest in player safety. He could rule, the union could appeal through the NLRB if they want to, and there'd be a sense of due process.
That did not happen with the New Orleans players.
Goodell is a lawyer and a smart guy. He probably wants the courts to get involved. The problem is that the courts should not be determining the extent of his powers as Commissioner, which is what could be the result.
Actually the NFL asked to meet with the players. They declined.
And Goodell has all the power. The owners give him that when they elected him.
The one thing everyone seems to be missing in the punishments is that they are also designed to stop the behavior. Do you think anyone in the NFL is going to tape signals from the sidelines now? What do you think Goodell would do to the next person that gets caught doing that?
Sort of the point. Punish the hell out of people and they won't commit the penalty. I think the saints got off easy.
The players should be charged criminally. The intent is there. Anyone who knew about the program, and any decent lawyer can easily prove everyone knows, can be charged with conspiracy.
So frankly compared to that the players and the Saints organization got off really easy.
The only way to change the culture is to make people scared to death of the penalty. I think he hasn't gone far enough. The penalties should be much stiffer and laid out more obviously.
the first time you get a personal foul penalty or the NFL thinks you should of, $50 grand fine and a one game suspension.
The second time, 2 game suspension and $100k.
Third time, 4 games and $250,000.
If that doesn't make players think twice and make damn sure they don't hurt another player, nothing will. The 4th time should be the rest of the season/playoffs.
Because while Goodell came on out of the blue, he has to absolutely change the culture. Frankly while he is at it the NFL should very publicly put $1 billion into research of head traumas and prevention.
The lawyers are going to do everything they can to take every penny the NFL has ever earned, and if the NFL looks like it doesn't give a damn about head injuries they will be robbed blind.
