TheBostonStraggler
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
- Joined
- May 21, 2006
- Messages
- 6,318
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I strongly suspect that behind the scenes some are trying to find some sort of common ground for this to be resolved between the Patriots and the League. Arthur Blank's comments, if you read between the lines, basically said that. He is echoing other owners' feelings saying "hey! we thought we got screwed over too. And you, Bob Kraft, kept a full public face support of Goodell. Now that's what we are doing, and it's time to take your BS smackdown too. It could have been less, maybe it can be lessened a little, but you first have to do your part and say you did it and you're sorry".
While this may be a sound business belief by the owners as a collective, (A) they just had to know that one day one of their lodge members would get pushed too far with the capricious and overreaching Goodell punishments. (B) If Kraft gives into it to play the good NFL lodge member, he submarines Brady's case if he admits guilt (though, I suppose, they could say brady is innocent but the two equipment guys are not. Unlikely). It may be that day is hand. And, IMHO even if the Patriots remain penalized at the current level, this has a modicum chance to weaken the Commissioner's office to some sort of degree. A good thing for the game...
On the Brady front it is not going away, period. I don't give a $#!+ what polling says about Brady, I believe Brady has 100% decided to make this a war even if his side is more akin to the 200 rag tag guys in the Alamo besieged by 3000 well armed, well trained Mexican soldiers. He's fighting this thing until his lawyer says "there's no other place we can go to win this".
It is this front that, IMHO, Goody hearing the appeal is an abstract win for Brady. Look, this was always unlikely to be a "you're innocent!" declaration within the formal NFL appeals process. I just could not see the NFL appointing anyone who would contradict Wells and the NFL execs who has hung their hats on it. His best hope was a "Emperor Goody can't suspend you for this violation". This is going to court! And it is here that I think we could get the smackdown of Emperor Goody we want. the NFL's way of doing business is so intertwined, complex and even odd, it is filled with possibilities of legal declarations going against them (IMHO). And with Emperor Goody saying he supports the Wells Report before even appointing himself the arbitrator, I am hopeful a court will also see that, among other things, and say to the NFL 'you have gotta be kidding me, right?'.
While this may be a sound business belief by the owners as a collective, (A) they just had to know that one day one of their lodge members would get pushed too far with the capricious and overreaching Goodell punishments. (B) If Kraft gives into it to play the good NFL lodge member, he submarines Brady's case if he admits guilt (though, I suppose, they could say brady is innocent but the two equipment guys are not. Unlikely). It may be that day is hand. And, IMHO even if the Patriots remain penalized at the current level, this has a modicum chance to weaken the Commissioner's office to some sort of degree. A good thing for the game...
On the Brady front it is not going away, period. I don't give a $#!+ what polling says about Brady, I believe Brady has 100% decided to make this a war even if his side is more akin to the 200 rag tag guys in the Alamo besieged by 3000 well armed, well trained Mexican soldiers. He's fighting this thing until his lawyer says "there's no other place we can go to win this".
It is this front that, IMHO, Goody hearing the appeal is an abstract win for Brady. Look, this was always unlikely to be a "you're innocent!" declaration within the formal NFL appeals process. I just could not see the NFL appointing anyone who would contradict Wells and the NFL execs who has hung their hats on it. His best hope was a "Emperor Goody can't suspend you for this violation". This is going to court! And it is here that I think we could get the smackdown of Emperor Goody we want. the NFL's way of doing business is so intertwined, complex and even odd, it is filled with possibilities of legal declarations going against them (IMHO). And with Emperor Goody saying he supports the Wells Report before even appointing himself the arbitrator, I am hopeful a court will also see that, among other things, and say to the NFL 'you have gotta be kidding me, right?'.