OT: Will the league do anything about the blatant tampering going on

Ok, as I said in another thread (and brought up in Tom Curran's article), the league are huge hypocrites when it comes to tampering. They know everyone does it, but as long as people don't make it public they look the other way. This year teams seem to be flaunting the tampering.

The rules of the legal tampering period specifically states that no real contract numbers can be talked about and no deals can be made. Today there has been a half dozen deals announced where impending free agents are going to sign Tuesday with other teams with actual contract dollars, terms, and guarantees announced. All of these deals if they happen as stated on Tuesday is proof of these teams tampering which is blatant cheating.

It is the complete hypocrisy of the media, fans, and league that a pound or two PSI can produce an independent investigation, around the clock media coverage including the lead in all the national news, and fans crying of year long suspensions while blatant cheating that teams seem to be proud of is no big deal.

I know Pats fans are irate about an idiot owner not knowing when to keep his mouth shut about another player on another team, but what we have seen this week is disgraceful. The league is concerned about the integrity of the game, but what has gone on in the last week especially today shows they don't care.

BTW, free agency begun yesterday, not on Tuesday.

At least Florio is saying something (Curran has too):

So much for teams not making offers during the three-day negotiating window. When will the Ted Wells investigation begin?

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https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/574675350443147265

Teams have gone from hiding under the bed over the NFL's no-offers mandate to giving the league office the double-barreled middle finger.

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https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/574676059821641728

They have their hands full with players beating there wives and getting shot. I'd imagine this is further down the priority list. Oh ya but deflated footballs is the biggest sin don't ever forget that.

Rob is on a roll!

The obvious answer would be, when it's reported that the Patriots did it.

What will we tell the children??!!

On a more serious note, this shows how nobody in the league gives a crap about Goodell and his hammer anymore. I think the last few years with legal tampering little snippets would get out, but there wasn't anything like today with player x IS going to team Y for Z dollars exactly.

WHy would they? They even now have a "legal" tampering window..aka FA started yesterday. NFL doesn't care about tampering..even if they "act" like they do.

Just like the league knowing about these Dez incident ect before it ever comes out. Because they will look the other way if it's a star player. Players safety...tampering...beating your wife...the NFL does NOT care.

@Rand_Getlin: Source: The NFL sent a letter to all 32 teams stating their displeasure w/ the release of contract terms prior to the start of free agency.

@Rand_Getlin: That same source says the letter indicates the league will conduct an investigation. Will examine if teams did in fact agree to terms early.

Maybe they should get Ted Wells in on this. He couldn't possibly be busy right now, right?

What are the odds that "league source" rumors now start flying about how the Patriots are "cheating" in FA?

Wouldn't be surprised if we have signed a FA and our boys are keeping it quiet. Eagles are setting themselves up for some big punishments....

I'm excited to see Chris Carter's rant about how all these teams were cheating, and that cheating is cheating.

Froob said:

Wouldn't be surprised if we have signed a FA and our boys are keeping it quiet. Eagles are setting themselves up for some big punishments....

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So are the Dolphins.

I don't even know if they have to do an investigation if any of these free agents sign for the terms that were announced over the weekend. Isn't that proof enough?

chasa said:

I'm excited to see Chris Carter's rant about how all these teams were cheating, and that cheating is cheating.

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Or Mark Brunell crying because he thinks Mike Tanenbaum is lying that he didn't have a deal done with Suh even though he signs on Tuesday for the exact same numbers that were reported yesterday.

Sciz said:

@Rand_Getlin: Source: The NFL sent a letter to all 32 teams stating their displeasure w/ the release of contract terms prior to the start of free agency.

@Rand_Getlin: That same source says the letter indicates the league will conduct an investigation. Will examine if teams did in fact agree to terms early.

Maybe they should get Ted Wells in on this. He couldn't possibly be busy right now, right?

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So we'll get around to this report in what? 2016, 2017? It's closing in on almost 2 months to figure out about the PSI in footballs. What a joke.

Rob0729 said:

So are the Dolphins.

I don't even know if they have to do an investigation if any of these free agents sign for the terms that were announced over the weekend. Isn't that proof enough?

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And this article here is from NFL.com http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...n-with-chiefs?campaign=Facebook_atn_rosenthal

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Maclin plans to head to Kansas City on Tuesday to sign with the Chiefs, according to a source informed of his thinking. His attention turned squarely to the Chiefs when talks with the Eagles broke down. ESPN first reported Maclin plans to sign with the Chiefs when free agency opens Tuesday. If Maclin's deal in Kansas City is finalized,

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Maclin's deal? How can he have a deal from Kansas City if the rules clearly state no offers can be made?

I actually don't see what the big deal is. Nobody has technically signed. If someone wants to swoop in and offer Suh more money tonight they still can. I think what it is coming down to is that the players agents have basically heard the deal parameters from each team and know who is in the lead. The players and agents are obviously then willing to disclose the details of those parameters in the hopes that other teams then bid them up.

I understand that the league may be upset about how it looks when it says the deal are "done" but I think that is all the players and agents. Not sure what the teams can do to prevent that. If anything I am sure they would rather have the terms quite until the deal is actually signed.

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m3 minutes ago
NFL: "League office is beginning investigations into a number of reported agreements with clubs. Violations will be dealt with accordingly.”

I can see the logic behind the legal tampering period. It actually gives the team losing a free agent, a chance to match or better potential offers that their FA are getting. Much like last night when McCourty called BB and said I'm about to sign with X for Y. BB then said, what if you pay you Z and the deal got done. Now if this happened after 4pm on Tuesday, a lot of teams put deadlines on their offers to stop the player from doing exactly what McCourty did, shop the offer back to his original team.

I'm pretty sure that the NBA has a similar thing (I pay absolutely no attention to the NBA so I can't be sure). The NFL just needs to issue better guidelines, no way you can punish a team if the player tweets out that he is signing with them.

As one of the leaders of the "hang 'em high" brigade as it refers to the Jets idiot owner, I have to admit I am a lot less agitated about what's going on during the "legal tampering" period. I was under the impression that while no actual deals could be made, and teams couldn't be in direct contact with the players, the agents and the teams could exchange actual numbers in order to better gauge what the market is as it is perceived by the teams and agents.

To me there is little difference between that and the actual opening of FA. Without knowing actual number and the market for Dmac the Pats never would have been able to know to up their offer to McCourty, so in this instance at least, the process worked perfectly.

We all know the during the legal tampering period agents and team are dealing with one page documents with the parameters of potential deals. The deals themselves are inches thick documents that take some time to put together. The players my commit to deals at midnight Tuesday, or whatever time it starts, but I doubt the actual contract gets signed until a day or two later.

BOTTOM LINE - I am hard line on making the Jets pay for their obvious tampering of Revis. However had it happened during the legal tampering period, instead of a couple of months ago, I would have felt a lot differently. In the end you are right, Rob, but there is SO much more to be outraged by the Goodell administration, that you should save your ire for more worthy fights.

That being said, if you need someone to join you at the barricades, I'll be there.