Bedard: Belief in league circles is NFLPA has found the perfect player & case to go big-game hunting

livinginthe past said:

At the risk of being a Killjoy - I can't help but believe that, generally speaking, the NFLPA are just shills for the guys - controlled opposition if you will - to give the illusion of balance.

Sure, we see guys like De Smith duking it out with Goodell every now and then with some highly publicized spat over player discipline or whatever - but that stuff is WWE -lite.

Look at the career path of Troy Vincent from NFLPA to Goodells right hand man - there were rumors that Vincent gave inside info to Goodell while he was still with the NFLPA.

The best litigators tend to go where the money is - and as rich as Tom and Gisele are - they are no match for the 32 owners + TV networks etc - so i'm sure Kessler is made out to be a giant-killer but he won't get anything the NFL isn't already prepared to concede.

If there is a reduction on Brady's ban, then its a reduction that Goodell et al already allowed for with the original sentencing.

Think about it; in the NFLPA goes 'scorched earth' on this and seriously damages the NFL - where does that leave an organisation that relies totally upon the NFL for its survival?

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I think you should spend some more time looking in the background of Jeffrey Kessler. He's no shill.

turkeyneck said:

I'm rooting for this harder than I rooted for any Superbowl game.

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If you told me I could only have one out of 1) the 4th SB, and 2) Brady absolutely annihilating the NFL in court, proving a corrupt agenda by the league, and ultimately getting the antitrust exemption revoked, I would choose 2 without a second thought.

TruthSeeker said:

I still think that Brady's team of lawyers will file a lawsuit first to have the suspension vacated if Goodell doesn't vacate it himself since it violated the CBA for anyone but Goodell to determine the penalty for off-field issues - and the correct venue to hear that CBA case is in court. I just don't see why Brady would go through an appeal of an illegal suspension - but I'm sure his lawyers know legal strategy better than me.

The process I envision is:
- the NFL refuses to vacate the suspension
- law suit filed in federal court
- judge vacates suspension since Goodell did not issue it
- Goodell imposes penalty as per the CBA (which may or may not be the same as existing)
- Brady appeals penalty including demanding an independent arbitor
- Goodell names himself arbitor
- Brady files suit in court for independent arbitor
- judge agrees that independent arbitor is needed particularly since Goodell is an important witness
- Brady wins conclusively in arbitration

My main worry is that the NFL will give up before an independent arbitor hears the case - and the public will never have the advantage of seeing someone independent rip the Wells report to shreds.

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Yes, that's why Brady needs to go full nuclear and sue for defamation. He should do it and announce that all proceeds (minus legal fees) will go to charity.

RK stepping aside avoided a direct legal fight with the other 31 owners.
Now non adversarial, free to speak.
RK has said, I trust you guys, this is a team, we work it out.
So now, Kraft is no threat to them.

The owners (majority) likely have not even bothered to read Wells.
They do not know, do not care about guilt or innocence of the Pats.
They care about their own interests. Their players, their team.
Their bottom line.

But the one thing here they care very deeply about is limiting the player's power and pay,
maintaining control over the union, maintaining control over the players.
This is not the old George Preston Marshall NFL plantation, but it is not that far off.
Imagine no salary cap, Top 100 College Free Agency?
Hear the screaming agony.

These elements work to the pats advantage.
When it looks like Brady's well dressed and perfectly mannered Pit bull has them,
err, by the balls?

Roger's phone will be ringing.
Call it off, settle this thing.

In light of some conconcted "newly discovered evidence" (likely set up via a leak),
the Patriot's penalty is reduced to fine of $100,000 because, err,
Kraft said bad things on that webpage thing.

Brady
Fined for not playing phone tag.
"Refusing to integritize the integrity".

No finding of guilt.
***********
Colt fans cry, as there will be no indiscrete pics of Gisele.
Jets fans suddenly refocus on reality,
the 2 currently non participating "Sons of Anarchy"
become "Sons of something else".
They awake up from the collective hatecoma to
"Geno Forkin Smith?"

Mad Dog taken away an ambulance.
The rumors of a trait jacket are unfounded.

So what are the key steps and timing for this going forward?

basically the next step is either

1. Roger goodell recuses himself as arbitrator (unlikely to happen) and turns it over to a 3rd party who likely rescinds bradys suspension.

2. Goodell WONT recue himself, NFLPA files an injunction with the court for a neutral arbitrator. While that happens, brady wont have to serve his suspension (just like with vilma) it goes to a neutral arbitrator and court where they tear apart the wells report and brady is exonerated/suspension is lifted.

#1 is better for Goodell, #2 is better for the NFLPA/brady IMO because it makes the league look bad. Either way brady is NOT missing a game IMO. This is why goodell put in the picks/fine even though the pats organization was exonerated. Pat will never get those back while Bradys suspension will be thrown out eventually

RIpats88 said:

1. Roger goodell recuses himself as arbitrator (unlikely to happen) and turns it over to a 3rd party who likely rescinds bradys suspension.

2. Goodell WONT recue himself, NFLPA files an injunction with the court for a neutral arbitrator. While that happens, brady wont have to serve his suspension (just like with vilma) it goes to a neutral arbitrator and court where they tear apart the wells report and brady is exonerated/suspension is lifted.

#1 is better for Goodell, #2 is better for the NFLPA/brady IMO because it makes the league look bad. Either way brady is NOT missing a game IMO. This is why goodell put in the picks/fine even though the pats organization was exonerated. Pat will never get those back while Bradys suspension will be thrown out eventually

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Great point. It shows the league's malice, ill-will & contempt towards the Patriots.
Makes Kraft's abject subjugation even harder to take.
May he rot in owners' Hell.

What's this anti trust thing about people keep bringing up? No idea what that is tbh lol.

dannydyn said:

I don't see how Brady gets his suspension revoked, as this would practically exonerate the center-figure of this scandal of any wrongdoing. And so, the question that will be going around the league would be: well.... if Brady is exonerated, then why the fck did the league slap on a 1st, 4th, and a $1MM fine in the first place? If there was no wrongdoing, why punish that team?

Or the other option (probably more reasonable): the rest of the league would believe that the acceptance of team punishment was in exchange for Brady's suspension revocation.

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Especially considering the report said nobody but Brady and the dorito dinks anything wrong. Not sure how the team got punished.

because of Spygate

I'm NOT kidding

lurker1965 said:

One theory I heard (non-confirmed) is Kraft new he'd lose the suit because of that promise not to sue the league thing and got a promise from Goodell to make the appeal unacceptable to Brady and the NFLPA and he will help that suit.
Unconfirmed, and Kraft will have to be quiet in his helping Brady's suit, you know, attacks that hurt the NFL more than help it but he ca claim incompetence instead of underhandedness. Depending on how well he acts, this may never be confirmed. If Brady sues, wins, and we get the draft picks back, I will consider this a successful "Batman" gambit by Kraft. (Yeah, that is a big if.)
Definition of "Batman" Gambit for those curious. Oh, it has nothing to do with chess.

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posts not related

PatsWickedPissah said:

...Hell.

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Dear English as a Second Language student, Dislike means you don't like it. Disagree means you think it was confirmed, or I did not hear it, or perhaps even Batman gambits do have to do with chess. Oh maybe you think I would not consider it successful if we get everything back.

I really wouldn't be surprised if we hear something from the league tomorrow. Friday news dump before a long weekend.

godell's gregson's, vincents, kinsels phone records ! IS it possible that they can ask for them? And if so, do they have to give them?

nowayback said:

godell's gregson's, vincents, kinsels phone records ! IS it possible that they can ask for them? And if so, do they have to give them?

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Check out @therealtommydel's Tweet: https://twitter.com/therealtommydel/status/601534900043259904?s=09

Mack Herron said:

Check out @therealtommydel's Tweet: https://twitter.com/therealtommydel/status/601534900043259904?s=09

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Yeah, if that's real it - and Kensil's phone - has to be admissible in court as a mitigating factor of a key NFL guy being out to get them.

Chiuba E. Obele said:

While I'm glad Brady is letting his lawyers and NFLPA do the talking for him, I do wish he would provide a statement for his fans

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Brady made his statement the first week. Nothing more to be said until it's time to present the case to the arbitrator.

I don't understand the obsession with the anti-trust exemption. The league can be corrupt with or without it, it isn't going to do anything for the Patriots. It's a stupid law anyway, and they shouldn't need an exemption to begin with. It's like saying I hope they make a law that says they can't play games Sundays. Yeah, it would tick the NFL off, but it's a pointless distraction that isn't going to help the Patriots or anyone else.

I can't say enough how stupid Goodell is if he doesn't step away and let a Neutral arbitrator take the appeal. I'm pretty sure the owners must be pleading with him at this point to step away. Is he really this dumb?