Goodell's letter response to the NFLPA...6/2/2015

Funktopus · Jun 3, 2015

VJCPatriot said:
Abuse of discretion. Excessive and unprecedent punishment for a 'wrongdoing' where there is no actual proof. Etc. etc. Don't worry too much about it, Brady and the NFLPA has millions of dollars to pay very smart lawyers to challenge and overturn Goodell's ruling.

Look at it this way -- the rulebook says the punishment for having a football outside the PSI range is 25k. Goodell and his goons issued a 1 million dollar fine, docked 2 draft picks, and suspended Brady for 4 games without pay which is 25% of the season and millions of dollars out of his pocket. That is completely out of WHACK!

Ivan said:
When Brett Favre was asked to give up his phone in the **** pic investigation he refused, result, $50,000 fine, when Brady refused it's four games and a loss of millions. If that isn't an abuse of discretion nothing is.

Will these be relevant if Goodell claims that the punishment is for attempting to gain an unfair advantage similar to PEDs?

DaBruinz · Jun 3, 2015

BradyFTW! said:
To all these people saying Brady wouldn't sue the NFL, he already has:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000...med-as-plaintiffs-in-antitrust-lawsuit-vs-nfl

I believe that this is the REAL reason why the League handed Brady such a harsh penalty. To say "Tom, we have a long memory and you tried to screw us. We didn't forget, so now we're going to punish you for it".

DaBruinz · Jun 3, 2015

YOUGOTMOSSED said:
I don't pretend to know everything about the operative CBA. I've never read it or even seen it.

From what I've heard, it has to be the one of most ineptly drafted legal agreements ever. If a commissioner can simply pluck away draft picks and suspend players arbitrarily and with impunity, this is a real problem if the commissioner turns out to be a tyrant and/or a horse's ass (we seem to be blessed with a commissioner who happens to be both).

The penalizing of Draft picks has nothing to do with the CBA.. That is between the NFL Central office and the teams..

The CBA on the other hand, deals directly with the players.. Goodell can not suspend players arbitrarily and with impunity. This is a misconception. The problem with the current situation is that Goodell is backing his underlings in Kensil and Gardi because they are part of "the League" instead of backing the truth. Goodell, stupidly, doesn't want to admit that his underlings could have done something wrong.

SVN · Jun 3, 2015

http://www.csnne.com/new-england-patriots/curran-goodell-may-be-one-help-brady

Funktopus · Jun 3, 2015

DaBruinz said:
I believe that this is the REAL reason why the League handed Brady such a harsh penalty. To say "Tom, we have a long memory and you tried to screw us. We didn't forget, so now we're going to punish you for it".

That's nothing. Imagine how bitter other owners are that Kraft used his own money to build a stadium. Now every time a billionaire wants a new taxpayer funded stadium somebody points out that Kraft built his own.

DaBruinz · Jun 3, 2015

Funktopus said:
I need help understanding something.

If the CBA gives Goodell authority to punish players then what legal basis does Brady have to take this to court to challenge Goodell's authority?

As pointed out, it gives the Commissioner the authority to punish players. It does not give the NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations authority to punish players.

Furthermore, the appeals process says that they can ask for an impartial arbitrator.

DaBruinz · Jun 3, 2015

Funktopus said:
That's nothing. Imagine how bitter other owners are that Kraft used his own money to build a stadium. Now every time a billionaire wants a new taxpayer funded stadium somebody points out that Kraft built his own.

Except that Kraft didn't build his own. He also took a loan from the league. And he got tons of tax breaks..

Ivan · Jun 3, 2015

Funktopus said:
Will these be relevant if Goodell claims that the punishment is for attempting to gain an unfair advantage similar to PEDs?

He has absolutely no evidence that Brady ever did that. Goodell can claim whatever he wants and I have no doubt he will do just that because his views have no basis in reality, and that's obvious from this letter. Hopefully the courts see through his bullsh.t as easily as we can

FCB02062 · Jun 3, 2015

PP2 said:
You're talking about a guy that has pretty much never missed a voluntary workout, and a guy that hates to give up snaps in practice.

Is he going to roll over and miss four games in what he knows is the twilight of his career?

I just don't think so.

Brady has been team/Kraft/NFL friendly his entire career...it won't stop now. Think about it, in the face of tons of criticism/mud slinging from media and fans coupled with NFL rule upon rule and NFL decision upon decision designed to neuter his team, has Brady EVER EVER EVER criticized the league? Has he EVER stood up for his team, outside of his "rulebook" comment r.e John Harbaugh?

No, he hasn't. Spygate, running up the score, the list of accusations goes on and on and I've never once heard Brady say ANYTHING more than a milquetoast quote...

If so, find me a link.

SVN · Jun 3, 2015

The only thing goodell can levy on brady is 'failure to cooperate' with his cellphone. Rest of the report he has nothing to go on .

SVN · Jun 3, 2015

http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports...rady-appeal-leaves-quarterback-at-crossroads/

And so no matter what sort of penalty is ultimately handed down from Goodell, unless the suspension is reduced to nothing, the whole thing ends up in court. The only problem there? The wheels of justice don’t always spin as fast as you might like, and so Brady could be operating on someone else’s timetable. If the thing gets pushed back into the summer, and Brady has to sit and wait — and if he loses — he could still end up sitting for four games, but at that point, it would stretch into the regular season.

this is what is annoying ...as peter king pointed out

http://mmqb.si.com/2015/06/01/nfl-power-rankings-peter-king-daughter-wedding/5/

. I think, regarding Adam Schefter’s news break that Tom Brady’s appeal of his four-game suspension will be heard June 23: Why oh why oh why continue to drag this out? The timeline:

Jan. 19. Colts claim Patriots were playing with at least one underinflated football in the AFC Championship Game. A day later, the NFL launches an investigation.

Jan. 24. Five days after the game, Ted Wells and his staff are retained to investigate the case.

May 7. One hundred and eight days after the game, Wells issues his report.

May 11. One hundred and 12 days after the game, the NFL suspends Brady for the first four games of the season, fines the Patriots $1 million and takes away first-round and fourth-round draft picks from the team.

May 19. One hundred and 20 days after the game, Patriots owner Robert Kraft says he will not appeal the team sanctions.

June 23. One hundred and 54 days after the game, Brady is due to have his appeal heard.

Let’s assume the league announces its decision in July, which is certainly not a lock but likely. That means one of the ugliest stories of the Goodell Era would have been on everyone’s cranium for much of six months. Maybe the league washed its hands of the Wells report and the inordinately long time that took. (I still think 3.5 months for that investigation is too long. Way too long.) But if the league allows final adjudication of the case to drag on two months after the Wells report is issued, that’s on the league. I am all in favor of due process. But the league allowed this story to dominate the offseason, and could have done something about it, and didn’t.

This is what NFL wants...drag this out as much as possible and force brady to make a choice before the start of the regular season.

glm · Jun 3, 2015

FCB02062 said:
Brady has been team/Kraft/NFL friendly his entire career...it won't stop now. Think about it, in the face of tons of criticism/mud slinging from media and fans coupled with NFL rule upon rule and NFL decision upon decision designed to neuter his team, has Brady EVER EVER EVER criticized the league? Has he EVER stood up for his team, outside of his "rulebook" comment r.e John Harbaugh?

No, he hasn't. Spygate, running up the score, the list of accusations goes on and on and I've never once heard Brady say ANYTHING more than a milquetoast quote...

If so, find me a link.

He was literally the first player to sign his name in the antitrust case vs. the NFL. You really have to be kidding me.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-name-in-antitrust-case-could-hurt-his-image/

BradyFTW! · Jun 3, 2015

FCB02062 said:
Brady has been team/Kraft/NFL friendly his entire career...it won't stop now. Think about it, in the face of tons of criticism/mud slinging from media and fans coupled with NFL rule upon rule and NFL decision upon decision designed to neuter his team, has Brady EVER EVER EVER criticized the league? Has he EVER stood up for his team, outside of his "rulebook" comment r.e John Harbaugh?

No, he hasn't. Spygate, running up the score, the list of accusations goes on and on and I've never once heard Brady say ANYTHING more than a milquetoast quote...

If so, find me a link.

You're overlooking basically the only point that matters when you're claiming that he would never sue the league. Which is that Brady already sued the league in 2011: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000...med-as-plaintiffs-in-antitrust-lawsuit-vs-nfl

Seriously, some of you people really need to get your facts straight before making unconditional declarations that he would never ever do something that he's done before.

Ivan · Jun 3, 2015

glm said:
He was literally the first player to sign his name in the antitrust case vs. the NFL. You really have to be kidding me.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-name-in-antitrust-case-could-hurt-his-image/

His name was up front because it was done alphabetically, not because he was first to sign on.

Ivan · Jun 3, 2015

FCB02062 said:
Brady has been team/Kraft/NFL friendly his entire career...it won't stop now. Think about it, in the face of tons of criticism/mud slinging from media and fans coupled with NFL rule upon rule and NFL decision upon decision designed to neuter his team, has Brady EVER EVER EVER criticized the league? Has he EVER stood up for his team, outside of his "rulebook" comment r.e John Harbaugh?

No, he hasn't. Spygate, running up the score, the list of accusations goes on and on and I've never once heard Brady say ANYTHING more than a milquetoast quote...

If so, find me a link.

The people who matter most to Brady are not going to be satisfied with taking a bullet for Kraft. His father is curious about v this and no one knows the value of name and brand better than his wife. Brady isn't going to roll over for Goodell. If its reduced to one game he may be tempted to put his teammates first but other than that he will push this for exoneration.

glm · Jun 3, 2015

Ivan said:
His name was up front because it was done alphabetically, not because he was first to sign on.

"Now you may be wondering what the star quarterback is the one being named on this legal document. Well, he and 10 other pro athletes have banded together to fight the league. He and Peyton Manning decided to step up and be the first names listed. Therefore it will be officially documented as the Tom Brady, et. al vs. the National Football League."

http://sports.rightpundits.com/?p=5978

FreeTedWilliams · Jun 3, 2015

I'm convinced that the NFLPA is giddy over Goodell not recusing himself. They have been looking for the perfect case to take to court and this appears to be it. Goodell set up a witch hunt, then they were bragging to reporters because they thought they "got" the Pats, then they started testing the Colts balls and then opps.

None of them had any idea about the ideal gas law before this happened. I think they thought they had the Pats dead to rights and have basically been doubling down ever since. If you repeat a lie long enough, people will eventually believe the lie.

Goodell might reduce the suspension by two games and beg Kraft to convince Brady to take it. I hope that Brady tells Kraft to shove it and files a multimillion dollar defamation/abuse of power case against Goodell, the league, Gregson, Kenisl, Mortenson, et al. By including Mortenson, he will have to disclose who gave him the false information or risk owing Brady money along with the rest of them.

We have all seen this for the giant witch hunt that it was. I can only hope that Brady has the guts to take this all the way and clear his name.

TheBostonStraggler · Jun 3, 2015

Ivan said:
But he is surrounded by big money lawyers who could have written something that didn't look like it was written by a lawyer on acid. Goödel's only defense, as always, is to plead incompetence. It flat out amazes me that the billionaire boys club pays 44 million to a guy who should be asking if we want fries with our cheeseburgers.

NFL big money lawyers to Goodell: "Why would you even open up this can of worms you dumb ass?".

rochrist · Jun 3, 2015

DaBruinz said:
Except that Kraft didn't build his own. He also took a loan from the league. And he got tons of tax breaks..

Compared to virtually every other team, yes, he did build his own. A loan gets repaid. Tax breaks are just that, tax breaks, they don't mean you aren't shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars out of your own pocket.

JarOfMayo51 · Jun 3, 2015

signbabybrady said:
I would pay money to see the appeal.

Especially the moment when they call the arbitrator as a witness. I wonder what the NFLPA plans to ask him but whatever it is could have been asine and still would be funny to see him as arbitrator and witness.

it is the greedy NFL after all, maybe they'll make the arbitration process available on PayPerView.. it would probably generate more money than the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight... and be more entertaining too!

Goodell's letter response to the NFLPA...6/2/2015

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