PFT: Settlement Talks Have Taken Place

"Per the source, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is being pushed by a small handful of influential owners to hold firm on the four-game suspension. Working against that pressure, however, is the fear that the four-game suspension would be wiped out by a federal court."

Thoughts on who those "owners" are?

My guesses:
Irsay
Biscotti
Jones
Allen

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/22/settlement-talks-have-occurred-in-brady-case/

jets/fins/bills/broncos/irsay/bischotti

This makes me despise Kraft even more.

Rooney
Mara

Armchair Quarterback said:

This makes me hate Kraft even more.

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Doesn't it though? Guess 'Ol Bob ain't so welcome at the table huh? I could see it, you could see it (patsFans.com) yet he couldn't? He should resign and hand the keys over to Jonathan. It's time.

supafly said:

Rooney
Mara

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Make them surrender their daughters!

Well, it's also a standard negotiating ploy to leak that you have some constituency that makes it hard for you to make concessions.

Goodell may really hope that Brady will settle for a reduced suspension.

That said, I'm in the camp that says Brady will never agree to a suspension in any negotiated settlement, nor to any negotiated settlement that he can't realistically spin as "I was innocent of all wrongdoing, but I'm accepting punishment for technical/imaginary violations because it's obviously a good risk/reward decision to do so". (I.e., a fine of $100K or less, preferably a Favrian $50K.)

To the extent this is reasonably true, it DOES support the theory that Kraft was correct not to fight on legally or administratively.

Such a view does NOTHING to exonerate him in terms of what he's said (or more precisely hasn't said) publicly. He should have stuck by the public stance of "This is a terrible injustice!", rather than switching to "Let's put this all behind us and move on."

But it's fair to say that public statements and PR were the only form of fighting-on that could be demanded of him.

This is why he'll keep it at 4, on to court it goes

Attorney Gregg Levy, who was one of the finalists for the job Goodell received in 2006, participated in the Brady appeal hearing as a legal consultant to the Commissioner. It’s believed that Levy has been warning Goodell that it will be difficult to make a suspension stick in court, even under the heightened standard that applies to challenging the outcome of a private arbitration agreement.

So while there’s still no good way out of this mess for Goodell, the safest course for him personally would be to hold firm and to force a court to reduce the suspension — since Goodell suffers little or no P.R. consequence when one of his disciplinary decisions is reduced or wiped out by someone else

Further proof of the corruption that is the NFL League Office. Isn't an arbitrator by definition expected to be"independent," free of outside influences and make judgements solely on the facts/merits of the appeal? If this breaks our way for a change than maybe, just maybe, Goodell is further demonstrated to be compromised in his role as arbitrator and permanently loses his ability to serve in this capacity.

I've already assumed this .... thus the delay in the ruling.

Armchair Quarterback said:

This makes me despise Kraft even more.

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The more Kraft's capitulation rolls around in my head the worse I feel. Kraft is a multi-billionaire. He can do pretty much anything he wants in life 'til he dies WITHOUT the NFL. It's not like defying the NFL and losing would put him in the poor house or anything. Why not take a bold stand against injustice even if it's a losing proposition for the sake of the fans and the honor of his franchise? So what if he loses? It would make him a New England sports legend forever.

I hope Goodell keeps it at 4 I really do. He will get crucified by the mainstream press because its the same punishment that Greg Hardy got. He won't be that foolish though. It'll be 2 games and then to court we go.

So much for Goodell being an impartial arbiter whose concern is only for the truth. Integrity of the shield my ***.

F.uck the old boys club that is the NFL

raduray said:

So much for Goodell being an impartial arbiter whose concern is only for the truth. Integrity of the shield my ***.

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Kensil has already printed off this article and put into stack number 5 of NFL self incriminating evidence.

Of course some of the owners want 4...those owners are the opponents of the first 4 weeks

The NFL has so little integrity that it will uphold penalties it doesn't believe can survive court challenges, and must know are not supported by the evidence, rather than doing the right thing?

For one reason or another, this "settlement" speech rings loud and clear in my ears. @Off The Grid will approve I'm sure.

"Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse."

Anything less than a full exoneration for Tom Brady and the NFL can whistle dixie.