Official 9/1 Decision Day? News Updates and Links Thread

robertweathers said:

I find this fascinating.

This is not the time for your PR Chief to leave. Approval ratings are at an all-time low. This is wartime.

Who knows the dealeo behind the scenes but someone was clearly unhappy within someone or something.

Wow.

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If he was even a fraction as level-headed as Bedard is claiming, I can only infer the PR Chief got fed up with not being able to do his own job. The PR of the NFL the past 7 and a half months does not represent the craftsmanship of sane people.

JackBauer said:

My god this is the most excruciating wait ever. Worse than waiting for Christmas as a kid, even.

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Though not as bad as waiting to hear back from Colleges you've applied to...LOL

RelocatedPatFan said:

Obviously it's a very different situation, but I've had this unnatural attention to this particular subject. Mostly because I'm a big Pat fan and love the TFB story. I mean I haven't even seen a Red Sox game this season (and only checked standings a few times. My dad gave me updates, but I really didn't care).

I feel trapped in some ways, but the unfairness at all levels bothers me (though, I still function at a high level in my job, studies, and as a family man).

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This has been a distraction to the horrific season and pathetic excuse of a team that is your 2015 Boston Red Sox.

An unwelcomed distraction one, but one nonetheless.

SVN said:

Greg A. Bedard ‏@GregABedard 38m38 minutes ago
I shudder to think what will become of the NFL office without Paul Hicks, who was smart, level-headed and brought an outsider's perspective
Greg A. Bedard ‏@GregABedard 36m36 minutes ago
Hicks wasn't listened to enough IMO. Now, too many internal NFL people.

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Oh gosh, he's saying the NFL's handling of these things could actually get worse?!

Tuck said:

Agree. If Brady wins and Berman rips them a new one this becomes a PR nightmare that they are not going to want hanging over the entire season.

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.

Oh yeah?

Just wait for that Will Smith movie this Christmas.

Brady has time on his side here. I hope they DO appeal. By time that hits the court, the NFL will be akin to the KGB in the ways of the American public.

Sciz said:

Oh gosh, he's saying the NFL's handling of these things could actually get worse?!

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Sure.

Goodwill did handle all this better than that fired TV station employee in Roanoke did last week.

RelocatedPatFan said:

Does thsi explain why Judge Berman was so interested in the evidence and asking "those" questions? i realize a tweet is only 144 characters, but Daniel needs to use laymen speak a bit more (if he wants a larger audience).

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Sure seems that way. Everyone (including the NFL and Kessler) assumed that Berman would be essentially prohibited from dealing in the facts of the case and questioning Goodell's conclusions, due to the level of deference to arbitrators established in the Garvey case. Even Kessler repeatedly stated that he was not trying to reargue the facts of the case.

But what this seems to be saying is that by denying Brady the opportunity to argue his case, Goodell displayed actual prejudice, and that an arbitrator displaying actual prejudice opens up his findings to evidentiary review. Which means that Berman can review the facts of the case.

IANAL, and I admittedly have no idea what I'm talking about, but it kinda seems like Wallach's using Berman's past rulings to suggest that he'll argue something like this:

• By failing to make Pash and investigative notes available, Goodell deprived Brady of the opportunity to present and argue his case.
• This constitutes a violation of fundamental fairness, and in fact demonstrates actual prejudice. It also opens up the arbitrator's findings to evidentiary review. This draws a clear line in the sand between Brady and Garvey. Garvey's conclusion specifically stated that it applied where no misconduct was alleged; misconduct is found here, and that is the basis for doing what Garvey case refused to do. The clear difference between Garvey and Brady is that nobody in Garvey ever claimed misconduct on the part of the arbitrator. Wallach and everyone else has been pointing to this obvious-to-a-fifth-grader difference since the day Munson claimed Garvey applied. Good to see that Berman's already used the exact same argument in his own past rulings.
• FAA clearly states that actual prejudice is grounds for vacating an arbitrator's awards.This further covers legal bases vs. appeal. Unless the NFL could demonstrate that Goodell was not arbitrating with prejudice, Berman's ruling would stand.
• These findings would also protect Brady from Goodell re-doing the kangaroo court at his leisure. By finding that Goodell acted with actual prejudice (or even evident bias, which I believe is a much lower standard), I think he would be disqualified from rehearing a new arbitration with investigative notes + Pash made available. And If Berman wishes, he could even agree with Kessler that lack of notice cannot be cured, and therefore the case cannot be rearbitrated at all.

shmessy said:

.

Just wait for that Will Smith movie this Christmas.

.

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Probably why he (Hicks) bailed out...career preservation.

SVN said:

Greg A. Bedard ‏@GregABedard 38m38 minutes ago
I shudder to think what will become of the NFL office without Paul Hicks, who was smart, level-headed and brought an outsider's perspective
Greg A. Bedard ‏@GregABedard 36m36 minutes ago
Hicks wasn't listened to enough IMO. Now, too many internal NFL people.

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Obviously there must be another ex-Jet front office person who really needs a job

Crononaut said:

If he was even a fraction as level-headed as Bedard is claiming, I can only infer the PR Chief got fed up with not being able to do his own job. The PR of the NFL the past 7 and a half months does not represent the craftsmanship of sane people.

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Well, with Tod Leiweke coming in as COO, it puts an organizational layer between Goody and the underlings. It easily could be that Hicks got pissed off that he was now reporting to him and not Goody. That seems shallow to me.

Pure speculation but by going to a PR firm that handles the NFL's PR, that tells me that his relationship with the NFL is still strong and not acrimonious.

IMO- they did a great job of spin and creating a narrative but seemed to me that they didn't communicate well internally. Seemed very siloed. Could be a highly-charged political environment and he got sick of the BS.

I hope some details come out that lead us to understand the reasons behind his departure.

My prior post explains it

For anyone in the States who has been worrying about this all day so far, have some sympathy of those of us in England...it is already 6.40PM!

Brit pat how do you watch the games in England?

Living in the future, could you guys tell us how it turns out before it's news here?

SVN said:

Greg A. Bedard ‏@GregABedard 38m38 minutes ago
I shudder to think what will become of the NFL office without Paul Hicks, who was smart, level-headed and brought an outsider's perspective
Greg A. Bedard ‏@GregABedard 36m36 minutes ago
Hicks wasn't listened to enough IMO. Now, too many internal NYJ people.

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Fixed it for ya, Greg.....

PatsFan2 said:

Brit pat how do you watch the games in England?

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Not brit, but game pass is what i use. Some are even saying we have better options to watch the games then americans.

SVN said:

Greg A. Bedard ‏@GregABedard 38m38 minutes ago
I shudder to think what will become of the NFL office without Paul Hicks, who was smart, level-headed and brought an outsider's perspective
Greg A. Bedard ‏@GregABedard 36m36 minutes ago
Hicks wasn't listened to enough IMO. Now, too many internal NFL people.

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Which failed Jets jnr. exec will take his place?

PatsFan2 said:

Brit pat how do you watch the games in England?

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Probably the same way we watch european soccer over here. By accepting that you're going to have a really bizarre sleep schedule.

turkeyneck said:

Which failed Jets jnr. exec will take his place?

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Well.....there are a plethora of candidates

I think 4:30 pm would really be the latest we would see a decision, if it is posted to ECF today