Goodell making that Judge/Jury/Executioner slope a bit more slippery

[Deus Irae]

Goodell noted that players who are accused of crimes are entitled to due process in a court of law, but he said the NFL’s owners want the ability to take players accused of crimes (like Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy) off the field while a criminal case is ongoing.

“They obviously understand the balance between due process and protecting the integrity of the game, and sometimes that puts you in a difficult position,” Goodell said. “When there is strong evidence to the fact that a violation occurred, the question is whether there should be some type of interim step, like a paid leave.”

Goodell: We need to balance due process with protecting the game | ProFootballTalk

The sad part is that most people will be foolish enough to buy into it.

 

[Joker]

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addresses media Wednesday at owners meetings - ESPN

"
Goodell has presided with total control over the personal conduct policy since 2007, though the league recently agreed to neutral arbitration for Rice's appeal hearing, which has prompted hope on the players' union's side that it will agree to neutral arbitration in future discipline cases as well. The league has yet to determine whether that's the way it wants to go.

"People want simple solutions to complex problems," Goodell said. "But you're trying to balance the due process with making sure you're protecting the integrity of the game. My No. 1 job is protecting the integrity of the game, and I will not relent from that."

jeezus...FIRE THIS PATHOLOGICAL LIAR NOW!!

 

[Deus Irae]

...jeezus...FIRE THIS PATHOLOGICAL LIAR NOW!!

This is the "tough on crime" ploy. It's pathetic, but people will buy it.

 

[PATS16N0]

 

[goheels22002]

One of these players is going to find himself in circumstances that leads to successful law suit against the league, their team, and Goodell.

Maybe they do a better job handling criminal situations, but what do the other professional sports leagues and player associations do when guys get arrested? It doesn't seem like we see their Commissioners playing the omnipotent judge, jury and executioner.

 

[DarrylS]

Due process does not equate with Goodell having presided with total control over the personal conduct policy since 2007.

More BS give us back our draft pick...

 

[Sicilian]

The only times a player should be taken off the field after being accused of a crime are:

1) The team decides to suspend him (with pay) as a PR move. Teams should have the right to do that, as it's their own success and brand on the line really.

2) The crime forces a player to serve jail time while standing trial (Hernandez).

 

[voluntarysaftey]

The only times a player should be taken off the field after being accused of a crime are:

1) The team decides to suspend him (with pay) as a PR move. Teams should have the right to do that, as it's their own success and brand on the line really.

2) The crime forces a player to serve jail time while standing trial (Hernandez).

I agree with this.
If you consider an analogy to normal people employment; your company has a right to fire you; and then any other company has the ability to hire you & overlook any criminal history -- there's no collective banning you from working in your industry.

The problem with an NFL suspension/ban is you don't have the ability to seek other employers in your field. Every team should decide on their own whether they want to hire Adrian Peterson or Ray Rice -- it shouldn't be the league's decision.
Sure football is a bit different than normal employment in that all the individual owners form a collective, but that collective shouldn't be used to limit employment on moral reasons.

 

[MassPats38]

"Protecting the game"? That sounds like a nice, subjective and PR-centric way of saying I do what I please. I have repeatedly heard references to openness in process and review of decisions by others, but I find it all a bit disingenuous as those changes should not take very long to implement. There are models in law and corporate America. Pick one and get it done, or continue blathering about how you are "looking into" possibilities.

 

[RobertWeathers]

"Protecting the game"? That sounds like a nice, subjective and PR-centric way of saying I do what I please. I have repeatedly heard references to openness in process and review of decisions by others, but I find it all a bit disingenuous as those changes should not take very long to implement. There are models in law and corporate America. Pick one and get it done, or continue blathering about how you are "looking into" possibilities.

Goody's focus is protecting the owner's financial interests and league's revenue stream - nothing more.

Protecting the game and "the shield" is a metaphor for such intentions.

 

[UK_Pat37]

Goody's focus is protecting the owner's financial interests and league's revenue stream - nothing more.

Protecting the game and "the shield" is a metaphor for such intentions.

It's straight forward...Goodell will do whatever the owners want. If he didn't, he wouldn't be in a job and they'd have someone there who is willing to say and do what they want. Ultimately the owners control this league entirely. Goodell is a puppet with a few extra powers...and he might not have all of those soon enough given the Rice debacle.

The owners want a overhaul of the disciplinary process and they will get it...Goodell's rep was damaged by this whole Rice saga and the owners don't want the same embarrassment again,

 

[Ring 6]

A few points.
1) Due process is for the legal system, and is not applicable to players in a sports league being disciplined.
2) The right to unilaterally punish players for any actions the league feels harm its reputation is in fact something the players collectively bargained. Goodell being 'judge, jury and execution' is the players fault.
3) The fact that the person making the disciplinary decisions for the league is simply not good at it does not mean the rules are unfair.

 

[Gumby]

A few points.
1) Due process is for the legal system, and is not applicable to players in a sports league being disciplined.
2) The right to unilaterally punish players for any actions the league feels harm its reputation is in fact something the players collectively bargained. Goodell being 'judge, jury and execution' is the players fault.
3) The fact that the person making the disciplinary decisions for the league is simply not good at it does not mean the rules are unfair but rather JUST THAT THEY ARE STUPID..

Nice semi-rant of logic; I just tweaked you where you left part off.

 

[Tunescribe]

Where exactly is Mr. Photo Op these days? Apparently, the Goodell-bot has been sent back to the lab for retrofitting/reprogramming.

 

[Joker]

Will there be any retroactive rescission of this goon's major "decisions" going back to 2007?

 

[jmt57]

Well, here is something that the Commissioner and the NFL league suits did not want to hear or read, even if they can safely distance themselves with plausible deniability.

Former NFL exec: Teams hid 'hundreds' of abuse incidents

A former NFL executive said teams did not discipline players in "hundreds and hundreds" of domestic violence incidents during his 30 years in the league, and said he now regrets his role in the failure to take action.

Angelo, who was general manager of the Chicago Bears from 2001 to 2011 and has been out of the league since, said his typical approach after learning of a player's involvement in a domestic violence case was to inquire, "OK, is everybody OK? Yeah. How are they doing? Good. And then we'd just move on. We'd move on.''

"We knew it was wrong,'' Angelo said. "…For whatever reason, it just kind of got glossed over."

​

The former general manager then goes on to the rationale on what was and was not reported by an NFL team to the league offices:

Angelo said he did not report to the league cases of domestic violence involving players because disciplinary action would have put his team at a competitive disadvantage.

"Our business is to win games," Angelo said. "We've got to win games, and the commissioner's job is to make sure the credibility of the National Football League is held in the highest esteem. But to start with that, you have to know who's representing the shield.''

"We got our priorities a little out of order,'' he said.​

 

[Deus Irae]

I'm shocked, shocked, to find that teams don't report everything to the league, act in their own perceived best interest, and are only coming forward when they've nothing to lose. Next, we'll find out that the NFL is really supposed to be about a football league, and not so-called "women's issues".