Goodell wants existing rule on FA tampering enforced

[Metaphors]

Unless teams either allow the league access to telephone records or the team admits it, I don't know how it is possible to prove tampering.

That is why Goodell wants a lower burden of proof to take action on violations. Agents freely admit they are getting contract terms from teams while their players are still under contract (remember Lawyer Milloy?). I don't think that Goodell really cares that tampering is going on...just that the general public doesn't believe that it is going on.

Just keep your yapper shut until you are released or FA begins. Don't sign with a team 10 minutes after FA begins. Problem solved.

 

[RussFrancis]

Personally, Id like Goodell to figure this DOME NOISE crap out before he starts with anything new. There's absolutely NO WAY the league's smallest crowd should be referred by opposing team members as the loudest crowd theyve ever heard. There's a reason for that. And if illegalities are going to be corrected, and changes are to be made, let's go ahead and start right there.

 

[363839]

...and I'm sure they will.
Just as soon as they catch the Patriots doing it.

 

[Pats726]

I agree...UNTIL I see Goodell actually DOING something..instead of talk..catching and punishing another team..I will have NO CHANGE of opinion..THAT simple..

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Goodell is in a predicament at the moment, and of course, we all like to point out that it is a predicament of his own making.

To wit: currently, one Philly/Comcast-happy senator is looming over the National Football League, attempting to gather ammunition to fire at the NFL, in this situation, a proxy for the New England Patriots.

Strategically, Goodell is now in a position where it is to his advantage to say to the world "I was not acting to derail one franchise. I was acting as part of a larger plan to clean up the parts of football that are just institutionally dirty, from time immemorial."

If Goodell is painted as having one rogue franchise on his hands, that plays into the talk of a coverup.

If Goodell inherited a traditionally "dirty" league, which only looks dirty because Goodell has just come among us to heroically shine the bright light of truth into all the NFL's nooks and crannies, that plays into a perception that the league would not cover up further infractions on the part of the Patriots.

It is to Goodell's advantage to portray his own zealotry earlier this season as part of a broad and ongoing crusade to clean up the league. It is to his disadvantage to throw the Patriots under the bus. ("Yes of course they're doing it but we're too weak and ineffectual to truly impose measure that will stop the monster Patriots, Mr. Senator, and besides, we really want the rotten crooks to keep winning..." <- not a good posture.)

PFnV

 

[BPF]

Goodell is in a predicament at the moment, and of course, we all like to point out that it is a predicament of his own making.

To wit: currently, one Philly/Comcast-happy senator is looming over the National Football League, attempting to gather ammunition to fire at the NFL, in this situation, a proxy for the New England Patriots.

Strategically, Goodell is now in a position where it is to his advantage to say to the world "I was not acting to derail one franchise. I was acting as part of a larger plan to clean up the parts of football that are just institutionally dirty, from time immemorial."

If Goodell is painted as having one rogue franchise on his hands, that plays into the talk of a coverup.

If Goodell inherited a traditionally "dirty" league, which only looks dirty because Goodell has just come among us to heroically shine the bright light of truth into all the NFL's nooks and crannies, that plays into a perception that the league would not cover up further infractions on the part of the Patriots.

It is to Goodell's advantage to portray his own zealotry earlier this season as part of a broad and ongoing crusade to clean up the league. It is to his disadvantage to throw the Patriots under the bus. ("Yes of course they're doing it but we're too weak and ineffectual to truly impose measure that will stop the monster Patriots, Mr. Senator, and besides, we really want the rotten crooks to keep winning..." <- not a good posture.)

PFnV

Very well said.

 

[pao]

Let's see who will be made an example of on this matter.

Better send a memo out first. Tell clubs that they are going to be enforcing this rule and to clean it up. At least BB had that.

Personally I think this is a much bigger competitve advantage to be gained here than vs "spying" because players win games.

Agreed for the most part.

SDfan

 

[pao]

They should go back in time on tampering to look at teams who cheated in this way since the rule was in the books.

I don't agreee with this. Send out a memo, ala the memo the NFL sent out regarding taping other team signals, then if anyone gets caught tampering hit them with a hammer (take away draft picks).

Like on other things. I still think salary cap cheating is the worst offense myself as that directly affects the ability to add to the quality of your roster.

Great point. The NFL needs to penalize teams that do that more harshly.

pao

 

[pao]

As I see it; the only major leverage the NFL really has on this is with the agents. If you have ONLY a 'nuclear option' - decertifying an agent for allowing a team to engage in tampering; then the penalty is so severe that 90% of agents will not want to go there.

But as someone else said how will you prove it. NFL has no phone tap authority and all the agents have to do is place calls to a GM's home phone from a subordinate's personal cell phone or disposable and it becomes untraceable.

maybe if you subject all deals within 24 or 48 hours of FA period subject to more intense scrutiny and not allow any deals within 12 or 24 hours of FA start. This would fix one half of the tampering problem: Essentially saying - "hey, all teams need to have the opportunity to throw their best offer on the table to the FA before he commits to someone else.

the other half of problem (undermining of good faith bargaining with the existing team ) I am still thinking about. Maybe another nuclear option: as part of any FA deal; all parties (team, agent, player) have to sign an sworn affidavit that there were no discussions prior to FA. If subsequent discovery (at any time - even years down the road) it will result in agent decert; player suspension for 8 games and team loss of a draft pick (at the same round that the FA was originally chosen or based on FA salary level).

Still doesn't get you to disclosure or transparency; but if you are a team would you do this with a FA when you really risk a pick 4 years down the road???? Considering the FA could be with you for only 2 yrs and then when out of league he squeals like a pig !!

Exceptional post. Great points all.

sdfan

 

[pao]

..The competition committee investigating crowd noise....
Isn't that like having the fox guard the hen house??????? That will never see the light of day...Bet on it...

LOL. Right on! However, the same could be said of Goodell telling the Patriots to turn over ALL tapes and documentation gained by the "misinterpretation". That is laughable. That's like telling OJ to turn over all evidence that links him to the murder of Nicole and Ron. LOL.

sdfan

 

[pao]

Goodell is in a predicament at the moment, and of course, we all like to point out that it is a predicament of his own making.

To wit: currently, one Philly/Comcast-happy senator is looming over the National Football League, attempting to gather ammunition to fire at the NFL, in this situation, a proxy for the New England Patriots.

Strategically, Goodell is now in a position where it is to his advantage to say to the world "I was not acting to derail one franchise. I was acting as part of a larger plan to clean up the parts of football that are just institutionally dirty, from time immemorial."

If Goodell is painted as having one rogue franchise on his hands, that plays into the talk of a coverup.

If Goodell inherited a traditionally "dirty" league, which only looks dirty because Goodell has just come among us to heroically shine the bright light of truth into all the NFL's nooks and crannies, that plays into a perception that the league would not cover up further infractions on the part of the Patriots.

It is to Goodell's advantage to portray his own zealotry earlier this season as part of a broad and ongoing crusade to clean up the league. It is to his disadvantage to throw the Patriots under the bus. ("Yes of course they're doing it but we're too weak and ineffectual to truly impose measure that will stop the monster Patriots, Mr. Senator, and besides, we really want the rotten crooks to keep winning..." <- not a good posture.)

PFnV

Great post. Of course there's always the possibility that he is working to clean the NFL up, which is the right thing to do.

pao

 

[JoeSixPat]

Great post. Of course there's always the possibility that he is working to clean the NFL up, which is the right thing to do.

pao

Yeah but it's a bit disingenuous the way its all coming about.

For 50 years the NFL has looked the other way, knowing that if they can't truly police an action the fairest thing to do is ensure there's an even playing field.

We've documented "cheating" going back 50 years to the Bears and just about every team since then engaged in some form of "cheating".

But with Goodell now changing rules, its disingenous to villify coaches and teams for doing what others have done for 50 years.

I'm primarilly talking about "Spygate" but will any team caught tampering be decried as "cheaters?" Probably not because all fans know that all teams do it.

The difference between Spygate and Tampering is while both are cheating, most fans don't want to think their teams are stealing or taping signals.

But they're wrong - making them either idiots or hypocrits.

 

[pao]

Yeah but it's a bit disingenuous the way its all coming about. I have to agree with you on that one.
For 50 years the NFL has looked the other way, knowing that if they can't truly police an action the fairest thing to do is ensure there's an even playing field.We've documented "cheating" going back 50 years to the Bears and just about every team since then engaged in some form of "cheating".
But with Goodell now changing rules, its disingenous to villify coaches and teams for doing what others have done for 50 years.
I'm primarilly talking about "Spygate" but will any team caught tampering be decried as "cheaters?" Probably not because all fans know that all teams do it.
The difference between Spygate and Tampering is while both are cheating, most fans don't want to think their teams are stealing or taping signals.
But they're wrong - making them either idiots or hypocrits.

Thanks for responding. I'm not sure I agree with everything you write (although I definitely agree with MOST of it) but GREAT POST. Well thought out, easily understood, no name calling, made me think rather than react, educated me...good job.

sdfan

sdfan

 

[Pats726]

Great post. Of course there's always the possibility that he is working to clean the NFL up, which is the right thing to do.

pao

BUT if that was teh case...a LOT more would have been done...and there have been numerous chances for him to step in and male rulings..OR really investigate further..and back up his words of "fairness' with a real zeal FOR that. He has done NOTHING when he has opportunities..words yes..actions NONE..except against the Pats..NOTHING to investigate the piped in crowd noise..or the refs in teh Colts game..or the charge that some teams overcome teh blackout of QB to coach time...OR??

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Goodell's interest right now in the whole Cameragate sequence of events is to proclaim himself -- and by extension the league -- to be unblemished by wrongdoing.

In fining New England (and Belichick) unprecented amounts, he meant to send a zero tolerance message to the league, much as he has done regarding off-field player incidents.

Instead, he created an "open season" atmosphere regarding the Patriots.

Now, of course, he has the "spectre" of government interference to contend with.

His posture seems to be one of being open to new evidence, but not at all intimidated by a "coverup" hearing, and not at all intending to cede the league's power over its own affairs to a cranky Senator.

He's not a good guy. He's not a bad guy. He's a guy, in a particular position, which he has decided to act in a certain way (which by now is damn near irrevocable.) He seems to be determined to weather the current storm, and continue in his "clean up" endeavors.

What market is that intended to play to? The only answer I can think of is the idea of pulling in more and more "casual fans", into the "rabid fan" category.

The NFL is mindful it must expand. Goodell's "New Sherrif" routine may have been aimed at bringing in and keeping those who find the league (still) too full of thugs to be taken seriously. So the anti-thug routine becomes the anti-corruption theme, etc. etc. etc.

I don't know. I know he didn't get high and mighty to sell the league to China or the Latinos or Europe... so I'm thinking it's casual fans here.

Always interesting.

PFnV

 

[VJCPatriot]

Let's see who will be made an example of on this matter. Personally I think this is a much bigger competitve advantage to be gained here than vs "spying" because players win games.

Here is the link to the Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031304158.html

Fine, award the Eagles 1st round pick to the Pats for tampering with Asante, and we'll call it even! Not like that's gonna happen, but something like it should if Goodell is actually serious about cracking down on tampering.

 

[pao]

Goodell's interest right now in the whole Cameragate sequence of events is to proclaim himself -- and by extension the league -- to be unblemished by wrongdoing.

In fining New England (and Belichick) unprecented amounts, he meant to send a zero tolerance message to the league, much as he has done regarding off-field player incidents.

Instead, he created an "open season" atmosphere regarding the Patriots.

Now, of course, he has the "spectre" of government interference to contend with.

His posture seems to be one of being open to new evidence, but not at all intimidated by a "coverup" hearing, and not at all intending to cede the league's power over its own affairs to a cranky Senator.

He's not a good guy. He's not a bad guy. He's a guy, in a particular position, which he has decided to act in a certain way (which by now is damn near irrevocable.) He seems to be determined to weather the current storm, and continue in his "clean up" endeavors.

What market is that intended to play to? The only answer I can think of is the idea of pulling in more and more "casual fans", into the "rabid fan" category.

The NFL is mindful it must expand. Goodell's "New Sherrif" routine may have been aimed at bringing in and keeping those who find the league (still) too full of thugs to be taken seriously. So the anti-thug routine becomes the anti-corruption theme, etc. etc. etc.

I don't know. I know he didn't get high and mighty to sell the league to China or the Latinos or Europe... so I'm thinking it's casual fans here.

Always interesting.

PFnV

As always, a great post.

sdfan

 

[BPF]

Great post. Of course there's always the possibility that he is working to clean the NFL up, which is the right thing to do.

pao

There was nothing wrong w/the NFL before Goodell took over. When something isn't broke, maybe it shouldn't be changed. He has made gamesmanship seem like a federal crime. Spying, tampering has been going on in sports forever. People these days take themselves way too seriously and it's carrying over to sports.

 

[pao]

There was nothing wrong w/the NFL before Goodell took over. When something isn't broke, maybe it shouldn't be changed. He has made gamesmanship seem like a federal crime. Spying, tampering has been going on in sports forever. People these days take themselves way too seriously and it's carrying over to sports.

Good post but I'm not sure I agree with you. There's gamesmanship and then there's gaining a competitive advantage. I'm all for gamesmanship (done with respect), totally against a team doing something to gain a competitive advantage.

pao

 

[Deus Irae]

Good post but I'm not sure I agree with you. There's gamesmanship and then there's gaining a competitive advantage. I'm all for gamesmanship (done with respect), totally against a team doing something to gain a competitive advantage.

pao

A team with a better nutritionist, better facilities, better weight room, etc... has a competitive advantage too...