Fencer
Pro Bowl Player
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 14,293
- Reaction score
- 3,986
Why would the NFL ever eat crow? They hold all the cards. The spoliation issue (among others) likely precludes a defamation suit, certainly from getting to trial. I suppose a neutral arbitration could rehabilitate his image somewhat, but he will forever be known as someone who was likely involved in a cheating scandal and covered it up. No doubt that 20 years from now no one will care just like no cares now about Jerry Rice using stickum, but like Belichick with Spygate, he will never shed it completely. Sad and unfair, but that's the way I see it. And I think the whole thing could have been avoided if he and his advisors had understood the gravity of the situation at the beginning. Compare how he and Belichick handled their January pressers.
The defamation claims would be centered on:
- The false narrative around actual ball deflation, rather than ...
- ... the foofarah around failure to cooperate that was or wasn't properly regarded as conduct detrimental.
- Promulgating false information ...
- ... knowingly.
The NFL also promulgated false information about its own investigatory practices in this matter. While I doubt that that on its own would be enough to establish defamation, it's supportive evidence for the main case.