NFL files its opening brief in Deflategate appeal.

[Patsfanin Philly]

I didnt read the appeal..did they reallly mention the white sox scandal???

.

The brief referenced Eight Men Out the movie about the White Sox throwing the 1919 world Series....
------------------
p.8

There is good reason for the Commissioner’s broad discretion on these matters. The League’s success depends on its integrity and the public’s confidence that its games are fair. The sports world—and the professional leagues, in particular—know all too well what can come if those core values are diminished.
See, e.g.
, E. Asinof,
Eight Men Out
(1987) (detailing baseball’s Black Sox scandal). If the public perceives the games as unfairly tilted in favor of certain players or teams, or even susceptible to such tilts, it will cease valuing professional sports as a paradigm of fair-play, honest effort, and healthy competition. And if players or club owners view the game as tainted, their incentive to compete fairly will be diminished. These matters run to the core of the sport’s continued vitality.

--------------------------------

If they are going use movie reference,s I still prefer My Cousin Vinnie........or the Caine Mutiny
with Goodell as Captain Queeg playing with the silver balls in his hand mumbling about strawberries........

 

[VectorPrime]

Stephanie Stradley ?@StephStradley 4h4 hours ago
Stephanie Stradley Retweeted Sean O'Connor
Hm. NFL saying if they're right, no need to go back to Berman for further deciding. That suspension should be upheld

What the f.uck does that even mean?

 

[memento]

Stephanie Stradley ?@StephStradley 4h4 hours ago
Stephanie Stradley Retweeted Sean O'Connor
Hm. NFL saying if they're right, no need to go back to Berman for further deciding. That suspension should be upheld

NFL is also asking the appeals court to rule on the items Berman didn't address:

(1) whether Commissioner Roger Goodell was “evidently partial” in presiding over the appeal of Brady’s suspension; (2) whether Goodell’s conclusions regarding Brady’s knowledge of and involvement in the alleged deflation scheme exceeded the findings of the Ted Wells report; and (3) whether Goodell undermined his competency to serve as arbitrator by publicly praising the work of Ted Wells.
Judge Berman’s ruling may contain a warning for the NFL

I think it's pretty clear Goodell had to make some leaps in judgment to get to the 1919 Black Sox Scandal from deflategate, (2) is a homerun.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

What the f.uck does that even mean?

In part of the NFL's brief, they claimed that the decision should be reversed (i.e. suspension reinstated) but there was no need to remand to Judge Berman, that this court could decide everything. They obviously are afraid to get back in Berman's court. IIRC, Berman specifically stated he didn't address certain issues such as bias on Goodell's part but would rule on it if the case was remanded to him....

 

[VectorPrime]

In part of the NFL's brief, they claimed that the decision should be reversed (i.e. suspension reinstated) but there was no need to remand to Judge Berman, that this court could decide everything. They obviously are afraid to get back in Berman's court. IIRC, Berman specifically stated he didn't address certain issues such as bias on Goodell's part but would rule on it if the case was remanded to him....

And why on Earth would the courts agree with this?

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

And why on Earth would the courts agree with this?

Because Goodell already told them that, this can't stand" don't the courts know who they are dealing with? This is the NFL's version of telling the police at a car stop, " don't you know who I made?" (EDIT- "Don't you know who I am?- damn autocorrect)

 

[Gronkowski123]

so the case wont go back to berman? ****, hope we get some decent judges.

 

[VectorPrime]

so the case wont go back to berman? ****, hope we get some decent judges.

It wont get back to Berman because the court is going to affirm his ruling.

 

[Gumby]

NFL is also asking the appeals court to rule on the items Berman didn't address:

(1) whether Commissioner Roger Goodell was “evidently partial” in presiding over the appeal of Brady’s suspension; (2) whether Goodell’s conclusions regarding Brady’s knowledge of and involvement in the alleged deflation scheme exceeded the findings of the Ted Wells report; and (3) whether Goodell undermined his competency to serve as arbitrator by publicly praising the work of Ted Wells.
Judge Berman’s ruling may contain a warning for the NFL

I think it's pretty clear Goodell had to make some leaps in judgment to get to the 1919 Black Sox Scandal from deflategate, (2) is a homerun.

It wont get back to Berman because the court is going to affirm his ruling.

If I were are on the court, we' d be affirming Berman and ruling on the other three as
1. Definitely evidently partial; NFL commish prohibited from serving as arbiter EVER Again.
2. Definitely exceeded Well's findings
3. Yes, inappropriate and unprofessional to praise Wells, but not critical to result considering the other huge fallacies and failings.

Slap down gotohell and the league, and tell them THEY WILL implement a true INDEPENDENT ARBITER (or arbiter panel) because the courts are sick and tired of wasting their time cleaning up after a bunch of ne'er do well nincompoops.

See how the owners could possibly justify his $42M salary after that!

 

[Koma]

The brief referenced Eight Men Out the movie about the White Sox throwing the 1919 world Series....
------------------
p.8

--------------------------------

If they are going use movie reference,s I still prefer My Cousin Vinnie........or the Caine Mutiny
with Goodell as Captain Queeg playing with the silver balls in his hand mumbling about strawberries........

The fools running the league don't realize it, but they have created the perception that "the games...[are] unfairly tilted in favor of certain players or teams, or even susceptible to such tilts" by overblowing this issue and spending inordinate time, money and effort pursuing it.

I don't disagree that the goal of any sports league should be "fair-play, honest effort, and healthy competition," but the NFL deciding that the PSI of a football is THE key issue before it is completely arbitrary. 6 years ago, the league buried a ball tampering incident, keeping it out of the press and not punishing the team or player involved. Last season, football tampering caught on TV was handled with a warning letter. Somehow, they decided that an unsubstantiated and unproven allegation of tampering is the worthy of the largest punishment in league history, by far.

Not only did the league create the idea that one of it's best and most successful franchises did not achieve that status fairly, but they also created an atmosphere where they could decide anything can be assessed a huge penalty if the commissioner feels like. Those bubble screens that Green Bay and Denver like to run where two receivers start to block before the ball is thrown to a third receiver? $500K fine and loss of a second round draft pick. Stiff arms? 4 game suspension. Those sound ridiculous, but that's what Goodell is fighting in court to be able to do.

It is amazing that none of the owners, some of whom have built business from the ground up, can see the damage they are allowing Goodell to do the sport. Do they honestly think if this case gets resolved to the league's satisfaction (not going to happen, but hypothetically), it will be smooth sailing going forward with this commissioner? He's been good for at least one scandal per year, mostly of his own creation. That's not going to stop.

 

[flasox27]

He didn't say that either.

He's not going to publicly thrash Goody.

Robert Kraft tees off on Brady ruling

When there are independent reports that he is fine with Goodell, I will have to believe that is the fact unless there is evidence to the contrary. IMO he should have no contact with the POS except through his attorney. By the way, the people that Kraft blamed like Pash are still around too.

 

[RobertWeathers]

When there are independent reports that he is fine with Goodell, I will have to believe that is the fact unless there is evidence to the contrary. IMO he should have no contact with the POS except through his attorney.

I hear you. All Goody has done is defame the team with his witch hunts.

The problem is that he does need to deal with him.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

The fools running the league don't realize it, but they have created the perception that "the games...[are] unfairly tilted in favor of certain players or teams, or even susceptible to such tilts" by overblowing this issue and spending inordinate time, money and effort pursuing it..

Absolutely. Ask yourself what would have happened if it was Kraft and not Woody Johnson who made the textbook definition of tampering comments regarding Revis last year ( had Revis been under the contract with the Jets at the time). Does anyone with a functioning cerebral cortex honestly believe that it would have been what was given, a token slap on the wrist....???? There would have been a brouhaha, a suspension, a loss of draft picks and the pitchforks and torches would have been out

 

[Oswlek]

We will never know for sure until his contract is up. Until then he has a job to do and a contract to honor

Your second sentence states as fact what your first sentence says you cannot know. And its not like we have zero evidence to go on, we see them interact at least once a week, albeit briefly.

 

[ReverendMaynard]

I hear you. All Goody has done is defame the team with his witch hunts.

The problem is that he does need to deal with him.

Not really. Resign from all committees. Attend mandatory meetings only.

All other contact is through attorneys.

 

[rochrist]

When Brady was first accused of doing something wrong the NFL announced that he was "more than probably generally aware" that someone was up to something

Then when Brady took it to court the NFL decided that he masterminded a scheme

And now that the NFL is appealing they're saying that the scheme that Brady masterminded is as bad as the Black Sox scandal

If this saga continues to go on the NFL will soon be accusing Brady of kidnapping the Lindbergh baby

Or at the very least, he was in on the Hernandez hit!

 

[rochrist]

so the case wont go back to berman? ****, hope we get some decent judges.

Uh, no. Just because the -wish- it wouldn't go back to Berman doesn't remotely mean it WOULD go back to Berman in the unlikely event of a reversal.

 

[TommyD4207]

Kessler's done a great job fighting Goodell's mad power struggles, but I expect the NFLPA to add an appellate lawyer of their own before Christmas.

Nah.

Kessler's got this ish.

 

[TommyD4207]

Please don't misquote me. I said much of it is his fault. Not all of it. He got lied to and duped. And now he's in the worst possible position imaginable. He's screwed. He has z ero options. None.

I don't believe this, unless he's the most naive, trusting billionaire in the history of billionaires.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Well, someone has to be the most naive
Bob is certainly in contention

Thanks to good buddy Goodell Pats are on course to be forever mentioned along with the Chicago Black Sox,

Defend your brand & QB Bob