How is the new Commissioner doing?

[khayos]

I don't like him, but I'm curious what the best fan base in the country thinks!

 

[Pujo]

I voted, but let me ask you this: if you were the commissioner, how would you handle this?

 

[PatsDeb]

Where is the vote for, "He stinks, but I'm a homer?"

That would be my vote.

 

[khayos]

I voted, but let me ask you this: if you were the commissioner, how would you handle this?

By not issuing a statement at all and if the question is asked say there is a 'minor inquiry' and essentially sweep it under the rug until the offseason where the actual penalty of a draft pick is still valid but you haven't caused a ruckus during the season when you should be trying to drive up revenue and positive exposure.

The swift judgement is a two-edged sword: he appears decisive but the next allegation requires even higher enforcement. This is the age of the "three strikes" or "zero tolerance" and by being so quick to sentence know he sets a precedent that I'm not sure he understands.

 

[Pujo]

By not issuing a statement at all and if the question is asked say there is a 'minor inquiry' and essentially sweep it under the rug until the offseason where the actual penalty of a draft pick is still valid but you haven't caused a ruckus during the season when you should be trying to drive up revenue and positive exposure.

The swift judgement is a two-edged sword: he appears decisive but the next allegation requires even higher enforcement. This is the age of the "three strikes" or "zero tolerance" and by being so quick to sentence know he sets a precedent that I'm not sure he understands.

But loss of draft picks isn't the only penalty. If there's a suspension, it would only be fair to impose it immediately, not during the offseason. Also, what about sending a message to teams that this won't be tolerated? Should teams continue to film for the rest of the season? And how about the Jets? If they were wronged, are they entitled to some ahswers, or do they have to wait?

 

[khayos]

But loss of draft picks isn't the only penalty. If there's a suspension, it would only be fair to impose it immediately, not during the offseason. Also, what about sending a message to teams that this won't be tolerated? Should teams continue to film for the rest of the season? And how about the Jets? If they were wronged, are they entitled to some ahswers, or do they have to wait?

Internal league memo. Keep it in house. I think Goodell's an idiot because he's letting a lot of negative exposure hit the league.

EDIT: This is an entertainment business. Everything depends on people wanting your product. Don't spoil your product. Do most business openly air their internal goings on?

 

[Slagathor]

I think he's doing fine.

I don't think any commissioner has ever had to deal with the league being so complex as it is today.

He's been fair so far.

 

[solman]

I voted, but let me ask you this: if you were the commissioner, how would you handle this?

If I were Goodell, I'd:

1. Investigate to determine the extent of the Patriots' involvement.
2. Use my leverage with Kraft to ensure some degree of cooperation with my investigation
3. Fine the Patriots $250K
4. Suspend the camera man for 8 games without pay (assuming he can do this).
5. Suspend without pay and/or fine any other Patriots employees who are demonstrated to have been involved. (But I would guess that nobody else is caught).
6. Take away the Patriot's sixth round draft pick in the 2008 draft.
7. Do all of this as quickly as possible, hopefully within two weeks.

BB will, of course, compensate any penalized coaches out of his own pocket.

 

[Richter]

I voted, but let me ask you this: if you were the commissioner, how would you handle this?

Easy. Change the idiotic rule that bans this practice, and make the change retroactive concerning this incident, then sweep it under the rug. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen, a total witch-hunt and nothing more.

 

[Pujo]

4. Suspend the camera man for 8 games without pay (assuming he can do this).

That sounds an awful lot like scapegoating.

 

[Pujo]

Easy. Change the idiotic rule that bans this practice, and make the change retroactive concerning this incident, then sweep it under the rug. This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen, a total witch-hunt and nothing more.

The Commissioner has no authority to change rules, the owners vote on rule changes during spring meetings. How popular would it be with the other teams, and how would it look for us, if a rule was changed after the Pats were accused of violating it? People are letting this get to their heads; the NFL will hand out some kind of penalty and life will go on as usual. The only way the integrity of this whole system comes into question is if they start after-the-fact mickey-mousing like you suggested.

 

[Pujo]

Internal league memo. Keep it in house. I think Goodell's an idiot because he's letting a lot of negative exposure hit the league.

EDIT: This is an entertainment business. Everything depends on people wanting your product. Don't spoil your product. Do most business openly air their internal goings on?

This is also a business that's heavily followed and reported on. Once the story broke, and you can thank the Jets for that, fans and reporters of 31 other teams began clammoring for answers. It's just a reality of the world that you can't ignore stuff hoping that it goes away quietly, not in a place so closely watched as the NFL.

 

[solman]

That sounds an awful lot like scapegoating.

You've got to suspend any coach who deliberately violated the rules.

I suspect that the cameraman is the only person that Goodell can get the goods on. (In fact, I suspect that this operation was deliberately kept at arms length from BB, which would probably explain why they acted in such a blatant manner. No supervising adults were present).

But anybody who can be proven to have deliberately broken the rule has to be fined or suspended.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

This is also a business that's heavily followed and reported on. Once the story broke, and you can thank the Jets for that, fans and reporters of 31 other teams began clammoring for answers. It's just a reality of the world that you can't ignore stuff hoping that it goes away quietly, not in a place so closely watched as the NFL.

Amen. I think we'll look back at the Goodell era as that time when the NFL ensured it wouldn't end up with Bondsian asterisks. And some people are already saying we have one on each super bowl.

Overreaction? Yeah, sure. But how do you defend the premise that it's overreaction? Where is the burden of proof?

The way I look at it, there's nothing for it but to win 3 more super bowls. What a fuggin pain in the ass.

As for fining the cameraman, I agree wholeheartedly. If the pic I saw posted by a Jets fan actually IS this guy, CHRIST, I've seen more discreet shoulder launched missiles. Don't these guys have PALMCORDERS? If a cell phone was good enough to watch Saddam Hussein get hanged, it's good enough for taping a few signals!

Although that does lead me to believe that the issue is brazenness rather than the uniqueness of the offense. Of course, I will await the stories sure to come out over the next few weeks.

PFnV

 

[RayClay]

Barney Fife. He needs to put that bullet back in his pocket.

 

[Pujo]

You've got to suspend any coach who deliberately violated the rules.

I suspect that the cameraman is the only person that Goodell can get the goods on. (In fact, I suspect that this operation was deliberately kept at arms length from BB, which would probably explain why they acted in such a blatant manner. No supervising adults were present).

But anybody who can be proven to have deliberately broken the rule has to be fined or suspended.

That's how scapegoating works... the pawn gets in trouble while the real guilty party walks. I certainly don't think that's something we should be striving for, if we were commissioner.