Goondell and NFCCG refs required to testify in Saints Lawsuit

[SHOWTIME15]

Court orders testimony of Roger Goodell in Rams-Saints lawsuit

Dream Scenario: Goodell perjures himself and is incarcerated, resulting in the owners giving him the boot (unlikely, I know, but one can only dream). Discovery leads to evidence of league conspiracy to help the Rams and information regarding deflategate fraud.

 

[maust]

Interesting quandary for the NFL. Put Fruadger and the game officials on the stand or risk the precedent of settling the type of suit that puts up a Hunting Season Open sign to get out of it. In an objective sense I like the idea of anything that exposes Goodell for the fraud he is but big picture this is a no win scenario for the game itself

 

[Kontradiction]

It’s an embarrassment that a judge even needs to hear this case, but if it makes Goodell’s life a little more miserable, then it’s good with me.

 

[Ring 6]

I don’t get it. What are they going to testify?
The rules are the officials call stands and there exists no mechanism to overrule it.
Ref: I didn’t see interference
Everyone else: it’s up to the ref whether we agree or not

I really can’t believe tax payer money is being wasted.
Not to mention how does a fan have standing to sue?

 

[ViperGTS]

Sure, officials who can see holding from 20 yards away, or even the official who emphatically called Edelmans catch in the SB a catch didn’t see that clear as day interference.

If a judge wants to see further..fine by me.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

If the play had been reviewable, there may be some standing (but even then unlikely.) A ref missed an obvious call in real-time. How about the hold on Seymour in SB42 or the obvious PI on Hogan to end SB52?

On the Seymour/helmet catch play you have a blatant offensive holding so obvious that Giants lineman has admitted it should have been a flag...just planted right there in the middle of the arguably the most famous play in NFL history.

Point being, refs miss calls, and it’s part of the game.

But I hope Goodell doesn’t testify because testifying means he isn’t dead.

 

[Patriot Missile]

This accomplishes nothing except taking up Goofdells time. I’m all for it.

 

[XLIX]

While I generally favor anything that annoys the League - and you know they don’t want to testify or submit to discovery here - I just don’t see it as a good idea that courts get involved with what is simply a bad call by a referee in a sporting event.

Can you imagine the result if that’s the new norm? Suing for any bad call in sports?

 

[fnordcircle]

I honestly would much rather live with occasionally (or often) bad officiating than involving the ****ing courts in my leisure time football viewing.

 

[Brick27]

I don’t get it. What are they going to testify?
The rules are the officials call stands and there exists no mechanism to overrule it.
Ref: I didn’t see interference
Everyone else: it’s up to the ref whether we agree or not

I really can’t believe tax payer money is being wasted.
Not to mention how does a fan have standing to sue?

Some of the worst schooling in the country down in Louisiana, but let’s waste resources on a game that Brees could have cancelled out had he been on the Brady standard of pulling out a win in a tough predicament.

 

[Ring 6]

Sure, officials who can see holding from 20 yards away, or even the official who emphatically called Edelmans catch in the SB a catch didn’t see that clear as day interference.

If a judge wants to see further..fine by me.

What do you want the judge to do?
Are you comfortable opening the flood gates to law suits over every bad call in every game of every professional or collegiate sport?

Are you saying the ref cheated and threw the game so the rams would win?

 

[ViperGTS]

What do you want the judge to do?
Are you comfortable opening the flood gates to law suits over every bad call in every game of every professional or collegiate sport?

Are you saying the ref cheated and threw the game so the rams would win?

Put some heat on the NFL. I mean, they let Hill walk because without him KC isn’t a threat to the Pats. Anyone who doesn’t see that is fooling themselves and they are banking and praying it doesn’t blow up in their faces. That is some real business there compared to a measly missed call. However, if they will go to those lengths, what won't they do?

If a judge could get the NFL to “open its books” things would get mighty interesting.

 

[DarrylS]

At the most this trial could change officiating forever, for a while now there have been advocates for another back judge, the game has changed significantly and the need is obvious. Cannot comprehend why the NFL does not look at the current configuration of officials and make adjustments based on the changing game... not enough money???

Not convinced that this NOLA fan will be successful, but it shows the passion for his team.. not confident that Goodell growing up a Jets fan and employee ever really understood any of that passion..

I would not anticipate any blockbuster testimony.. instead there will be a lot of, "I don't recall" or "I cannot comment on that"...

Goodell might want to consider settling this out of Court as all LeMon is asking for is 75K in damages which he wants to donate to Steve Gleason's charity...

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Put some heat on the NFL. I mean, they let Hill walk because without him KC isn’t a threat to the Pats. Anyone who doesn’t see that is fooling themselves......................

This!
Nailed It, I'll stop you right there. First thing I thought when his ruling came down.

 

[patfanken]

If the play had been reviewable, there may be some standing (but even then unlikely.) A ref missed an obvious call in real-time. How about the hold on Seymour in SB42 or the obvious PI on Hogan to end SB52?

On the Seymour/helmet catch play you have a blatant offensive holding so obvious that Giants lineman has admitted it should have been a flag...just planted right there in the middle of the arguably the most famous play in NFL history.

Point being, refs miss calls, and it’s part of the game.

But I hope .Goodell doesn’t testify because testifying means he isn’t dead.

If you go back EVERY team would have a play in a big game that SHOULD have been called and wasn't. This mania by the Saints and their fans is starting to PISS me off....and the Saints used to be my 2nd favorite team.

That are acting like they are the only team that has ever been victimized by a bad call. Peyton's actions REALLY piss me off. His whining about the call is one of the reasons his TEAM lost the game. They were all complaining about something they had no control of INSTEAD of moving on to the next play and focusing on THAT!

Peytom's handling of the end of the game was worthy of a firing. He had horrible clock management that would have negated any chance that the Rams would get the ball in time to make the tying play. It was the Saints fault they couldn't stop the Rams for getting into FG range (though it WAS a 57 yder). AND they got the ball first in OT, It wasn't the ref's that threw that pick in OT. etc, etc, etc.

In my mind they entire push to change the rule was a big cover up to take away the focus that WOULD have been on Peyton for all his poor choices the was the REAL reason that the Saints didn't make it to the Superbowl.

 

[patfanken]

Missed calls and bad calls are just a part of the game of football as a run or pass. Football is a game played by humans who make mistakes on EVERY single play. It is reffed by humans who make FAR fewer mistakes than the players and coaches, but they DO make mistakes occasionally.

The point is that the Saints fans' law suit is LUDICROUS. I feel their pain, BUT every team can point to a play they got screwed by a bad call or a non-call. It;s not just us or the Saints, or ANY team. It;s part of the game. It happens and good teams overcome them most of the time. But even when they don't, it's just part of the game.

My best guess is that this incredibly DUMB rule change will be a one and done. The can of worms it opened will make the term "unintended consequences" a household phrase.

 

[BTTA]

Yeah, this is a silly use of resources and a terrible precedent.

It isn't just the Louisiana is grossly underdeveloped in education, infrastructure, health care, etc. It's that the entire city of NO only has at most 25 years to exist where it is currently located. The idea that building more and bigger walls is a solution is mind-numbingly stupid. But heck, let's use our time and money litigating moments in sporting events.

Having said that, get me some popcorn if Goodell does have to testify. Let's hope that the end of the article holds true:

Business executives like Goodell usually make for bad witnesses, especially when they have no legal training. They aren’t used to submitting to authority, they resent when they are required to, they get impatient and frustrated when asked tough questions, and they believe that they can talk their walk out of any jam.

The end result often is a swordfight that the witness thinks he’s winning until he realizes he’s been dismembered.​

 

[Sicilian]

The only reason I would want Goodell or the NFL to have to testify in a case like this, is if there was some compelling evidence that the result was pre-determined. If they had to answer for a possible premeditated rigging, like they were stupid enough to have an e-mail train that said, "If it's close, let it go the Rams way. We need the LA market." That's fine.

I highly doubt this fan has anything like that. He's suing on the grounds that his team losing made him sad.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

The Judge sounds like a Saints fan. Otherwise this case would have been dismissed along time ago. What standing coes this Saints have to sue? What exactly is his injury?

 

[XLIX]

The Judge sounds like a Saints fan. Otherwise this case would have been dismissed along time ago. What standing coes this Saints have to sue? What exactly is his injury?

I believe his claim is that, as a STHer, he was defrauded.

Of course, I’d be willing to bet that he renewed his seats for the current year.... kinda hurts your argument that you were defrauded if you do that....