Gary Myers Take on the Al Jazeera Five

[PatsFanSince74]

My favorite quote:

"The AJA 5 could ask Tom Brady if agreeing to be interviewed in Deflategate did him any good. The best Ted Wells’ $5 million investigation could come up with was it was “more probable than not” that Brady was at least “generally aware” of what was going on. Brady was interviewed by Wells but didn’t turn over his cell phone and it was later revealed he destroyed it. He did subsequently turn over all his cell phone records. Goodell would have cut Brady’s suspension down to two games at his appeal hearing last June if he didn’t find out Brady did the same to his phone as Goodell did to the Spygate tapes. But the most telling item that came out of the Deflategate court appearances that eventually led to Brady’s four-game suspension being reinstated came in the first round that Brady won last summer. That’s when an NFL attorney admitted to the judge the league had no concrete evidence to prove Brady took part in deflating the footballs or knew anything about it. Goodell, in effect, had found him guilty in a very compelling game of connect the dots.

"Can the rest of the AJA 5 trust their reputations won’t take the beating Brady’s has if they agree to be interviewed?"


Can't wait for the MCI and the CHB to write something as critical of the Omissioner.

NFL players in Al Jazeera PED probe right to dodge Roger Goodell

 

[BradyFTW!]

The crazy thing is that even that summary doesn't totally do it justice, because you can't talk about deflategate without talking about the fact that basic science proves the balls weren't even deflated in the first place. The takeaway that the Al Jazeera 5 should have from Deflategate is that even if they can prove their innocence Goodell may just decide to suspend them anyway if he feels it might look bad for him not to. If he's decided he wants to suspend them, he's going to, end of story. If they don't show up, he'll suspend them for noncooperation. If they do show up, he'll suspend them because he doesn't believe them, and that disbelief wouldn't even be swayed by concrete proof of their innocence accompanied by sworn testimony.

Having said that, if they don't care too much about pride or precedent and just want to avoid suspension, they should just show up. At this point, I don't think the NFL has any interest in suspending anyone over this story, because suspensions would grant legitimacy to the story, and they don't want to legitimize any story or source that claims Peyton Manning was using HGH.

I think Goodell wants them to make a fight out of this and refuse to show up. That way he can suspend them for noncooperation, which lets him flex his nuts and show how much of a super cool badass he is without ever acknowledging the legitimacy of the original story this who spectacle is based on. He'll just say he did not suspend them for PEDs, but only for noncooperation. But if they do kiss his ring he won't suspend them at all, because that would suggest Manning is guilty by extension.

 

[Dr Pain]

The crazy thing is that even that summary doesn't totally do it justice, because you can't talk about deflategate without talking about the fact that basic science proves the balls weren't even deflated in the first place. The takeaway that the Al Jazeera 5 should have from Deflategate is that even if they can prove their innocence Goodell may just decide to suspend them anyway if he feels it might look bad for him not to.

Or that Sly recanted after Peyton Manning sent hired goons to his parent's house. They forget this nugget.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Or that Sly recanted after Peyton Manning sent hired goons to his parent's house. They forget this nugget.

Maybe they need to start sending hired goons by Goodell's house.

 

[363839]

They have no choice as they are looking at indefinite suspensions if they do not cooperate.
Indefinite badder than 4 games. ..I think.
But lets not hold Peyton's feet to the fire.

 

[The Gr8est]

Grab your popcorn, this gonna be good!

 

[BradyFTW!]

They have no choice as they are looking at indefinite suspensions if they do not cooperate.
Indefinite badder than 4 games. ..I think.
But lets not hold Peyton's feet to the fire.

I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on how insane it is that the punishment being threatened for noncooperation is more severe than the punishment for the offense they're being investigated for in the first place.

On what planet does that make any sense whatsoever? To threaten that abandons any pretense at all of this being about getting to the bottom of things. It becomes, clearly and unambiguously, a threat to lick his boots or face the consequences.

 

[TB_Helmet]

The crazy thing is that even that summary doesn't totally do it justice, because you can't talk about deflategate without talking about the fact that basic science proves the balls weren't even deflated in the first place. The takeaway that the Al Jazeera 5 should have from Deflategate is that even if they can prove their innocence Goodell may just decide to suspend them anyway if he feels it might look bad for him not to. If he's decided he wants to suspend them, he's going to, end of story. If they don't show up, he'll suspend them for noncooperation. If they do show up, he'll suspend them because he doesn't believe them, and that disbelief wouldn't even be swayed by concrete proof of their innocence accompanied by sworn testimony.

Having said that, if they don't care too much about pride or precedent and just want to avoid suspension, they should just show up. At this point, I don't think the NFL has any interest in suspending anyone over this story, because suspensions would grant legitimacy to the story, and they don't want to legitimize any story or source that claims Peyton Manning was using HGH.

I think Goodell wants them to make a fight out of this and refuse to show up. That way he can suspend them for noncooperation, which lets him flex his nuts and show how much of a super cool badass he is without ever acknowledging the legitimacy of the original story this who spectacle is based on. He'll just say he did not suspend them for PEDs, but only for noncooperation. But if they do kiss his ring he won't suspend them at all, because that would suggest Manning is guilty by extension.

Couldn't have said it better myself. This is all about his victory lap after Deflategate and his 2nd Circuit Appeals Court-granted power to do whatever he wants, regardless of whether it make sense.

 

[Dr Pain]

I recommend using twitter to reach out to each of the players and advise them to give Roger his BJ, that they haven't got a chance and are cheaters anyway. Try and deescalate this

 

[Deus Irae]

The players should strike. They won't, of course, because they're the NFLPA, and not a real union. A real union wouldn't have caved the way this one did during the CBA bargaining.

 

[Dr Pain]

The players should strike. They won't, of course, because they're the NFLPA, and not a real union.

They just have too few years in their career so I doubt they will. Goodell will never back down on this now. 46 is his justification for living.

 

[Deus Irae]

They just have too few years in their career so I doubt they will. Goodell will never back down on this now. 46 is his justification for living.

Goodell doesn't matter, when it comes to the CBA. 32 owners matter.

 

[Mack Herron]

Meanwhile, at the Park Ave hearings....

 

[Fencer]

I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on how insane it is that the punishment being threatened for noncooperation is more severe than the punishment for the offense they're being investigated for in the first place.

On what planet does that make any sense whatsoever? To threaten that abandons any pretense at all of this being about getting to the bottom of things. It becomes, clearly and unambiguously, a threat to lick his boots or face the consequences.

Yep. One thing he's learned from PSIgate is to give clear notice about the consequences of non-cooperation.

There are a few areas in which even the most authoritarian of asses will admit error. One of them is communicating his will to his minions; he's always trying to figure out how to do so more effectively.

 

[XLIX]

The players should strike.

The CBA they signed has a no strike/no lockout clause. They can't strike until 2020 without being in breach of contract, which would open up a ridiculous can o' liability worms they couldn't handle.

 

[Danger Zone]

I'm curious. Does anyone know if its legal for the NFLPA to compensate players lost salary if they are suspended or on strike?

 

[DaBruinz]

They have no choice as they are looking at indefinite suspensions if they do not cooperate.
Indefinite badder than 4 games. ..I think.
But lets not hold Peyton's feet to the fire.

I'd like to know how Goodell thinks he can slap 4 guys with indefinite suspensions for an unproven rumor. Especially when there is nothing in the CBA about this sort of thing.

Furthermore, Harrison has stated he's already been drug tested 4 times since the Al Jazeera story broke. That's a violation of the CBA unless the players is a part of the Drug Program, which Harrison is not..

We're looking at another round of court battles..

 

[Ring 6]

I'd like to know how Goodell thinks he can slap 4 guys with indefinite suspensions for an unproven rumor. Especially when there is nothing in the CBA about this sort of thing.

Furthermore, Harrison has stated he's already been drug tested 4 times since the Al Jazeera story broke. That's a violation of the CBA unless the players is a part of the Drug Program, which Harrison is not..

We're looking at another round of court battles..

The players will lose in court again.
Goodell will suspend based upon integrity of the game. The appeal is to him. He will find his decision was correct. The court case can only challenge the arbitration ruling and courts have already ruled that goodell can have zero justification for his decision but it can't be overturned.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

The crazy thing is that even that summary doesn't totally do it justice, because you can't talk about deflategate without talking about the fact that basic science proves the balls weren't even deflated in the first place. The takeaway that the Al Jazeera 5 should have from Deflategate is that even if they can prove their innocence Goodell may just decide to suspend them anyway if he feels it might look bad for him not to. If he's decided he wants to suspend them, he's going to, end of story. If they don't show up, he'll suspend them for noncooperation. If they do show up, he'll suspend them because he doesn't believe them, and that disbelief wouldn't even be swayed by concrete proof of their innocence accompanied by sworn testimony.

Having said that, if they don't care too much about pride or precedent and just want to avoid suspension, they should just show up. At this point, I don't think the NFL has any interest in suspending anyone over this story, because suspensions would grant legitimacy to the story, and they don't want to legitimize any story or source that claims Peyton Manning was using HGH.

I think Goodell wants them to make a fight out of this and refuse to show up. That way he can suspend them for noncooperation, which lets him flex his nuts and show how much of a super cool badass he is without ever acknowledging the legitimacy of the original story this who spectacle is based on. He'll just say he did not suspend them for PEDs, but only for noncooperation. But if they do kiss his ring he won't suspend them at all, because that would suggest Manning is guilty by extension.

Agreed on the "doesn't...do it justice."

But, remember that Myers, writing for the major Sports Tabloid in NYC, has stood up to the CW in New York and risked alienating Jets and Giants fans by starting to call Goodell out on this as soon as he figured out his "first impressions" of Patriots' guilt were contrived by Mort and the NFL and that Deflategate was a load of nonsense.

Gary has to throw a few bones to the locals so he doesn't lose his job, but he has been much more outspoken on this than Shaughnessy, who writes like he's afraid of what the "big boys and girls" in the national media will think of him, and Volin, who is just an idiot.

I would love it if Gary Myers were writing for the Globe. He'd be tough but fair. He'd get access to the right people and we wouldn't always agree with him, but he'd give Boston the level of sports reporting and writing that a great Sports Town like Boston deserves. Instead, with the exception of Reiss, who was lured over to the Dark Side, we have had to settle for the likes of the CHB and the MCI.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

The players will lose in court again.
Goodell will suspend based upon integrity of the game. The appeal is to him. He will find his decision was correct. The court case can only challenge the arbitration ruling and courts have already ruled that goodell can have zero justification for his decision but it can't be overturned.

Just want to clarify this a little bit. If you look at the Peterson ruling, it doesn't say that. It says that his ruling needs to have a justification. The issue is that the Courts say they can't overturn his justification - they called that an "error of fact" that can't be overturned. However, if Goodell just sent a statement saying, "I've considered your appeal, it is denied." then it could be overturned because there is no justification.

Semantics, I know.... I just hope Goodell is stupid enough to do something like that one time.