SOURCES: Robert Kraft is 'strongly considering' suing the NFL

[Ring 6]

He should demand that all penalties be dropped (save perhaps for a token $25,000 fine at worst). And insist on a replacement 1st round pick to make up for the one lost in 2008.

I don't agree with the 25,000 because it indicates guilt. There is no guilt.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I'm all for Kraft suing. He and Brady should both sue separately, if they can. Whatever puts heat on the NFL and greases the skids for Goodell to get ousted sounds good to me. The more pressure on the league, the more likely that Goodell's support cracks.

That's why I laugh at the report that this source is trying to dissuade Kraft from suing by convincing him it's fruitless. No **** they don't want to. A lawsuit from Kraft could potentially be devastatingly bad news for every owner and league official outside of Foxboro. It might even hurt Kraft in the long term, but if he's angry enough that he's willing to put that aside, then let the fireworks begin.

 

[fnordcircle]

Gotta love "all intensive purposes"!

You've peaked my interest, persay.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

They went along to get along in 2007. That got them nothing but derision and, allegedly, a harsher penalty in 2015.


Burn it down.

Yep. IMHO the acquiescence of 2007 emboldened the NFL exec office to go nuclear like this. If they would have 'declared war' back then I think the NFL execs think much longer and harder about this latest appalling action.

I don't know that it was wrong to do what the Patriots did in 07 regarding the NFL exec punishment. It's not an easy call (not then, not now) to know what's the best path. But in 2015, and in hindsight, it now appears clearly a bad decision to 'get along'.

 

[BradyFTW!]

To put it all in it's proper perspective. No one should want this to happen.

I'd be perfectly happy if TB12's suspension is overturned, the Pats sanctions are lifted and Goody issues a, "...after careful review and consideration" statement I'd be ok and the biggest worry is Fred Davis and Blount turning into the NFL version of Cheech & Chong.

That's the ideal scenario, sure. Would be even better if the Pats went 19-0, then after SB50 Kraft accepts the trophy from Goodell, then tells him he's fired and has to get the **** off the stage.

Unfortunately, we're kinda restricted to things that could plausibly happen. That takes "Goodell backs down in a rare show of common sense, and neuters himself while trashing his public image in the process" out of the picture.

 

[Sticky Caulk]

This has to be about destroying the Rat King and all those connected to him. The only way to resend the punishment against the team is to prove in court that it was handed down with malicious, biased intent.

Brady has to do more than fight the suspension, but take it to the next level and destroy the root of the issue. If they resend the suspension but do not retract the Well's Report, they can and will continue to use it as justification to uphold the punishment to the Patriots.

 

[patsinthesnow]

How long could this whole process take?

 

[RobertWeathers]

That's the ideal scenario, sure. Would be even better if the Pats went 19-0, then after SB50 Kraft accepts the trophy from Goodell, then tells him he's fired and has to get the **** off the stage.

Unfortunately, we're kinda restricted to things that could plausibly happen. That takes "Goodell backs down in a rare show of common sense, and neuters himself while trashing his public image in the process" out of the picture.

Most. Awkward. Moment. In. TV. History.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I don't agree with the 25,000 because it indicates guilt. There is no guilt.

Only thing reasonable is that McNally took the balls out of the refs locker room. That is against the rules.

Is that worth $25k? Anderson wasn't there. If he stayed there like a normal ref it wouldn't have happened.

It's still dumb.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

The reason he will sue is that it's now personal. He left his dying wife's bedside for this commissioner, owners & league, and look how they've repaid him with obscene punitive penalties. He's generally all about business and relationships, but that's over now.

In addition to Goodell's ouster, he would wise to push for the following changes to bring the league office down a peg:
- check the commissioner's power and role, put all punishments to an owners' committee vote
- move the NFL offices out of New York to a non-NFL city; way too much NY bias going on there.

 

[Fencer]

Seems like it goes beyond just defamation but into the area of unfair business practices. The fine hurts Kraft's wallet but suspending TB12 and the draft picks damages the very core of the NEP product - players.

I would love to see the email exchanges between the various NFL front office entities. What was in the emails between Wells and Goodell? What was in the emails between Exponent and Wells?

Fortunately, there's a pretty clear connection between winning championships and making money. So if the NFL head office and other owners conspired to deprive the Patriots of a level competitive field, they also conspired to deprive them of money.

It would be very hard to prove that the NFL's decisions weren't just allowable exercises of discretion that the Pats disagree with -- all the more because there's probably a lot of language along those lines in the franchise agreement. But if the Pats DO have a case along those lines, then they would seem to have standing to sue.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Gotta love "all intensive purposes"!

Ok, sure, it is lawyer speak. So how about 90+% likelihood the picks are in fact gone and not coming back?
We can all shake out fists, yell 'give me justice' and know as a fact how unfair it is. But if there is no precedent and no identified path to have a team penalty rescinded, which means it translates to "all intensive purposes" or "90+%", what's your beef with how it is termed?

As I said before, I am all ears if you can show me where a team has had its punishment rescinded. I hope I am wrong, I hope it is there, I'll gladly change my thought on this. But if I'm not wrong then it means the fight will have to have a trailblazing, unprecedented outcome. I consider that to be long long odds that are characterized by (fill in the blank)

 

[Hammer of Thor]

In addition to Goodell's ouster, he would wise to push for the following changes to bring the league office down a peg:
- check the commissioner's power and role, put all punishments to an owners' committee vote
- move the NFL offices out of New York to a non-NFL city; way too much NY bias going on there.

I've got just the city -- I hear London is beautiful in the fall. Strong way to promote and expand the brand.

 

[varjao]

A loss of a 1st round pick is huge, one can reasonably make the case that it's a 2 or 3 year set back, and they also stolen our 4th round, also known as, Offensive Line Round.

I want out picks back and Goodell discredited by society.

 

[Ring 6]

Only thing reasonable is that McNally took the balls out of the refs locker room. That is against the rules.

Is that worth $25k? Anderson wasn't there. If he stayed there like a normal ref it wouldn't have happened.

It's still dumb.

Hard to find the man who is responsible for bringing the balls to the field guilty of bringing the balls to the field because you think the ref should have watched him or told him to.

Take a step back and forget there is any investigation, or any charge of wrong doing.
Would you really fine a team $25,000 because the ball boy brought the balls out early?
Remember there was absolutely zero ball security protocol in place to violate.

 

[Bella*chick]

Ok, sure, it is lawyer speak. So how about 90+% likelihood the picks are in fact gone and not coming back?
We can all shake out fists, yell 'give me justice' and know as a fact how unfair it is. But if there is no precedent and no identified path to have a team penalty rescinded, which means it translates to "all intensive purposes" or "90+%", what's your beef with how it is termed?

As I said before, I am all ears if you can show me where a team has had its punishment rescinded. I hope I am wrong, I hope it is there, I'll gladly change my thought on this. But if I'm not wrong then it means the fight will have to have a trailblazing, unprecedented outcome. I consider that to be long long odds that are characterized by (fill in the blank)

I think he means that the actual phrase is "all intents and purposes".

 

[Brewskies]

Kraft can strongly consider a law suit against the NFL. It will be against his league contract that forbiddens law suits by owners. It will piss off the other owners. When it gets to court it could be thrown out immediately because of the agreements between him and the league not sue the league. If the suit was allowed he would have to prove the $1 M was excessive and the draft picks don't fit the crime, like if you jaywalk you shouldn't end up in prison. Regardless it would be messy and the fall out could be worse if he doesn't win. Public opinion is against him already but that's all, the owners haven't ban together against him, yet. That's just my opinion.

He could ask Goodell to reconsider the $1 M and the draft choices. I don't see that changing unless the other owners request a reduction.

His other option is to tell the other owners at the next meeting he is thinking about requesting an investigation by the Federal Government into Deflategate and it's punishment. The owners and league officials don't want that.

IMO he should wait and see the outcome of the NFLPA/Brady appeal. In the meantime he should be talking up his options with the other owners and suggesting a "no vote of confidence towards Goodell" and the potential suit or government investigation.

 

[Bella*chick]

At the barest minimum he should be working behind the scenes to have Goodell ousted.

 

[PatsFanInLondon]

The reason he will sue is that it's now personal. He left his dying wife's bedside for this commissioner, owners & league, and look how they've repaid him with obscene punitive penalties. He's generally all about business and relationships, but that's over now.

In addition to Goodell's ouster, he would wise to push for the following changes to bring the league office down a peg:
- check the commissioner's power and role, put all punishments to an owners' committee vote
- move the NFL offices out of New York to a non-NFL city; way too much NY bias going on there.

Also:

- Ensure that NFL executives conduct themselves within the confines of their job description rather than effectively do what they want (*cough* *Mike Kensil* *cough*)
- ensure that all rules to be complied by NFL teams have clearly defined processes, together with roles and responsibilities clearly mapped out (so that any misdemeanour can easily be traced and penalties handed out - rather than the botch job of handling footballs that this debacle has so clearly revealed)

 

[farn]

Hell yes. You have the foremost amateur NFL historian in BB who's seen things in the league for decades.

Time to use the stuff you got.