NFL: Bountygate

[Mr Janny]

I'm curious to see how this plays out. Obviously, the players are going to lose their appeal. The question now becomes, will more of them sue?
It sounds like the league is holding back the majority of its evidence which makes me wonder if the players aren't playing with fire with some of yesterday's post appeal comments.

It's interesting, because the league, so far, is not bound by the same legal requirements of proof that they would be if this were in regular court. Here's a good article detailing some evidence that was presented.
NFL bountygate evidence includes computer files, extra targets, more money - CBSSports.com

 

[Rabbuk]

Seems kind of hard for them to get a fair shake.

 

[Mr Janny]

Seems kind of hard for them to get a fair shake.

well, they sort of agreed to this setup. If they didn't like it, they could have argued for it in the CBA. That's how this stuff works.

 

[Rabbuk]

Eh I think collective bargaining tends to inherently favor owners. Regardless of whether there's a season they won't starve. A lot of NFL players really can't afford to miss one season when their career might only be 5 years and they have no other marketable skills.

 

[Clark]

well, they sort of agreed to this setup. If they didn't like it, they could have argued for it in the CBA. That's how this stuff works.

This is what annoys me most. You don't like Goodell being judge, jury and executioner as Vilma put it then why did you agree to it?

 

[Mr Janny]

Eh I think collective bargaining tends to inherently favor owners. Regardless of whether there's a season they won't starve. A lot of NFL players really can't afford to miss one season when their career might only be 5 years and they have no other marketable skills.

whether or not that's true is completely beside the point. The CBA was agreed to and signed off on by the players and owners. That agreement laid out the process for player discipline. If either party was unhappy with it, they had an opportunity to affect change in it. They didn't. Whining about it being unfair is complete bullcrap at this point.

 

[Rabbuk]

I don't know if its beside the point really. At some point the players had to cave or not play a season, so they probably could have been strong-armed into things that were less than desirable. Also it's impossible to say what the players association would have insisted on being different had they had knowledge of the bounty scandal during the negotiations. I don't honestly have an opinion because I don't know one way or the other.

 

[Mr Janny]

I don't know if its beside the point really. At some point the players had to cave or not play a season, so they probably could have been strong-armed into things that were less than desirable. Also it's impossible to say what the players association would have insisted on being different had they had knowledge of the bounty scandal during the negotiations. I don't honestly have an opinion because I don't know one way or the other.

No, the players didn't have to cave. That was their option. These are millionaires we're talking about here. They didn't cave on the 18 game schedule. They didn't cave on reduced OTAs. They didn't cave on the enhanced injury protection. They held strong on those.

They had their option to hold out for any number of different things, and they didn't. They agreed to and signed off on the CBA in it's current state.

And the whole "if they'd have known they would have insisted" argument is flawed as well. Goodell's power is well known to the players. Look at Big Ben. never charged. Suspended. Players have been grousing about his "judge, jury, and executioner" role since long before the CBA was being debated.

They had their opportunity to affect change, and chose to agree to the terms that are currently in place, and I'll say it again, "Whining about it being unfair is complete bullcrap at this point"

 

[Cyclonestate78]

The Saints organization, staff, and players made their bed and the commish is going to tuck them in and make sure they sleep in it. He isn't the bad guy here. The players were more then willing participants in this program and it is time they stop passing the buck and be accountable for their actions.