JohnC

When I referred to Harvin's troubling locker room behavior I should have been more clear that I was referencing the Seattle situation. You are correct that with the Jets he wasn't a problem child. But the reality of that situation in NY was that he couldn't act out as he has usually has done at all his previous stops because he was on very precarious grounds with his career. When you are at the end of the plank in a shark infested ocean even a fool is smart enough to back off and not continue moving in the same destructive path. What is noteworthy about his Jets experience is that the Jets didn't have much interest in keeping him, even after getting an inside look at him. I am not diminishing Harvin's impressive physical talents. He is one of the most explosive players in the league. Admitedly, he is a better talent than Woods yet I consider Woods to be the better receiver and overall football player (my opinion). The Bills are not going to be a prolific passing team. It is indisputable that Watkins is going to be the primary receiver (as you noted). He is really a special talent. Woods has demonstrated in the past that he is easily frustrated when not involved in the offense. With the addition of Harvin and Clay I don't see his level of participation increasing. The Bills added a very talented player in Harvin. My concern is that by adding this talent they affected the mixture that impacts team cohesion, especiall in the receiver corps. I hope I am wrong but I believe that something is going to give within the receiver grouping. I don't see the addition of Harvin helping Woods be a more contributing player. I hope that I am wrong. Again, I want to stress the issue isn't that anyone is a bad guy. My focus is on the mixture and the blend. I am wary of the situation. That article was not only very illuminating about his mind-set but was also very troubling. As you said he doesn't appear to get it. I had concerns about Woods's attitude without Harvin on the roster and have even more now with his addition to the roster. Harvin has a history of not subordinating his individual interest to the team's overall interest. Both Woods and Harvin have issues related to controlling their emotions. Too much volatility in the room to make me comfortable.

The point is that Pete Carrol is not considered to be a rigid and autocratic type coach. He has a history of not being afraid to bringing in "lively" personalities. The end result is that he cut him and got nothing in return. What does that suggest to you?

What bothers me about the Harvin addition is not that talent isn't being added but that it upsets the balance in the receiver corps. In his short career PH has played for four teams. His peripetetic career was certainly not due to his lack of talent. It was due to his inability to mesh with his teammates. At his last stop Harvin was such a poisonious presence in the lockerroom that it forced the organization to get rid of him. Carrol is the type of HC who can deftly manage a wide range of personalities and characters. He threw Harvin off the team in order to ease the tension. Harvin's departure helped the team get back on track. Or another way of saying it it was addition by subtraction. Woods is an intense competitor who is not always able to control his emotions. Being in a situation where his touches will be more limited with PH in the unit will create a greater potential for disgruntlement where it already exists. I'm not disparging Harvin's unique physical talents. That is obvious and is acknowledged. However, very often the issue is how a player embaces the team concept. In college and in the pro ranks he hasn't come close to subordinating his personal interest for the team interest. I am very queasy about him and how it relates to Woods. Make no mistake about what I am saying here. I'm not judging anyone to be a bad guy. Based on his history I have concerns for his ability to blend in with his teammates and be a positive influence for the rest of the team.

When Pegula took over the Sabres he acted with vigor in throwing money around and making expensive acquisitions. He even got personally involved in some high end free agent player deals. There were some obvious rookie owner mistakes. In addition, there was some instability in the organizational structure leading into internal conflicts as demonstrated by the LaFontaine departure (never fully explained). Pegula learned from his mistakes. He hired a new GM in Murray( ironically identified by LaFontaine) and allowed him to hire his staff and create the roadmap for building a serious team. After "deliberately" being bottom feeders and using the draft to acquire some top young talent the franchise is on an upward trajectory. The lessons he learned with the Sabres are being applied to the Bills. Hire good people, give them the resources to do their jobs, and hold them accountable. That same format is happening with the Bills. I don't want to get into the Ralph Wilson argument any longer. From a football standpoint what is obvious is obvious. But if it is fair game to point out his flaws let's give him credit for some of the things he did that helped this franchise turn things around. At the end of his tenure when he was frail and ailing it was under his regime when the slow moving turnaround occurred. The pivotal transaction was when he elevated Russ Brandon. Nix was hired by Wilson. It was Nix who brought in Whaley. In my mind Nix was at best just an average GM. But he was the person most responsible in steering this franchise in the right direction. Buddy was self-effacing and had the confidence to groom the younger Whaley as his successor without feeling threatened. That doesn't often happen in any line of work. I'm very confident that this franchise has stepped out of the archaic world of the old system and is now an active actor in the modern world of running a franchise. What has been critically said about the former owner has been said many times over. Let's appreciate how he handled the ownership change and appreciate this new owner and the bright future.

Whether one selects Incognito, TT, McCoy, Clay etc. or members of the coaching what is apparent is that collectively this was a very productive offseason. If TT simply plays at a competent level that in of itself has a profound effect on the OL and the receiver corps in general. The biggest leap forward for a position has to be the left guard position staffed by Incognito. It's fair to say that at this position the team has transitioned from from a position of glaring weakness to a position of competent play, and just maybe very good guard play. It is not unreasonable to say that the combo of Incognito and Miller will not only be major improvements at their respective positions but will also positively affect the other linemen on that unit.

I know you follow LSU and the SEC. Is Arkansas going to be the surprise team in that very rugged league? For me one of the most interesting story-lines in the SEC is Chad Kelly at Mississippi. It would be a compelling story of redemption for a player who had attitude and maturity problems who then turns it around to be a good player in a high level conference and becomes a very responsible young man.

I watched a portion of the Temple/Penn St game. I was stunned at how awful Hackenberg looked. In his freshman year under O'brien I thought that he was going to be a terrific pro prospect a couple years down the line. From what I saw Hack seemed shell shocked and devoid of any confidence. Last year I thought Penn St's OL was awful. It's still very early but the OL looks to be sub par again. Its struggles is having not only a physical effect on Hack but also a psychological effect on him. In this game (the portion I watched) the qb seemed gun shy and went to the dump pass rather quickly.

What it comes down to for us (as you pointed out) is the qb play. The organization isn't expecting dazzling qb play that elite teams have. If the team can get solid and smart qb play then this team will fall within the borderline playoff (wildcard) range. The Bills have a group off offensive playmakers composed of Watkins, Woods, Clay, Shady and Harvin. Can the starting qb get the ball in their hands on a sustained basis? While many people want TT to make plays with his feet I don't, other than to mostly buy time to keep the play alive. From what I have seen from TT this preseason he has demonstrated passing and running talents that we haven't seen from our qbs in a long time. If he can play smart by not needlessly exposing his body then there is a good chance that the team can make the jump into relevancy and late season seriousness.

The judge didn't gut the terms of the CBA by his ruling. What he stressed in his ruling is that RG and the league didn't abide by the terms of the CBA as demonstrated by the way this case was processed by the league. Most analysts prior to the decision overwhelmingly believed that the league would win this cased based on the glaring imbalance in disciplinary authority given to the league by the terms of the CBA. That wasn't the issue in this fracas although that is the hollow position he is taking after his humiliating loss. It has to be emphasized that the union didn't challenge the league's authority in this case (so stated in court to the judge); it challenged their rogue behavior in following the rules proscribed in the disciplinary process. Go back and scan the judge's ruling. It catalogued a list of blatant violations of conduct relating to the process. There was little mention of "balls" and player behavior in the judge's summary. The reason for the judge's focus is that was the core issue (process) he was supposed to address. This case exposed to the public how incompetently, arbitrarily and capriciously Goodell handled his disciplinary responsibilities. If there was a loss in the commissioner's authority in these types of matter it was not due to the union and the legal system altering the terms of the CBA; it was due to the fact that he destroyed his own credibility to act with a reasonable level of fairness. In other words he sabotaged himself. Arrogance combined with incompetence is a toxic mixture. This extended legal fiasco was a byproduct of that destructive mixture. RG's pursuing an appeal is not an example of his astuteness; it is a glaring example of his obtuseness.

Abby Lowell is one of the most respect attorneys in the country. When he was asked on a radio show what where the chances that the judge's ruling would be overturned in appeal he said zero. Even the legal analysts who thought that the league would prevail in this case now believe based on how the judge wrote his scathing decision say that there is little chance that this ruling would be overturned. Roger Cossack is a respected lawyer and legal analyst for ESPN who followed this case from its inception. Throughout his extended coverage he felt the legal hurdles were too daunting for the union to prevail. When the ruling was rendered and after reading the decision he stated with no equivocation that there was little chance that the league would win in its appeal. With respect to your comment that RG is compelled to appeal this court decision I respectfully disagree. Appealing a ruling that has demonstrated his lack of competence is not an act of prudence but an act of foolishness. When you lose six consecutive cases reviewed by unbiased parties and continue taking the same self-destructive approach that is a bill-board level of display of his own stupidity.

You are not the Gotham Bill I have known! Are you okay? What's next for you? Creating threads promoting Gilmore as an all-pro? You supporting drafting CBs at a high position is akin to you proclaiming your allegiance to Auburn. What's this world coming to?

One of the lead attorneys for the NFLPA, Kessler, stated on a radio show that he would like the union and the league to get together and work out a reasonable adjustment to the current disciplinary system. He made the point that it is in neither party's interest to constantly be involved in these draining legal battles over disciplinary issues. The central focus in negotiating a modified system is not going to be about giving up or gaining advantages from a labor/management perspective. The focus would be on establishing a better disciplinary system that benefits everyone. There is an obvious simple solution. An interim deal can be worked out where the league maintains its disciplinary authority given to it under the current CBA but a separate (independent) system of appeal is created and staffed by mutually agreed upon arbitrators. With that type of administrative structure there would be no need to run to the courts to seek redress. As it stands the league already uses neutral arbitrators in some cases to review cases. Why not just institutionalize that part of the system that works and avoid the conflict of interest problems that undercut the credibility of the current system?

Cassel does have a useful role as a backup qb. He is not a starting dynamo but coming into the game as a relief qb he can be a credible qb who allows your team in the short run to reasonably compete. Injuries are very prevelant. Having him on the team as a second or even a third string qb in a brutally long season replete with numerous injuries can be beneficial. It should be factored in that as of now the Bills don't have an elite qb who commands a large amount of cap space that a Rodgers or Roethlisberger command. Keeping Cassel on the roster as a 2nd or even 3rd string qb won't be considered financially onerous for this season. Next year could be a different situation. Last year Arizona was in an excellent position to make the playoffs and possibly have an extended playoff run. Their starter and backup got hurt and their prospects for what once was a promising season was extinguished. Littman forced the organization to cut a former OL starter, Hangartner, when he lost his starting job.Although he was no longer the starting center he was able to be a useful utility player as a backup for the center and both guard positions. He was cut because the order came down from the finance office (Littman) that backups will not be paid starter money. Shortly thereafter there were injuries to the line with no adequate backups to call on. The line's peformance took a precipitous drop.

Simply having an experienced colleague and peer standing by you and talking to you in the midst of a fast paced and chaotic game environment can be beneficial. An experienced backup with little ego and is genuinely supportive is a positive presence not only during games but also when preparing for games. Beerball's response in post #337 makes a lot of sense. There is an aspect to peer mentorship that coaching support can not match. If Littman was still involved with the franchise Cassel would have been cut immediately after TT was announced as the starter. The old business model is a thing of the past.

I'm reluctant to single out posters because there were a number of exceptional responses. But Go Kiko Go and Mannc not only gave persuasive arguments but they did it with great clarity. Go Kiko Go's post#418 was exceptional and convincing. Even for people who disagreed with their explanations their positions were well stated.

Abby Lowell, one of the top attorneys in the country, was asked by Tony Kornheiser on his ESPN radio show this morning what were the chances of the league winning their case on appeal. He said zero. He pointed out that usually judges defer to arbitration decisions made within labor/management contract agreements. However, he said after reading the judge's ruling in this case that he made a convincing case that the process was so blatantly flawed that there was no chance that a panel of judges would overturn his ruling. He also commented that he felt that Goodell was exhibiting horrible judgment (putting it mildly) in taking this case to the next appelate level. One interesting observation about this case made in hindsight was that the judge with his pointed questions to the league sent clear signals what his thinking was regarding this case, in particular focusing on the process. The union side for the most part maintained a low key profile while watching the judge hammer away at the opposition. Their approach from a demeanor standpoint was very smart.

I realize you were addressing these two questions to Kiko so I apologize for the intrusion. In both a and b the infractions as specified in the regulations are directed toward the teams and not the players. The ball infractions in the San Diego and Atlanta cases were considered equipment infractions. Regardless what the level of fine is (referring to part b of your question) the penalty is assessed against the team and not the player or even staff member involved in the transgression. My understanding is that there is no rule regarding equipment that applys to players. It is applied to teams. Or another way to look at this issue is that Brady was charged with a rule violation that didn't exist.

Your post and Go Kiko Go's post #418 are exceptional explanations of what the substative issues were that the judge addressed in his ruling. The clarity of your posts is striking. The league's consistent position before these outside legal authorities is that regardless of the facts and the unfair application of the imbalanced process it has the authority to do whatever it wants to do when it wants to do it. The dispassionate reviewing parties consistently say no you can't. Roger Goodell and the league are 0-6 when their cases are reviewed by outside authorities. What is surprising is that many people don't understand why the arbitrary and capricous rulings of the league are not upheld. What's obvious to some is not obvious to most others.

I'm aware that you were responding to another issue but I would like your opinion on the legitimacy of the judge's ruling regarding that the league, specifically Pash, a well respected and Harvard trained attorney, did not abide by the rules of discovery when he wouldn't provide his notes and respond when he was asked to answer questions during the discovery hearing? Roger Goodell, before this ruling, had arbitrators review five different disciplinary cases. All his rulings were altered by the impartial authority. This case makes it six consecutive cases that when outside authorities examined his cases they find his rulings to be very problematic. The deficient pattern is obvious. The court that the league ran to in order to uphold its ruling is known to be very supportive to arbitration rulings. Most of the legal commentators who commented on this case before the ruling felt that the league would win this case because of this court's favorable history toward arbitration decisions. The end result is that the judge not only ruled in Brady's favor but more importantly he clearly rebuked RG and the unfair process that he guided. It is acknowledged by most everyone on both sides of this issue that Roger Goodell has almost unlimited authority in disciplinary matters. He continues to find a way to screw things up in his role as the sheriff. Very often the commissioner with insufferable sanctimony preaches the importance of maintaining the integrity of the league. What he has demonstrated (to me) is that because of the capricious manner in which he conducts himself in these types of proceedings he has undercut the league's credibility on issues related to integrity. I have said it before and I will say it again that although I disagree with your take on this issue I appreciate your well reasoned and expressed point of view. I'm more ready than ever for the season to start and this manufactured legal crisis to end. How Tyrod Taylor plays is an issue that I am really more concerned with and excited over.

I don't think that taking this case to Judge Doty's courtroom in Minnessota would have been a wise decision either.

This is the court that the league ran to after its initial ruling on Brady. The judge and the court had a history of favorable arbitration and business rulings. Roger Goodell got rebuked by a court that he and his legal advisers selected

The league established equipment guidelines for teams, not players. (As you noted.) But when it was determined that a team violated rules associated with equipment transgressions the standard punishment was a miniscule fine, usually $25,000. How does that compare to a four game suspension against a player for a rule that doesn't even apply to a player? There is a pattern that is evident when Goodell's disciplinary rulings are reviewed by outside authorities: his rulings are consistently overruled due to the aribtrary and capricious manner in which he handles his disciplinary responsibilites. Make no mistake about the judge's ruling, he found the evidence unconvincing (although that was not his primary focus) and the overall process very unfair. attached is his ruling: http://cdn-jpg.si.com/sites/default/files/download/tom-brady-suspension-overturned-ruling.pdf

With respect to the Fred and the EJ perspectives I think you are over-thinking and analyzing the roster moves. TT simply beat out the competition regardless who was involved in the drafting of EJ. I think that Whaley is smart enough to realize that the best selection at qb or any other position is in his own self-interest. The GM has stated on a number of occasions that he is the one who brings in players and it is the HC and his staff who make the decisions to start and play. As I said in a prior post I most often agree with your take and if not I still give a lot of weight to your thoughts. With respect to your take on FJ and how it relates to LM I not only respectfully disagree with you but also am perplexed by it. But don't be bothered by my confusion because I am very easy to befuddle.

Let's just wait for the ruling that should be coming sometime this week. I have little more to add. I simply disagree with you and the majority of responders.

A plea deal by definition, unless it is only over the cooperation issue, does assume perjury. I agree with that view. I doubt that he would be charged with perjury under any circumstance but that doesn't mean there isn't some degree of "exposure" (miniscule).