Tags vacates suspensions

[NoSaint]

I guess this is nearing conclusion now. Curious to see what they do with the reinstatement of Gregg, and the conditional pick being stripped this coming draft.

 

Also Vilmas defamation suit

 

I've said for awhile they'd call the team penalties water under the bridge to avoid having to "fix" them and let the players off.

Edited December 11, 2012 by NoSaint

[Maybe Someday]

I guess this is nearing conclusion now. Curious to see what they do with the reinstatement of Gregg, and the conditional pick being stripped this coming draft.

 

Also Vilmas defamation suit

 

I've said for awhile they'd call the team penalties water under the bridge to avoid having to "fix" them and let the players off.

Likely nothing. The player suspensions were vacated, not the coaches or organizational penalties. Tags basically concluded that the Saints coaches and organization were more at fault than the players…at least that’s what I took out of the comment below.

 

"Unlike Saints' broad organizational misconduct, player appeals involve sharply focused issues of alleged individual player misconduct in several different aspects," Tagliabue said in a statement released by the league. "My affirmation of Commissioner Goodell's findings could certainly justify the issuance of fines. However, this entire case has been contaminated by the coaches and others in the Saints' organization."

[papazoid]

Goodell's mistake was saying the bounty pool was an "intent to injure" incentive, instead of a performance pool. just to high of a threshold to actually prove in a court of law that the intent was to injure fellow players.....(even though that is exactly what is was).

Drew Brees, Jonathan Vilma and Greg Williams ( you can add in head coach and GM) are all pieces of chit.

 

 

Tagliabue "The decisions have made clear that the Saints operated a bounty program in violation of league rules for three years, that the program endangered player safety, and that the commissioner has the authority under the CBA to impose discipline for those actions as conduct detrimental to the league.

 

"Strong action was taken in this matter to protect player safety and ensure that bounties would be eliminated from football."

 

http://espn.go.com/n...ounty-penalties

Edited December 11, 2012 by papazoid

[dwight in philly]

hopefully it is over, i am sick of reading about it, hearing about it..

[NoSaint]

 

Likely nothing. The player suspensions were vacated, not the coaches or organizational penalties. Tags basically concluded that the Saints coaches and organization were more at fault than the players…at least that’s what I took out of the comment below.

 

"Unlike Saints' broad organizational misconduct, player appeals involve sharply focused issues of alleged individual player misconduct in several different aspects," Tagliabue said in a statement released by the league. "My affirmation of Commissioner Goodell's findings could certainly justify the issuance of fines. However, this entire case has been contaminated by the coaches and others in the Saints' organization."

 

neither thing has anything to do with the tags ruling today - just things that still arent resolved that will still need to be addressed moving forward.

 

i wasnt implying letting gregg in early. his is indefinite, so whether he gets in this year is still to be resolved. itll come up eventually.

 

the draft pick has been conditional from the start, but the terms werent made public. im curious if they stick to the original or if they let it be removed from the punishment which was a possibility when the punishment was handed down.

[Tu-Toned]

Without reading the other comments here, the first thing that comes to my mind,

is what a terribly embarrasing situation this is for the NFL, big black mark in

my mind, and certaily a credibility issue for them for years to come.

 

Maybe this will help to corral Goodell some, and keep him from straying too

far from what the important issues are and will help to reign in some of his

self-appointed far reaching powers.

[NoSaint]

and jonathan vilma has announced he still intends to pursue his defamation case.

 

i think thats very interesting as continuing to force this into a court of law benefits him in almost no way now (besides reputation) but risks perjury if hes just completely lying about everything.

[GRHater69]

This will reflect poorly on Goodell. He went too far this time. It has not been a good stretch for him, with this and the disaster of the replacement refs at the start of the season.

[dave mcbride]

Too bad. Vilma is a complete thug, but the outcome isn't surprising. What's nauseating is his aggrieved posturing.

[JohnC]

and jonathan vilma has announced he still intends to pursue his defamation case.

 

i think thats very interesting as continuing to force this into a court of law benefits him in almost no way now (besides reputation) but risks perjury if hes just completely lying about everything.

 

Vilma has every right to pursue this matter and extract whatever justice $$$$ he can for what the Commissioner put him and others through. The process in which his short career was placed in jeopardy was a sham. Vilma courageously called out Goodell and challenged him to show the evidence. RG was not forthright in doing so. Was it due to the fact that the evidence was flimsy and open to interpreation or was it due to the fact that he didn't want expose those who offered the evidence?

 

The bottom line is that the person Goodell selected to review the evidence concluded that the punishment was unwarranted based on the evidence. In my view it is obvious why Goodell was willing to select someone to review this case. He clearly doesn't want an outside legal authority to review this case and process.

 

What Goodell has come to recognize is that Vilma is no slouch who is going to allow a powerful figure in his profession to bully him. I congratulate Vilma for his courage. This saga is as much about the unbalanced process as it was about the bounty issue. I salute Vilma for his stance.

Edited December 11, 2012 by JohnC

[NoSaint]

Too bad. Vilma is a complete thug, but the outcome isn't surprising. What's nauseating is his aggrieved posturing.

 

can i ask what hes done to be named a complete thug? is it just the one accusation, or is there more to the assessment?

 

he was a 4 year college player, 3 times leading his team in tackles. he graduated with a finance degree and was a 3 time academic all conference team award winner.

 

hes considered one of the biggest students of the game.

 

no arrests

 

and now with his suspension vacated hes risking perjury just to clear his reputation, with nothing else to gain.

 

hes a pillar in the community here. and ive several times seen him out and about being among the friendliest players around.

 

other than this one accusation hes got a pretty impressive resume for the "not thug" category. just curious where the "complete thug" arguments are coming from.

[Stealth]

Kudos to Tagliabue

[Captain Hindsight]

Vilma has every right to pursue this matter and extract whatever justice $$$$ he can for what the Commissioner put him and others through. The process in which his short career was placed in jeopardy was a sham. Vilma courageously called out Goodell and challenged him to show the evidence. RG was not forthright in doing so. Was it due to the fact that the evidence was flimsy and open to interpreation or was it due to the fact that he didn't want expose those who offered the evidence?

 

The bottom line is that the person Goodell selected to review the evidence concluded that the punishment was unwarranted based on the evidence. In my view it is obvious why Goodell was willing to select someone to review this case. He clearly doesn't want an outside legal authority to review this case and process.

 

What Goodell has come to recognize is that Vilma is no slouch who is going to allow a powerful figure in his profession to bully him. I congratulate Vilma for his courage. This saga is as much about the unbalanced process as it was about the bounty issue. I salute Vilma for his stance.

Agree 100%

 

The more that came out about this case, the more it seemed Goodell had nothing

[Roger Goodell]

hopefully it is over, i am sick of reading about it, hearing about it..

 

Ditto.

 

In fact, I think we'll just destory all the files ASAP so we can focus on the healing process.

[Stealth]

Ditto.

 

In fact, I think we'll just destory all the files ASAP so we can focus on the healing process.

 

hahahaha

[Dragonborn10]

Tagliabue rode off to into the sunset with a new contract between the players and the owners. Only two owners voted against it. The media said Tagliabue came to the rescue of all the fans while a cheapskate and an old baffoon voted against the deal. Three years later the whole thing blew up and almost cost the fans real games.

Now he takes the easy way out. Yes their was a bounty scandal but no I don't think the players should be suspended for it. Nice backbone their Paul. With that logic, the next thing we will hear is Ed Hoculie say is, holding against the offense, do-over, First and Ten. No crime here, nothing to see, move along...

Weak...

[Zulu Cthulhu]

It's easier to understand why Tagliabue simultaneously (rightfully) vacated the players' suspensions while also covering Goodell's ass the best he could when you realize Goodell is also Tags' biggest client.

[maddenboy]

Completely disagree.

 

He just helped his slim chances.

 

1) who votes for HOF? HOF members, who are players, who will be happy Tags sided with players. And writers, who dont have a dog in the fight, but will recognize that Tags did it for the Shield, which is what you want a Commish to do.

 

2) He just saved the league and/or Goodell money by weakening any defamation suits. He didnt kill them, but they just took on a little water for sure.

 

3) ask yourself "how could Tags have improved his HOF chances by siding with Goodell?" Roger doesnt get a HOF vote, and neither do the owners (except Ralph, of course).

[RealityCheck]

Completely disagree.

 

He just helped his slim chances.

 

1) who votes for HOF? HOF members, who are players, who will be happy Tags sided with players. And writers, who dont have a dog in the fight, but will recognize that Tags did it for the Shield, which is what you want a Commish to do.

 

2) He just saved the league and/or Goodell money by weakening any defamation suits. He didnt kill them, but they just took on a little water for sure.

 

3) ask yourself "how could Tags have improved his HOF chances by siding with Goodell?" Roger doesnt get a HOF vote, and neither do the owners (except Ralph, of course).

That just about covers it.

[Sisyphean Bills]

For the opposite view:

 

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/view-from-new-orleans-on-tagliabues-saints-bounty-ruling/