But there has to be limitations on the power Goodell wields. Goodell’s daily BS is becoming the biggest story in the NFL on a daily basis.

Goodell appears convinced that he’s the star. He’s forgotten who generates his hefty paychecks.

I hope the four Saints losers win their grievances against Goodell…then blow out both knees in Week One.

Karma is a bitch, boys.

The union has never addressed it’s members that were on the other side of this issue, the ones who were targeted.
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Maybe because the players allegedly targeted (which despite the league’s huffing and puffing about a three-year program amounts to two players in two games – Favre and Warner) are retired and have not asked the union to.

This should be the end of the case! Furthermore, anybody who’s ever played Defense competitively knows that EVERY team, in EVERY sport targets the biggest threat on the opposing team. It may not be as elaborate as the Saints have put together, but this is simply Old Skool Football in Ncw School error. It’s a sign of the times.

We all understand why Goodell is being so hard on this issue and I think the coaches deserve the bulk of the punishment. But, the players don’t deserve the treatment they are getting at all! The only evidence that has been disclosed (apart from all the Game Film) is the pregame rhetoric from players and coaches. If you’re going to get mad at Vilma for slapping 10K on the table, then what about Reggie for caring a Bat shouting “Bring the Wood”. Who hasn’t had a coach tell them to “Kill” everybody on the other side of the ball?

My point, is where is the evidence on the field. The individual player penalties for the 2009-2011 seasons COMBINED…

Vilma: 2 “unnecessary roughness” type penalties called against him (1 roughing the passer, 1 personal foul). Vilma had a helmet to helmet on Eli back in 2009 that negated an INT.

Will Smith: 1 Roughing the Passer, 0 personal fouls

Hargrove: No regular season “unnecessary roughness” type fouls. ZERO

Hargrove had 2 roughing penalties in the 2009 playoffs (1 vs. the Vikings, 1 vs. the Colts).

Will Smith I’m willing to bet it was something silly like his hand hit the QBs helmet.

Hargrove got one for spearing Favre and the other was during the SB on a WR for a late hit. Late, but nothing that would be evidence of an intent to injure.

The real issue is whether there is evidence that Smith/Vilma or others intentionally tried to injure a player beyond the hard hitting that always happens. Did the Saints engage in ANYTHING on the field different than other teams that is indicative of dirty play for pay! It did NOT happen. Penalties and vicious hits happen every single week in the NFL and all players get usually is a fine and short suspension in extreme, repetitive cases.

The Saints are guilty of poor judgement clearly in throwing bounties into the motivational efforts of the coaches and for rhetoric perhaps a bit over the top, but they are NOT guilty of being a dirty football team. The penalties given IMO are beyond reason for merely rhetoric before games. If Mr. Goodell is so concerned with the players safety he should be giving out season long suspensions for the actual vicious hits that go on weekly. That would put a stop to those teams who cross the line with intentional efforts to injure someone.

Bring lawsuit against the players, saints, coaches, NFLPA

It is one of the benefits included when they pay their dues and they are entitled to it
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True.

BUT…I do think it would be EXTREMELY interesting if any of the players they were reported to have targeted (like Newton, etc) wanted to make a case for themselves instead of either declining to comment (Favre) or saying they didn’t feel targeted (Warner). What would the union do then?

Is there anything to the fact that only two of the guys who were supposedly targeted are retired and they are the only two to comment that they didn’t feel targeted?

The time for them to address Goodell’s power was in the CBA’s talks. They decided a couple padded practices, OTAs, etc were either easier to debate or more preferable issues to fight for. Oh well.

Hundreds of former NFL players are suing the NFL, even though they KNEW the risks when they signed their contracts and accepted their paychecks, over injuries suffered during their NFL career.

So the NFLPA is saying that the NFL should NOT PUNISH players who intend to injure other players. Why is this? Simple, the union wants the players to be able to pay their union dues.

IMO, the players should immediately lose any right to sue over injuries based on this “defense” of the Saints players.

All penalties for helmet to helmet hits are a direct result of new information regarding concussions and the NFL trying to protect the players. This may come from financial motivation BUT it is still there.

The reason that the NFL is cracking down on this also has to do with the fact that the former players are blaming the NFL instead of other players for their injuries. Maybe those players should look at the PA that is fighting for the people making the hits.

The Saints got nailed, because they were warned and then not only did they not stop they lied about it. That signifies no remorse. Since everyone wants to keep comparing this to a court case, if you lie in court you are given a much harsher penalty.

For the person that stated that the crimes supposedly committed by Payton and Vilma, stop and think, they both are leaders of the team and were paying for the hits to happen. So you could say they both were ringleaders. Thus they are equal. This isn’t about how much longer they can do their job it is about the act in question.

You do notice the that players that were accused of doing the hitting were suspended less.

I honestly don’t think the players win this one. It has to do with player safety, since there are lawsuits coming, it would kill those lawsuits if a judge or arbiter stated that the NFL is being too cautious, and right or wrong that is what it will come down to.

The PA also needs to think about they are opening themselves up for as well. If it goes to court that “evidence” will most likely come out, what happens when it is justifiable? The PA is on the wrong side of the majority of players, they chose to represent the players that were trying to hurt their own. How is that going to work?

You want to talk about someone drunk on power, look at De Smith. He is out of his league, keeps getting in deeper and deeper, and he keeps screwing over more and more players.

Fine, if that is how the union wants to play, if I were Goodell, who is trying to make the game safer from headhunters like the Saints, I would state the following:

The NFLPA is not interested in the safety of the players and demands that no punishment be levied on the players who participated in the bounty program and who, by their own actions, could have caused injuries and/or concussions to other NFL players.
Based on this, I declare that the NFL players who have played after August 4, 2011, have no right to claim any damages whatsoever from the NFL for any injuries, including concussions, that were incurred while on the playing field. This is because the NFLPA cannot allow the players to inflict harm on other players, then sue the NFL for damages on behalf of said players, but at the same time demand that the perpetrators are not punished.

The NFLPA cannot have it both freakin’ ways here. I would love to see the Republican members of Congress step in and protect the owners from this fiasco.

Lawyer move…take no real stand on the issue by argue points on all sides.

This isn’t if the helmet don’t fit you must aquit!

Nothing like this has never happened before. They are setting precedence for the actions taken. If anything… After the these issues are taken care of, Shell, Cottrell, and Burbank can do there jobs since they know the scope of the particular issue now.

You can blame the commissioner going hard on a team and is players after they lied to him when he first found out about the allegations.

Vilma and all these guys are lawyered up and would have us believe they are innocent when in fact one of there own, directly involved in it already testified and gave hard evidence this took place.

Notice the union did not even try to dispute the findings or evidence.

Since when is the NFL itself accountable to the NFLPA?
This is a clear example of how the inmates want to run the asylum, but when things go bad, they’ll put all the blame on the NFL.

Go back at the 2009 NFC championship game and look at Favre’s injuries. You don’t get that beat up by someone just sacking you. Some of those hits were done on purpose.

That’s why they are appealing.

By the way, Mike Golic (ESPN) looked up the suspended players penalties for the last THREE YEARS, and here is what he found for regular season games over that entire time period:

Vilma: 2 “unnecessary roughness” type penalties called against him (1 roughing the passer, 1 personal foul)

Will Smith: 1 Roughing the Passer, 0 personal fouls

Hargrove: No regular season “unnecessary roughness” type fouls. ZERO
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good point but, you will notice a rise in fouls during the playoffs out of this bunch, specifically during their super bowl run season, im not criticizing your point im just saying

They (PFT) again deleted my post!
I smell “collussion”!

This should be the end of the case! Furthermore, anybody who’s ever played Defense competitively knows that EVERY team, in EVERY sport targets the biggest threat on the opposing team. It may not be as elaborate as the Saints have put together, but this is simply Old Skool Football in Ncw School error. It’s a sign of the times.

We all understand why Goodell is being so hard on this issue and I think the coaches deserve the bulk of the punishment. But, the players don’t deserve the treatment they are getting at all! The only evidence that has been disclosed (apart from all the Game Film) is the pregame rhetoric from players and coaches. If you’re going to get mad at Vilma for slapping 10K on the table, then what about Reggie for caring a Bat shouting “Bring the Wood”. Who hasn’t had a coach tell them to “Kill” everybody on the other side of the ball?

My point, is where is the evidence on the field. The individual player penalties for the 2009-2011 seasons COMBINED…

Vilma: 2 “unnecessary roughness” type penalties called against him (1 roughing the passer, 1 personal foul). Vilma had a helmet to helmet on Eli back in 2009 that negated an INT.

Will Smith: 1 Roughing the Passer, 0 personal fouls

Hargrove: No regular season “unnecessary roughness” type fouls. ZERO

Hargrove had 2 roughing penalties in the 2009 playoffs (1 vs. the Vikings, 1 vs. the Colts).

Will Smith I’m willing to bet it was something silly like his hand hit the QBs helmet.

Hargrove got one for spearing Favre and the other was during the SB on a WR for a late hit. Late, but nothing that would be evidence of an intent to injure.

The real issue is whether there is evidence that Smith/Vilma or others intentionally tried to injure a player beyond the hard hitting that always happens. Did the Saints engage in ANYTHING on the field different than other teams that is indicative of dirty play for pay! It did NOT happen. Penalties and vicious hits happen every single week in the NFL and all players get usually is a fine and short suspension in extreme, repetitive cases.

The Saints are guilty of poor judgement clearly in throwing bounties into the motivational efforts of the coaches and for rhetoric perhaps a bit over the top, but they are NOT guilty of being a dirty football team. The penalties given IMO are beyond reason for merely rhetoric before games. If Mr. Goodell is so concerned with the players safety he should be giving out season long suspensions for the actual vicious hits that go on weekly. That would put a stop to those teams who cross the line with intentional efforts to injure someone.

That’s why they are appealing.

By the way, Mike Golic (ESPN) looked up the suspended players penalties for the last THREE YEARS, and here is what he found for regular season games over that entire time period:

Vilma: 2 “unnecessary roughness” type penalties called against him (1 roughing the passer, 1 personal foul)

Will Smith: 1 Roughing the Passer, 0 personal fouls

Hargrove: No regular season “unnecessary roughness” type fouls. ZERO

It is one of the benefits included when they pay their dues and they are entitled to it.