SO what do you do? Do you take a deal you don’t agree with and don’t want so you can get paid, or do you fight the righteous fight and put your self in the poor house?

There’s this really nifty thing they can do in a situation like that…it’s called redacting. And yes, the NFL knows all about, because they’ve used it in this case already. So not giving up evidence to protect a whistleblower is a non-starter as an excuse.

–The name of the whistleblower was leaked to the press months ago. If I remember correctly, some of Vilma’s legal documents even reference the guy’s name because he is on the list of witnesses Vilma asked the NFL to provide at the appeal. In other words, there was no one left to protect. However, even if the name was known publically, the NFL may be obligated by federal law not to release or confirm his name under whistleblower protections. Still, the NFL could have provided information to Vilma without releasing the name.

Very shrewd move, go for the delay not the deferral. I wonder if they gave “forestall” or”put-off” or “more time” serious consideration…brilliant work though…

Couldn’t another reason he did not wish to grant Vilma’s request to see the evidence be that he did not want to release information about a whistle blower?

I’m not saying that’s certainly the case, but it strikes me as entirely reasonable. What about you?

If the players don’t like it, they have to put up with it for 9 more years, and then can negotiate to change the process.

Really? They have made several. My personal fav getting the year wrong on Fujita’s discipline letter.

Goodell came out in early March and said, basically, that the players and coaches were guilty and would be punished.

The NFL players association asked Goodell on March 7 to wait for them to do their own investigation. Goodell would not share evidence or agree to wait, but, he waits almost 60 days anyway before announcing player punishments.

During the 60 days, he mentions in the press a few times and at an owners meeting that he knows that players will be punished, but that he still wants to meet with them before announcing punishments.

Also during that 60 days, Vilma, in particular, says he will gladly meet with the commissioner so long as the commissioner will share what evidence he has so that Vilma can have a chance to explain his position. The commissioner will not provide any evidence. So, Vilma refuses to meet.

The coaches all meet with Goodell at the appeals hearing, all deny the bounty program, and get hammered by Goodell anyway. Vilma, seeing that the coaches stood no chance, seeing that the NFL won’t even wait the full 72 hour window after providing evidence, and even then seeing that it only provided a very, very small portion of the evidence…well, Vilma decides to file a lawsuit.

I do not fully understand why the judge wants this information. It is clear from multiple interviews that Goodell had decided in advance of announcing the punishments that the players were guilty. It was a HUGE deal when he announced the program. So, to me, Vilma’s notion that the commissioner had made his mind up about guilt/innocence in advance of the appeal has some merit. However, it also seems clear that Goodell, for whatever reason, still wanted to talk to the players before handing out the punishments.

As I see it, Goodell wanted to give them zero evidence, but call them into his office and have them admit to the bounties and throw themselves at the feet of the commish and ask for mercy. He wanted to leave a window open to lessen the punishments if someone would admit to guilt. Getting an admission of guilt would be the last part of his “investigation” and that’s why he wanted to talk to the players (but not give out any evidence). He want’s looking for an explanation; he was looking for a confession. So, the investigation did continue, although his mind was already made up as to guilt and innocence. Vilma decided not to participate in what he saw as a sham investigation and appeals system.

It’s the system NFLPA agreed on. So have the players whine to/about their NFLPA rep and NFLPA in general.
They are the ones who gave Goodell the powers now they whine he is using.
And did the FBI guy finish his investigation already?

Anyone smell pants burning?

And as someone said announcing and deciding are two seperate things. Of course you can’t announce something if you haven’t already decided it.

On top of all that, all Saints fans want, is everyone who crucified us in March to admit that maybe the NFL lied a little to them to try and railroad their agenda. Everything else is a wash, and I don’t care. But it hurt more than anything to see a whole league of fans viciously condemn a whole organization/fanbase based on a liar’s ‘leaked’ ‘facts’ that turned out to be absolute bold faced lies. We just want vindication.

On March 26 at the owners meeting Goodell says: As I said, I like before I make any decisions to hear from the players. I obviously listen to them and respect their opinion and I would like to hear from the NFLPA before making any decisions

and

he’s still investigating the situation to determine proper punishment.

In April Anthony Hargrove submits a statement and he was punished based on that statement

then

Goodell tells Rich Eisen in regards to player punishment:
That he wants to understand what is going on, his initial focus was on the coaches

—Ok either he told the truth in his declaration or every other time he spoke (and the Hargrove thing is a bad dream)

But he can’t have it both ways

You forgot Mary Blow claimed you could see Hargrove’s lips moving in the video too..

Goodell could have just called Benson and said cut it out for real, or we will nail you to the wall.

No, he did all this instead. What a fool.
————————-

Except the Saints WERE warned during the bounty period. Just like the Packers with their pay-for-performance scheme. The league said “stop this now.” The Packers stopped it. The Saints just kept on going and tried to cover it up.

And now you’re crying because they got caught and punished. Poor little Saints fan.

Saints have submitted four sworn statements stating there was no bounty program. The confessions by the coaches are for pay-for-performance, not pay-for-injury.

The haters have their agenda, and they aren’t going to let the facts get in their way.

March 21st – Organization and Coaches punished

March 30th – NFL request to interview Vilma

April 2nd – Vilma accepts if NFL provides materials gathered to prepare for and understand the scope of the interview, also he was willing to share his knowledge regarding the PFP program

April 5th – NFL denies request

SO, Why should Vilma meet with Goodell if he had already decided the punishments for the players by March 21st.?. Wouldnt that be predetermined judgement prior to hearing Vilma’s side?

Not sure what I am missing here..

I think that Berrigan stating that pay for play is still a bounty system is huge. That should eliminate the defamation because Vilma in his numerous flip-flops stated that he was part of a pay for play system.

Regarding the bounties being part of a cap issue, who cares. Bounties are against the CBA. Even if you take that and make it go to Burbank, Goodell has all of the dead to rights with regards to lying to the league about being part of the system (when they initially denied it), and when they didn’t stop when they were initially told to cease and desist.

By the way, all of the parts I just mentioned were confirmed by the team and the players. They admitted that they were part of a pay for play system after saying that there was no system in place. And it was admitted by the coaches and team officials that the system was still in place, and then the players verified that they were still participating in it.

Why are we still talking about this?