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there has been no evidence presented to support that there were any bounties on anyone!!!

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Not that it would matter if there was. The players unions are in a constant conflict-of-interest when it comes to suspension cases. Guys fail drug tests, get arrested (even convicted) and the union will always file an appeal for them, despite the fact the rule-abiding union members are negatively impacted by the rule-breaker’s actions. (In the case of PEDs, the clean union members are literally losing jobs to the dirty union members. Yet only the dirty guys get any help from the union.) It’s such a crazy system, rule-abiding players must at times wonder what good the union does for them at all.

Vilma was informed that he was suspended via a news report from ESPN. The NFL did not give him an opportunity to meet with Goodell before he made his decision. In fact, after being informed that he had been suspended, Vilma made several requests for meetings with Goodell, on the condition that Goodell provide Vilma with the so-called evidence against him. The NFL refused to provide the evidence in advance of the meeting; so, there was no meeting.

Additionally, the players did not participate in the sham appeal because doing so would be a waiver of their right to seek relief via the court system.

The judge has publicly stated she wants to rule in favor of the players but has yet to do so. That is likely because she has not found a legal basis to justify that ruling. That doesn’t mean the league is 100% in the right but points to the players hurting their own cause with their defiance and contempt of the agreed upon process.

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there has been no evidence presented to support that there were any bounties on anyone!!! Why don’t these people understand this? Goodell said there was but there is nothing else to support this allegation. The decision to punish these players and coaches is to save face for the NFL against the pending concussion lawsuits. Stop drinking the koolaid and look at the facts. It just doesn’t add up.

While from a practical perspective this may make sense, that’s not how it’s seen in labor law.

For example (and I acknowledge this isn’t occuring here) if the Union breached its duty of fair represenation of the players each would need to have separate attorneys.

While the interests of the NFLPA and the players are in line on the essential issue of arguing against the suspensions, that does not mean their *interest* is always the same. Wanting the same end result does not mean that both of the interests will be equally represented.

That was their appeals process.

They were suspended. When they were offered an opportunity to appeal it, they ignored it, and took it to “phase 2″ (court)

They dont trust Goodell, and think they are being persecuted. They blew their own opportunity. There should be no mediation. What is there to mediate?

There was no pay for injury plan. The 4 players did not do what Goodell accused them of doing. They did NOT try to injure their fellow union members. They were rewarded for good hard, LEGAL, and WITHIN THE RULES hits.

So if they were not seeking to injure their fellow members, then there can be no conflict of interest.