I can not believe this discussion is still going on, it is clear that what was happening in NO was a bounty system, however there is no proof to back this up that would stand up in a court of law.
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Do you remember what they are accused of? Targeting Favre, Warner, Rodgers, Newton. Holding$10,000 ($5000 in each hand) and offering to anyone who knocks Favre or Warner out of a game.

That is stating pretty specific stuff not to have evidence to back the statements.

At drew05 – So would the players. They would love nothing more than to be tried.

Also Judge Berrigan is from New York.

All of the above go beyond any imagined view of Saints fans “pay for performance.”

Gregg Williams has admitted, and then apologized for, unappropriate behavior since his early days in the NFL.

You folks claiming there’s no evidence…get with program, if this Saints fan Judge could find ANY way of clearing these players, she would have done it by now…she has admitted as much.

Judge Berrigan commented from the bench that she agrees that Vilma confessed, under oath, to participating in the bounty program as alleged by Goodell:

“it seems to me that there is a confluence here that what Mr. Goodell says Mr. Vilma did was in effect admitted at the hearing a couple weeks ago,”

Judge Berrigan is convinced the bounty program existed the way the NFL has contended all along. Game over.

All that remains are the issues related to the discipline and how it was meted out.

That’s all they have ever wanted. All they wanted it what they are entitled to under the CBA. Just because Roger thinks he can move everything under the “conduct detrimental” clause doesn’t mean that is what the CBA states.

The reason this case is in court is because the league is trying to interpret the CBA to state they don’t have to be fair with the players. The CBA allows Goodell to appoint a fair arbitrator, but he’s trying to hide behind his office.

I can’t understand how a fan of any team can’t seem to grasp that 10 players and coaches testified that there was no pay to injure scheme or bounties on players. That the league is the one trying to hide the truth by saying one thing in the court room and another thing in the media.

Goodell has assaulted the players name and reputation and hasn’t even produced ONE piece of damning evidence. He lied and said there were admissions.(Players and coaches all deny this)

He hand picks his puppets in the media to leak misleading and fabricated “evidence”. Then he counts on the simple minded fans of rival teams to spread out the tall tales he has spun.

The players refused to be a part of Goodells clown show the first time, because the league would not provide evidence the players could defend or disprove. But every piece of “evidence” leaked by Goodell to his puppets HAS been disproven.

The judge has already acknowledged that Goodell put on a sham hearing just for P.R. purposes and already acknowledged the players had no chance to defend themselves against Goodells Circus Courtroom.
Time to smackdown Goodell, and get ready for Mr. Benson to sue as well.

The judge has essentially determined that the players are innocent, or that there is insufficient evidence of wrongdoing. She is merely holding off judgment because of the ridiculous contract signed by the union. In addition, there are undertones that the ayers weren’t properly represented by counsel.

The nfl punishment process is a joke.

What’s funny is the reason they agreed to the current discipline process is because the NFLPA said that changing it would only affect a handful of players, and a few players getting punished isn’t worth disrupting the other players and game of football.

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At this point it’s only partly about the suspensions. It’s now also about the fact that Goodell has let the genie out of the bottle and, with the help of ESPN and friends, completely asassinated their character.

It’s obvious just looking at the comments that a portion of the public believes that Vilma is dirty even Roger Goodell has yet to prove it.

You can count on the NFL doing whatever it takes to conduct the hearings; otherwise, Goodell will get hammered by a THIRD-PARTY arbitrator since he has NO evidence to present.

It’s a violent game and the commissioner cannot produce any evidence other than pay-for-performance, which was prevalent with all 32 teams.

But the union and the players refused to do so.

This could just be the nail in the players coffin as far as Berrigan is concerned.

It was in the best interest of the players for them to participate in a reopen the appeal but the NFLPA isn’t interested in what’s best for the players, they are only interested in a scorched earth policy regarding the enemy (the NFL).

It’s clear that DeSmith really hates everything the NFL stands for and fortunately for him, he was elected to a position in which he has free reign to do whatever he wants about it.

I would reject such response from the Union as well if I am the NFL Counsel. That is just utter rubbish. If I accord you a second hearing, then what transpired during that second hearing can and will be used during the trial as well. Now to me this is clear there’s conflict with Kessler.