They didn’t say he was wrong, they said they weren’t sure that he was completely right. So they told him what he needed to do in order to be completely right.

You are correct, he can’t say anything about money changing hands. Which both good and bad for the players. Good because it means that he has to revise what he said, and theoretically it means that he needs to start over and redo the hearing fairly. It is very bad because now all he has to do is prove how being a member a pay for play system can be detrimental, since then all of those lawsuits from former players are clear evidence that it is detrimental, and the biggest problem for them is that he can now use all that has been said in the media since then – you know the whole “we weren’t part of a bounty system only a pay for play” as well as Judge Berrigan saying that a Pay for Play system is the same as a bounty system.

This really became easier for Goodell.

He can just say that the players admitted to partaking in a pay for play system (which they did to the world) and since he was applying the suspensions for player safety, and the current lawsuits show that what they players were doing is a clear detriment to the league.

And that Berrigan has no chance at all of overturning and having it stick.

The process in and of itself is and was applied fairly. The players didn’t take part in it. You have to play the game to have a chance at a fair game, if you forfeit, you have no chance and that is what the players did.

Blame Goodell all you want, but know that it was the players that didn’t play by the rules not Goodell. Evidence was to be shown at the hearing – that none of the players attended.

At the appeal hearing, he only needed to show them the evidence that he used in order to form his opinion. All of that showing that the evidence was contrived or whatever is what they should’ve been doing at the hearing they skipped, not in the public forums.

Remember when dealing with a judge it is his perception that he need to worry about, or a juries, not the public. They chose not to at either turn.

Remember the process was agreed upon by the players and the league. It doesn’t matter what we the fans think, they agreed on something that they viewed as fair. All 4 of those players signed that agreement, so they agreed that it was fair. Their problem not Goodell’s.

You have a lot of catching up to do on this story. He already did go the conduct detrimental route – that’s why his verdict was overturned in NY by the panel that is set up and paid by the NFL. He was the one violating the CBA – not the players. Now, according to Friday’s ruling, he can not bring pay into the conversation at all (it falls under salary cap and thus into another’s jurisdiction). He has to prove “intent to injure” which he has not been able to do thus far.

Berrigan did not rule – she has set the cases before her aside rather than dismissing them. Goodell will have to tread carefully with a federal judge looking over his shoulder. All the fans or players want is a fair process.

Sad….football was once a man’s game; now instead of standing up and telling the truth, they scurry and hide behind their lawyers….

And if he does punish for detrimental conduct, the players can complain and whine all they want to in court, but it is fully in Goodell’s power to suspend the players for that reasoning- which will make it nearly impossible (only possible because the court case was filed in Louisiana) to get the suspensions overturned.

If the players really had legal standing before (not just a technicality of the CBA on their side), Berrigan wouldn’t have had to take so long to make a decision.

The members of the defense testified, while missing the first day of training camp in a FEDERAL COURTROOM, that the accusation of Vilma holding up 10,000 and waving it around never happened.

According to NFL’s statements in the appeal that this accusation was made by Vitt, Ornstein, Williams and the unnamed witness. Vitt and Ornstein both made statements ASAP stating that they had said no such thing. Williams can’t / won’t talk and the “unnamed witness” well that speaks for itself as far as credibility goes.

Yes, their testimony counts!

Ginsberg is an attorney? He makes the above public remark and expects not to alienate the Commissioner? Mr. Goodell has all the leverage. Here how it unfolds. The Commissioner agrees to meet with Vilma and Ginsberg if they agree to allow any and all information provided and discussed to be used in any pending and future cases related to this situation. Otherwise Vilma will be deemed uncooperative and a hindrance to any further investigation.

I anticipate another forthcoming suspension based clearly and exclusively on conduct detrimental to the game. The reasoning is all within the realm and authority of the Commissioner’s office. Vilma needs a new legal representative.

“The league needs to really evaluate the “credibility of its evidence and witnesses. Remember Vilma had many witnesses testify in Federal Court that there was no pay to injure program. If all Roger has is evidence of a pay for performance program (which I think most folks concede happened) the league will not look good and Judge Berrigan might grant the injunction.”

FYI – it has been widely reported that in Judge Berrigan’s opinion (and she is the judge that is presiding over this) the “pay for performance” that you and the players have admitted to – is a bounty.

Vilma’s “witnesses” really didn’t testify to anything that vindicates him, or the other players, of anything.

As long as Berrigan uses her own publically stated opinion that a “pay for performance” program that targets specific players is in fact a bounty – Vilma and his buddies are rightfully subject to suspensions.

What does that say about the players, they kept asking for evidence to be shown but they want it only in private, does that mean that they have been posturing the whole time?

If I were the players, and if I were innocent, I would be asking for the meetings to show evidence and that it be in the open.

Hiding anything now, makes them look guilty. Be careful what you wish for.