Comments on: Tagliabue shows Goodell the way to implement a culture change

By: dukemarc

dukemarc — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:16:06 +0000

Easy for Tags to say – since he ran a league that cared little about player safety or accountability. He was a joke as disciplinarian while he was Commish – he only cared about how big the TV contracts were.

By: essentialsausage

essentialsausage — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:38:14 +0000

Tagliabue didn’t give a damn about player safety while he was commissioner. He would have looked like a huge hypocrite had he upheld the suspensions of the Saints players. He never should have been the one to arbitrate this.

By: aintasinner

aintasinner — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:47:15 +0000

juddstir, are you calling for a bounty on Brees? What a hypocrite! You chastise Saints fans for “crying” over the bounty allegations and you essentially call for one on Brees? It would be “cool”? Say what you want about Brees but you can’t say he has ever caused injury to another player but it would be “cool” to see it happen to him? You are a prime example of the pot calling the kettle black. And if karma does exist, just maybe you get your wish only it won’t be Brees who gets injured but rather, someone you care about. Disgusting!

By: godofwine330

godofwine330 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:39:04 +0000

In the words of Michael Kelso…”BURN!”

By: sb44champs

sb44champs — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:33:55 +0000

Why does ‘thejuddstir’ hate the Saints so much?
He’s either a Vikings or a Falcons fan, lol!!!

By: sb44champs

sb44champs — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:21:15 +0000

“Careful examination of the 22-page, single-spaced ruling generated by Tagliabue definitely confirms that Tagliabue has indeed tried to insulate Goodell from liability for defamation, if for no reason other than to insulate Tagliabue’s law firm from losing one of its most important clients.”
===============================
Um, last time I checked, this constitutes a major ‘conflict of interest’ and thats why Tags will never admit that the Saints did absolutely nothing wrong!!!

By: dryzzt23

dryzzt23 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:45:15 +0000

Oh by the way, to clear this up: Goodell works for the OWNERS, he is not accountable to the damn players.

By: dryzzt23

dryzzt23 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:41:14 +0000

“The coach/management made me do it” defense is now en vogue with NFL players. Personal responsibility, knowing right from wrong, sports ethics, it’s all out the window now b/c players WILL lay the blame on a coach, GM, or owner from here on out.

The players paint themselves as “victims” yet they are part of the 1% that Obama hates so much, yet he will defend them b/c they are part of a union. These same players rail against Goodell for trying to implement safety measures to protect them from injuries BUT then these same players will play the “victim” card and sue the NFL after they retire by crying “oh woe is me, I didn’t know that I could get hurt by playing pro football, oh pity me”

I am on the side of the owners and management, WHO looks out for THEM? Nobody that’s who. Owners are the damn MINORITY!

Go owners and good job Goodell, these players EARNED their punishment. All Tags did was ensure that the tail (players) wag the dog (the NFL).

By: bmacwillconn

bmacwillconn — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:36:19 +0000

Goodell did warn the Saints about bounties. They ignored his directives. He punched hard due to enormity of pending lawsuit that workplace is unsafe and NFL does not protect it’s players. Goodell will gladly take the faux public rebuke from Tagliabue because it strenghtens his claim that the league aggressively protects players from unsafe working conditions.

Rest assured Tagliabue’s report is going right into the NFL’s defense folder to be front and center as evidence of league commitment to player safety at upcoming trial.

Well played Paul and Roger. Well played.

By: hor2012

hor2012 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:30:05 +0000

rhodeislandpatriotsfan

You of all people shouldn’t be standing on your moral highground soap box. You tape a practice of the Rams the night before the superbowl. And, it was a game you won by a FG. So, you shouldn’t post anything about someone breaking the rules

By: hor2012

hor2012 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:26:53 +0000

thejuddstir

If you ask anyone else besides you with one ounce of common sense they would say the PT pretty much said that this was much to do about nothing. Oh, and sense you seem to be lacking in the common sense department, I am a life long Saints fan and proud to be one. But, that’s not the reason I defending my team. The reason I’m defending them is because they were wronged. No one in their right mind is suggesting that nothing happened. But, what I am saying and will continue to say is that it was and despited this issue is probably still happening around the league.

So, you continue to post your thoughts but I promise when the dust clears from all of this the league will be the one that is showed to be a fault here, not the Saints

By: hehateme2

hehateme2 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 11:55:48 +0000

Pats were cheaters, period. Don’t try to hijack this thread with your homerism.

By: j0esixpack

j0esixpack — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:48:11 +0000

A fresh look at Spygate should also be in order.

Belichick broke a new rule, instituted in 2006 in 2007 regarding the placement of signal filming cameras.

Signal filming remains as common today as it was then and for 50 years before (that’s why coordinators cover their mouths folks) yet Goodell acts as if this is the crime of the century, and clueless fans believe him.

It’s Goodell who threatens the integrity of the game by consistently using a hammer to diffuse a time bomb.

By: drgreenstreak

drgreenstreak — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:28:23 +0000

@ ilovefoolsball

Put the mirror down!

By: drgreenstreak

drgreenstreak — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:25:05 +0000

At least Roger got some of the jerkwad coaches.
All this has resulted in retreating from sympathy and adoration for the Saints revival after Katrina to disdain for the rancid underworld that was the Saints coaching philosophy. They lost a lot of folks. Drew Brees sells less than half the jerseys he once did. It all stinks.

By: tincansailor981

tincansailor981 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:58:03 +0000

Well written summary of conclusions Mr. commissioner. Did the Saints run a program that violated league policy? Yes. Was it intended to hurt anyone? Perhaps. Did anyone actually get hurt? Are you kidding? We’re talking about the Saints defense – no. We’re the punishments knee jerk, way too severe and arbitrary? Without a doubt. Will God-dell learn anything from this? Nope.

By: allseeingone

allseeingone — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:25:23 +0000

Rozelle eased in penalties for steroid use for one reason: The owners would have went bonkers if half the players in the league were suspended. The owners and coaches were well aware that their players were supplementing. They actually encouraged them to do it.

By: manningbowl88

manningbowl88 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:16:23 +0000

musicman495 says:
Dec 11, 2012 11:43 PM

“If there was no hit, you must acquit.”
______

LOL..

bring back taggggs!

By: ilovefoolsball

ilovefoolsball — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:09:02 +0000

@thejuddstir
____
your comments are always the most entertaining*.
I hope that you can one day move out of your parent’s house so that we can see your comments from an adult’s perspective.

Believe.

By: jaggedmark

jaggedmark — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:48:19 +0000

“Just in time for the Hall of Fame final vote, which you’re part of, eh Paul?”

By: andyvictory

andyvictory — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:36:57 +0000

I have infinte ammounts of respect for every true class act in the NFL, to grow up in that twisted, sometimes coddled universe and become a role model/leader takes a lot of strength and will power. Only the best of human beings are capable. Bounty-gate is obnoxious (getting back on topic)

By: andyvictory

andyvictory — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:29:34 +0000

Other than Saints fans (for legitimate reasons), does anyone really care about Bounty-gate anymore? To the media and the other 31 fan bases it is just an attention-seeking springboard. Let it work itself out in the legal system, and give us FOOTBALL rather than crooked business. The problem with “football culture” DOES NOT STEM FROM THE NFL, it starts in middle schools nationwide. I went to a PA powerhouse high school a looonnng time ago. Those kids were worshipped like gods from age 14 on, and many of them came out so pampered and damaged from it that they never learned how to function in a civilized manner off the field (aside from a guy who got cut by the jets, none of them came remotely close to going pro). Then we blast these same people for being scummy individuals after signing an 80 mil contract…. what do you expect!!!!. This league wouldn’t have to constantly soften itself if more of the athletes (F.O. and staff alike) had heart, admirable work ethic, and were grateful, rather than being born and bred to feel so entitled and elite.

By: upperdecker19

upperdecker19 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:11:22 +0000

Can Tags add a couple of paragraphs as to Goodell being oblivious to the fact that nearly EVERYONE hates the idea of a permanent team in London and the 18 game schedule?

By: hauts81

hauts81 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:10:49 +0000

Tagliabue’s storytelling is meaningless. Goodell didn’t drop the hammer right away. He told the Saints to knock it off and they didn’t.

By: christopher525

christopher525 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:07:57 +0000

Alright, saying that there were “never warnings” is a bit much. There was an incident in 2007 involving bounties, although less related to injuries, when the league stated boynties were not allowed. That would be 5 years prior to these suspensions. Pretty sure that’s longer than Rozelle’s one year steroid rule.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/packers/2007-11-26-nfl-ruling_N.htm

By: tabdanger

tabdanger — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 06:48:39 +0000

Goodell will be fine in the long run, remember Rozell took a major hit to the chin a few times from Al Davis, most notably losing to him in court and having to hand him the Super Bowl trophy has to be a bit more humiliating

By: Wolfgang Depner

Wolfgang Depner — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 06:47:52 +0000

This ruling plays right into the hands of the players who are suing the league for negligence. By going after the Saints, Goddell was hoping to defuse the substantative charge that the league was not serious about protecting the health of players. Now, they will be able to argue that pay-for-performance programs have existed for sometime, only that the league went about dealing with them in the wrong way. Phrased differently, the NFL failed on two counts. Not only did the league look the other way when it came to such programs, it was also inept about preventing them. In short, the NFL handed its legal opponents a substantative and procedural victory. Bad news for Goddell, bad news for the NFL.

By: fflnick

fflnick — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 06:00:45 +0000

Tagliabue is clearly saying the Saints leadership pushed and developed this culture. The players followed the Saints leadership as they are expected and encouraged bounties.
He is also saying enough is enough. The standoff is hurting the league and just encourages the players to dig their cleats in further on their position. Goodell was looking for a way out of this by appointing Tagliabue.
Tagliabue accomplished that.

By: str8cashomie2

str8cashomie2 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 05:49:49 +0000

Florio I know you like to talk like your opinion is fact judge jury and executioner but I think this is all just a money play…it always is…goodell takes a little public heat from tags to drive home the point that this was an overreaction by the league in the name of protecting player safety (lawsuits) …goodell, as the job description often calls for, just takes the heat in a contrived statement that essentially tries to drive home the idea that the league and commish will defend plate safety to the upmost, at an almost brazen rate. You don’t think there wasn’t a meeting of the minds before tagliabue put this out?

By: silentcount

silentcount — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 05:32:57 +0000

Suspending the head coach for one game has never been done, let alone for a whole year. Goodell tried to justify this by blowing the whole bounty thing way up bigger than it actually was. Instead of anyone actually gettting injured, it was a few players talking tough in a pregame pep rally. Big deal. Perhaps he could have fined Sean Payton some big bucks, but to kill the chance of the Saints from having a competitive season, was punishing everyone else who had nothing to do with it. Goodell owes the Saints for the cruel and unusual punishment he bullied them with.