Comments on: NFL, Tagliabue want to prevent release of bounty hearing transcript

By: stevemdlthn

stevemdlthn — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 22:13:02 +0000

We will see the documents when it goes back to the judge….. She won’t protect Goodell……Going to watch the Superbowl just to watch the fans heckle Goodell. It’s going to be epic.

By: bayouranch

bayouranch — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:32:50 +0000

50,000 pages of evidence, now we see what a big LIE THAT WAS

By: bayouranch

bayouranch — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:23:05 +0000

LOL, more dancing with words and HIDING THE TRUTH

just admit you were wrong, there was no bounty and move on Goodell

By: phinfan84

phinfan84 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:12:07 +0000

Tagliabue’s jacket in this pic is detrimental to my eyes

By: kenstabler

kenstabler — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:39:25 +0000

Look at this picture, two love bird lawyers. OH, they will save the game. No Way.

By: cwwgk

cwwgk — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:27:08 +0000

@mrlaloosh: I’m quite familiar the U.S. Constitution. It’s the primary subject matter of my vocation. Perhaps if you had a better understanding yourself of its contents and interpretations you might comprehend why I mentioned the judicial system in my comment.

By: electionconfidential

electionconfidential — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:18:55 +0000

Now we know why they call it “The Shield”.

By: justintuckrule

justintuckrule — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:04:10 +0000

Vilma will subpoena it in his defamation suit

By: saintsfan26

saintsfan26 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:52:40 +0000

Simply put:

The New Orleans Saints are and will always be the 2009 World Champions and there ain’t a damn thing anybody can do about it. Keep on hating the Saints. We still have our rings and our trophy, and they are shining brighter than ever with not a single blemish on them.

By: mrlaloosh

mrlaloosh — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:33:14 +0000

cwwgk, “no one” has the right to see transcripts for a private companies dealing. Are you nuts.
Ever heard of the U S Constitution? I believe that trumps any company’s so call secretive rights involving misconduct by management.
This is not Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union. Americans do have rights no matter what you think.

By: calv23

calv23 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:25:23 +0000

It sounds like Vitt was being honest when he said that his original testimony didn’t cover some gray areas. So when he went back the second time and elaborated more on the gray areas, Goodell & Tags played “gotcha” and used this as proof that the entirety of his testimony was invalid.

And now it’s rumored that his testimony was the most damaging. Hmmm…

By: 6thsense79

6thsense79 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:16:51 +0000

Vilma will and probably should push for the release of the transcript in his defamation suit. If the league offers to settle rather than fight then we’d know who really thinks they’re guilty.

By: kenstabler

kenstabler — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:10:31 +0000

This is so awesome to see the lawyers and the NFL try and take cover for their stupid mistakes. Yep, AL Davis is loving this. But give me those draft picks back AL, and Mark.

By: seamhereseamthere

seamhereseamthere — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:50:20 +0000

Whats the point of releasing the transcripts?

Neither the players, coaches, or the team management will look good. No one’s mind is going to be changed. Those that view this “pay for performance” program as a “bounty” program won’t change their minds-and vice versa.

For the record, any team that gives it’s players cash rewards in the event an opposition player is ‘carted off the field’ (irregardless if a flag is thrown on the play) is guilty of reckless and unsportsmanlike behavior. The fact that some (most?) Saint’s fans can’t grasp this is understandable. Why a fan of any other team can’t see this simple truth is unfathomable.

By: Beezo-Doo-doo-Zippity-Bop-bop-bop

Beezo-Doo-doo-Zippity-Bop-bop-bop — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:39:15 +0000

I have to agree with cwwgk and I find it amusing that so many posters and writers still think they are entitled to see any of these private documents.

By: sb44champs

sb44champs — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:03:31 +0000

If the ‘sheild’ has nothing to hide, then why not release the testimony??? Sounds like that sheild is now ‘tarnished’ just like the Saints 2012 season.

By: eyeh8goodell

eyeh8goodell — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:00:52 +0000

Of course the NFL doesn’t want it released….because transcripts can’t be turned into paragraphs full of legal-ese to sugar coat just how bad the NFL and Goodell in particular got it handed to them. The NFL never dreamed these guys would stand up and fight for themselves, much less so publicly and boldly. Hubris. Money=power. Power corrupts every single time.

I’m glad Vilma will continue with his defamation lawsuit.

By: nispikers

nispikers — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:37:17 +0000

“As a result of Vitt’s admissions and conflicting testimonies, I find that any attribution made by him cannot be given particular weight.”
This quote from Tagliabue’s ruling bothers me.
In the last paragraph of the ruling, there is quite a bit of confusion if Jonathan Vilma ACTUALLY ever was holding or put up 10,000.00. But according to Cerullo’s sworn statement, Vilma had 2 “five stacks”, assumed by Cerullo to be two 5,000.00 stacks of $100 bills. He, in his sworn statement, said he gave that money to Williams. So now there is even a question of whether Vilma actually offered a “bounty” during that meeting. Tags has a problem decerning whether that was “just talk” before a huge game or something different. But Tags has said that Vitt’s testimony was conflicting. Things that make you go hmmmmm!

By: brenenostler

brenenostler — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:15:01 +0000

Honestly, I don’t think they should release it. Just think about it. It would probably endanger the jobs and safety of some of these these people and destroy their public image if everyone in the country were able to see it.

By: fuglyflorio

fuglyflorio — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:14:17 +0000

Damage control and preserving the image. They buried the Patriots cheating scandal evidence too. Both are guilty as sin … except in the eys of their fans, to whom no evidence will ever be enough.

By: goodellgate

goodellgate — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:12:15 +0000

Still a sham..

And obviously, when Cerrullo and Williams’ testimonies contradict each other, Tagliablue has no problem “giving their attribution weight”.

By: hor2012

hor2012 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:11:54 +0000

What’s the point of not releasing everything. If you release everything then those who are pro Saints like me and anti Saints can view what was said. And, one way or the other we can form our own conclusions about this.

By: joetoronto

joetoronto — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:11:30 +0000

Tagliabue was a wimp, is a wimp and will always be a wimp.

By: cwwgk

cwwgk — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:05:03 +0000

I certainly would find the transcripts interesting. But I hope they don’t get released. As this site correctly, and often, points out the remaining disputes are really ones of semantics. All the pertinent facts have come to light. Where everyone differs is in their interpretation and opinions of these facts.

The league is a private enterprise entitled to its own discipline process. To force the league to air its dirty laundry would defeat one of the main purposes of collective bargaining agreements: private control over the operation of its business.

The NFL is not the federal or a state government. Despite the impression of many, the league is not required to protect virtually any of its players constitutional rights. There is no basis or need for outside oversight of the manner in which the league imposes internal discipline.

No one outside the NFL, and potentially the judicial system, has any legal right to the information in question.

Absolutely no one.

By: justsayin973

justsayin973 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:04:20 +0000

Regardless of Tags vacating all suspensions he did not as a neutral arbitrator, he acted as the NFL’s atty. His priority was less about the truth & more about minimizing the NFL’s liability. Boy how I would love the testimonies & evidence used publicly released. However, in the spirit of minimizing liability that will ever happen & they’ll do everything possible to prevent it from happening. One has to wonder why, what are they hiding?

By: melecoaze

melecoaze — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:58:49 +0000

If what they are saying is the truth, why fear it?

By: samurai3939

samurai3939 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:56:10 +0000

Another failure by goodell. If he had any faith in his rulings he would release all of the transcripts.

By: ilovefoolsball

ilovefoolsball — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:52:22 +0000

I sincerely doubt that the NFL wants to keep the transcripts secret because they want to protect Joe Vitt’s character.
They care not about anyone’s character except their own.
There is no question that there are statements in that testimony that are downright damaging to the NFL.

By: jamaltimore

jamaltimore — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:48:43 +0000

Fire Goddell! Fire Goddell. He’s starting to make Gary Bettman look like good commish.

By: saints97

saints97 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:45:34 +0000

Well there’s a big shocker. The NFL will not let anyone see any of their evidence. This sounds familiar.