This is maybe a fight by the union and Brady to diminish the power of the Commish over the players. Something the union gave up in their last CBA. Which gives the Commish the power to make these decisions. They agreed to it. But now they're trying to find legal loopholes to get around it when things don't go their way. It's a total distraction and hurts the entire NFL and it's long term financial growth. People are getting tired of this stuff. Instead of watching football on Sundays they might actually go out and do something constructive. The bottom line for the union: in the next agreement with the NFL make a better deal.
it does call more light on the NFL to diminish their monopoly. It could explode. But the NFL Bylaws prevent one franchise suing the league now. THe AL David rule. I'd love to see what comes of this
In this capitalist org (the NFL) the prime asset is the players. And they do have a lot more power than most workers. Of course they could start their own league, the NRL-No Rules League.
One of my basic precepts on life, something I didn't come up with myself but certainly accords with my life experience, is that you can't count on people to do the right thing for themselves. Yes, if you try to predict what someone else might do, a good place to start is by identifying what would be the best thing for them to do in a given situation. And people in fact often do what is best for them. Self interest encourages that, quite obviously. But you can't count on people doing the best for themselves. People make mistakes in assessing what is best, or in some cases think they KNOW the best think to do without really engaging in any reasonable analysis. Here I think it obvious the whole Patsie organization suffers from a combination of arrogance with a persecution complex. They literally begin with the view that anyone questioning them is doing so without legitimate reasons. Having that view, they don't feel the need to aske themselves if there is any legitimacy involved. It's really fascinating watching them. Their whole organization suffers from a psychological dysfunction that ends up leading them to self destructive actions. Same for their fans. Don't mistake their arrogance and claims of not caring wht others think. They do, and inside this is destructive. It is destructive of their moral sense, of their sense of comfort within the social order of NFL fans, even of being part of the country as a whole. One doesn't want to make too much of this, but there is certainly something destructive going on in their fanbase.
Except they don't have stadiums and it would take 5 years to build a sponsor base and no one is giving up 5 years for an ideal. The league is the players but they can't do it without the owners and the NFL machine. _
That one I had never heard but you're 100% right. And it's major in terms of him destroying a phone that had incriminating evidence after saying he always destroys his previous phones. http://www.boston.com/sports/footba...-cell-phone/IVoxlgutjomYLDA4t8RFAL/story.html
The only thing that matters in the NFL is winning. What kind of trophy do teams get for having class?
Kraft's statement. I felt it was important to make a statement today, prior to the start of training camp. After this, I will not be talking about this matter until after the legal process plays itself out, and I would advise everyone in the organization to do the same and just concentrate on preparation for the 2015 season. The decision handed down by the league yesterday is unfathomable to me. It is routine for discipline in the NFL to be reduced upon appeal. In the vast majority of these cases, there is tangible and hard evidence of the infraction for which the discipline is being imposed, and still the initial penalty gets reduced. Six months removed from the AFC championship game, the league still has no hard evidence of anybody doing anything to tamper with the PSI levels of footballs. I continue to believe and unequivocally support Tom Brady. I first and foremost need to apologize to our fans, because I truly believe what I did in May, given the actual evidence of the situation and the league’s history on discipline matters, would make it much easier for the league to exonerate Tom Brady. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The league’s handling of this entire process has been extremely frustrating and disconcerting. I will never understand why an initial erroneous report regarding the PSI level of footballs was leaked by a source from the NFL a few days after the AFC championship game, [and] was never corrected by those who had the correct information. For four months, that report cast aspersions and shaped public opinion. Yesterday’s decision by Commissioner was released in a similar manner, under an erroneous headline that read, “Tom Brady destroyed his cellphone.” This headline was designed to capture headlines across the country and obscure evidence regarding the tampering of air pressure in footballs. It intentionally implied nefarious behavior and minimized the acknowledgement that Tom provided the history of every number he texted during that relevant time frame. And we had already provided the league with every cellphone of every non-NFLPA that they requested, including head coach Bill Belichick. Tom Brady is a person of great integrity, and is a great ambassador of the game, both on and off the field. Yet for reasons that I cannot comprehend, there are those in the league office who are more determined to prove that they were right rather than admit any culpability of their own or take any responsibility for the initiation of a process and ensuing investigation that was flawed. I have come to the conclusion that this was never about doing what was fair and just. Back in May, I had to make a difficult decision that I now regret. I tried to do what I thought was right. I chose not to take legal action. I wanted to return the focus to football. I have been negotiating agreements on a global basis my entire life. I know there are times when you have to give up important points of principle to achieve a greater good. I acted in good faith and was optimistic that by taking the actions I took the league would have what they wanted. I was willing to accept the harshest penalty in the history of the NFL for an alleged ball violation because I believed it would help exonerate Tom. I have often said, ‘If you want to get a deal done, sometimes you have to get the lawyers out of the room.’ I had hoped that Tom Brady’s appeal to the league would provide Roger Goodell the necessary explanation to overturn his suspension. Now, the league has taken the matter to court, which is a tactic that only a lawyer would recommend. Once again, I want to apologize to the fans of the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. I was wrong to put my faith in the league. Given the facts, evidence, and laws of science that underscore this entire situation, it is completely incomprehensible to me that the league continues to take steps to disparage one of its all-time great players, and a man for whom I have the utmost respect. Personally, this is very sad and disappointing to me.
Are you saying there shouldn't be rules on and off the field. To me the guy behind all of this is Belichick. And Kraft is FOS. He knows exactly what is going on. He's too smart a guy not to. He doesn't allow rogue managers to run his businesses.
Kraft violated the terms of his franchises by laws on prohibited conduct article X section C-4 with that diatribe. Remove their franchise permanently.
Look, don't get me wrong, you should be ecstatic for winning another SB. But understand most of fandom and the general public believes those wins are indelibly tainted. You could crawl back under your rock and celebrate with your slimy brethren or you can come to this board and others and try to convince us that your team isn't a bunch of lying cheating scumbags. When we win our SB I would HOPE it was above board and if we get caught cheating it will take away from my enjoyment of it. You have to be devastated that once again you have to grovel on an opponents fan forum to beg for validation. That your I'll never get. _
No, there are plenty of rules on and off the field. You break the rules and get caught, you pay the price. It's happened many times before and it will continue to happen in the future.
my first question is, why would the nfl want to smear one of there all time greats and great ambassador to the game? Answer me that and i will start believing the rest
Fuck this idiot where he is mistaken is this is not about cheator football this is for the fans all the fans of the other teams that you cheated moron. this idiot still believes he can beat the nfl office. Goodell's to much of a wussy but I would sanction him for this statement. The laws of science prove the nfl correct moron
I think the reasonable response from the league and the other 31 owners is to vacate super bowl 49 * * * * The NE Pats faithful got something skewed along the way, where are your moral compases? Did you all grow up without a value system or are your parents that low life too?
