http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8...vilma-suspension-reduced-withdraws-civil-suit The NFL has offered to reduce New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma's year-long suspension to eight games as part of ongoing settlement talks involving the league, the NFL Players Association and legal representatives for the four players who were suspended for their alleged participation in the team's bounty program from 2009-2011, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The league's offer was made late last week but it is conditional upon Vilma dropping a civil lawsuit charging commissioner Roger Goodell with defamation of character, sources said. Vilma has expressed his strong feelings about his tainted reputation. Saints Bounty Scandal An NFL investigation found that the New Orleans Saints operated a bounty system rewarding between 22 and 27 players for hard hits and injuring opposing players. Profile » The talks could also lead to reductions in the suspensions of the other three players -- Saints defensive end Will Smith (four games), Packers defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove (eight games), and Browns linebacker Scott Fujita (three games). Settlement talks are expected to continue Monday and sources say that Friday's next scheduled appearance before U.S. District Court Judge Ginger Berrigan could serve as a soft deadline to reach a settlement. The two sides filed more arguments in the Louisiana court this past Friday in advance of this week's hearing. The original hearing was conducted on July 26th as Judge Berrigan was deciding on whether to grant a temporary restraining order on behalf of the four players who were suspended by Goodell. Judge Berrigan expressed concerns about Goodell's actions during the first hearing in which seven members of the Saints testified that they never witnessed Vilma offering $10,000 to any teammate who injured opposing quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Brett Favre in the 2009-2010 playoffs. Those who testified also denied there was a pay-to-injure bounty program, including Saints interim head coach Joe Vitt, who will serve his own six-game suspension to open the season. While sources said league attorneys have urged Goodell to offer reductions in the suspensions as a settlement, a league official reiterated Goodell's position that if the players had participated fully in the appeals process, the commissioner may have reduced the penalties as he has with other players who have been disciplined in other cases. The league official also noted that the current legal proceeding began with a settlement conference. Saints owner Tom Benson has privately expressed his displeasure with Goodell on the severity of the sanctions that hit the franchise, including a year-long suspension of head coach Sean Payton and an eight-game suspension of general manager Mickey Loomis, according to sources. Payton and Loomis are not part of the legal proceedings that are currently active in federal court. A source speculated that if the federal judge rules in favor of the players then Benson could push for Goodell to consider a reduction in Payton's suspension. A team source downplayed that scenario.
An interesting development. I think this looks really bad for the NFL. The are now outside of the process they the players deemed unfair and have offered to lower some suspensions, but only if Vilma drops that nagging little lawsuit. It points towards a weakness in thier case and them not wanting things brought to light for the public to see. I think Jon is going to tell them to stuff it up thier ass. He is taking the personally and wants his day in court from all the reports previous to this.
The league denies any offer made. I find the wording of the league's statement interesting. If there wasn't at least some talk about a settlement with Vlma the league would have said it was "untrue" rather than "inaccurate" I think. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/06/nfl-says-no-offer-was-made-to-vilma/ “Today’s report about a settlement offer by the league to Jonathan Vilma is completely inaccurate,” the league said in a statement. ”No such settlement offer has been made. We will continue to respect the court proceedings on this matter and have no further comment at this time.” That statement may completely accurate. No “offer” may have been made. But it’s entirely possible that the league has made it known that, if such an offer would be acceptable by Vilma, such an offer would be made. Here’s why lawyers make such hypothetical offers. If the league were to officially offer an eight-game suspension, then Vilma could try to negotiate the number down to four. By couching it as a hypothetical, the number stays at eight, period. No further reduction. And the league also can deny all of it if anyone ever blabs about the non-offer offer being made.
Let's hope the suspensions are massively reduced. It was so unfair to penalize a player that long. If Saints management allowed it, hit them, not the subordinate who only has a few years left to play.
At this point I'm hoping this gets to trial. It would be better TV than week four preseason football.
I have to assume the NFL's no comment is due to the fact that this "compromise" is stipulated on Vilma dropping his defamation suit against Goodell.
