It seems to me like this tampering charge is more of a political move within the league than it is a serious allegation. However, if there is anyone in the league with good, recent inside knowledge of the Pats and a reason to use it, it is Eric Mangini. He was still under the wing of Little Bill 7 months ago. I doubt these charges hold any weight unless Kraft does actually have the league clout that has been rumored and rumored.
Just to vlear something up: people are saying "how can they charge tampering, it didn't reduce his trade value?" well according to this: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2585050 The Patriots filed on the grounds that it made it impossible to keep Branch, which is a better argument, as without Branch knowing the deals proposed he can't file a grievance, adn the Patriots appear to have made the Seattle trade to avoid the hearing, where they might have lost Branch for a second.
They had plenty of opportunities to keep Branch. They could've said "No" to allowing him to seek a trade. They could've matched the offers of others. They could've renigotiated a value similar to what he is worth prior allowing him to seek a trade. They blew it. Not the Jets fault. Branch was gone when the Pats didn't match and refused to except a reasonable trade offer after they allowed him to seek. What the Pats are doing now is just unsportsmanship at its worst. They "ganked" the Jets. Not the other way around.
Way to use 0% logic in your arguement in your post regarding what the tampering charges are about. :up: :lol:
?The New England Patriots have given Deion Branch permission to seek a trade and negotiate a contract with other clubs. This permission will extend until September 1, 2006.?---Source Boston.com The Patriots contend that they gave Branch permission to discuss only terms of a contract and not what a team would offer the Patriots in trade, according to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald. The papers said New England contends the Jets told Branch what they would offer.----Source HOWARD ULMAN, AP Sports Writer Key terms here are "seek a trade". I would think that by the Pats telling him to seek a trade they opened it up and they would be hard pressed to prove what that the limits were that they are now saying were placed upon Branch at the time.
I talked to a guy who works for the city, who knows a guy who works for the paper, who knows your dad, and he said you are stupid if you listen to hearsay, especially from two-bit journalists.
Why is it bush league? Either they did or did not tamper, and if they did, they should be dealt with. If they didn't they should get off. It is a legal issue, nothing more, nothing less. To insert emotion into it is bush league.
I just don't see anything happeneing from this. How many times do you hear of tmpering and when has there been punishment? Not that many times, if at all. I see no draft picks changing teams from this.
As I understand it, the Patriots gripe comes from the fact that the Jets let Branch know what the compensation would be in return to the Patriots, which according to New Englnd, was a violation of the negotiations.
By allowing him to seek the trade they in effect negated any issue of tampering. These of course are just my opinions.
Agreed. For Christ sake Jerry Jones brought up TO last year in the media which essentially is tampering, and was on file from multiple sources, and yet eventually the whole thing became a moot point. It's essentially just a stab, for the time being, back at the Jets for them creating a wedge between Branch and the franchise that was irreconcilable. The Jets mainly were looking to make sure Branch was finished playing for the Pats. They succeeded. The Pats are mad, and are just taking a shot back, even if it's one they probably know will fail.
what bull.. F the pats org for not getting enough ( in their minds) in trade value. Why should the JETS have to be the fall guy?
Except that I'm sure that they specifically told his agent that under the CBA he could not discuss compensation. They didn't just say "you can sek a trade" it is more complicaated than that, they reached an agreement by which he could see what teams would meet his contract demands, and then refer the Patriots to those teams, he does not under the terms of the CBA have the right to know what compensation those teams offer.
Who the hell is going to trade for a player without knowing what the compensation for that player will be? I am sure that the Seahawks had a deal in place with Branch BEFORE they offered to give up a first round pick. Please tell me they were not so stupid that they gave a first rounder for Branch without knowing what they would have to pay him.
Nothing is going to happen, and anyway I believe it's a hefty fine to the organzation not a draft pick.
You are not making any sense. The Patriots told Branch to go out and find teams that would meet his financial demands first, then THEY, THE PATRIOTS, would negotiate the actual trade. When the Jets discussed w/ Branch what draft pick they were willing to give up for him, they "tampered" in the eyes of the Patriots. I think the Patriots tried to play a game of chicken w/ Branch and lost. IMO the Patriots knew all along that they really were not going to trade him. They gave him permission to speak to other teams because they probably didn't think there would be a team willing to pay him what he was asking for. Even if he did find a willing team, they plan to make the compensation (draft picks, players...etc) so ridiculously high that no team in their right mind would trade for Branch. The Jets threw a monkey wrench in that plan when they told Branch what they were willing to give. That gave Branch enough ammunition to file a grievance which certainly diminished the Patriots bargaining power. That was an amateur move by Tannenbaum; having a law background he should have known better. The Patriots do have a case, although not much of one, but one nonetheless.
