NFL offers to reduce Vilma's suspension to 8 games

[McGinley]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...headline_stack

You gotta be kidding me.

[detjetsfan]

Roger Goodell the moron strikes again.

Think he'll succeed in making football an olympic sport?

[John_0515]

Originally Posted by detjetsfan

Roger Goodell the moron strikes again.

Think he'll succeed in making football an olympic sport?

Seriously, in the last few months Goodell has really abused his position, IMO.

Football an Olympic sport? How many games can be played within 2 weeks, Roger?

Kenny Britt is meeting with him today. Although Britt is a troublemaker, Goodell has the chip on his shoulder that he feels the need to counsel Britt personally.

18 games?

Eliminate kickoffs and punts?

Please leave the game alone and just do your job.

[Charlie Brown]

I remember how in another thread I warned that commissioner Goodnut was overstating his authority and that if Villma's charges against him were partially true then Goodell should be immediately terminated.

As I said then I don't trust this man. As one poster stated above this man as far as his running the NFL goes is a moron.

He is not a person of integrity at all. For me as a lawyer his deliberately destroying evidence in spygate said all you ever need ask about this man. He is a disgrace.

The fact that Godnut is willing to reduce Villma's suspension by that amount tells me that he has "no evidence" that would withstand legal scrutiny. He is a lawyer? No the man is a joke and should be fired.

For me he has been a total embarassment...

Good Grief!!!

[Untouchable]

Originally Posted by John_0515

Football an Olympic sport? How many games can be played within 2 weeks, Roger?

Not to mention who in the hell is going to challenge America in football?

[patman]

What is wrong with this? Unions and Management negotiate and get fines and suspensions reduced constantly in other sports.

To me this is showing some flexibilty, his highhandedness irked the players more than the punishments. I take the opposite tact.

[Charlie Brown]

Originally Posted by patman

What is wrong with this? Unions and Management negotiate and get fines and suspensions reduced constantly in other sports.

To me this is showing some flexibilty, his highhandedness irked the players more than the punishments. I take the opposite tact.

I'm not sure of your point.

Over punishing someone just because you can only to reduce the fines because a player takes you to court is insanity.

Think for a moment of those players who were accepting of their punishments now they realize that they to were taken advantage of.

Listen going to court under these circumstances isn't a negotiating tactic. The NFL through their own process said Villma's appeal was baseless and frivilous. This is what they told the world when they denied Villma's appeal.

Well guess what Villma sued the NFL for defamation which is extremely hard to prove in court when you are a public figure. And "Truth" in such cases is a total defense to Villma's charges; the fact that the league is now willing to show some "flexibility" tells me as a lawyer that the initial charges that they claim were so clear cut, are not, and they are back peddling.

You see Villma was saying in his appeal and now in his lawsuit "I wasn't involved in an organized bounty program, show me the evidence," the NFL through Goodell was saying up until this compromise "we know you were involved and we don't have to show you the evidence."

Well guess what?

Goodell's position and that of the NFL doesn't fly in a court of law. And the result is like MAGIC that now Goodell is essentially saying through this compromise "that well since you are asking for 'real evidence' against you that we can prove we will reduce the charges against you. Oh and by the way drop your lawsuit so we don't have to prove in court what we have said for months was true and without question the facts."

That is outrageous.

You don't level charges which suspend people for a year, ruin their reputation and potentially destroy a football operation unless you have "real evidence" against them which you know will stand up to independant scrutiny to do otherwise is simply not responsible behaviour.

[DDNYjets]

According to the report, the NFL's offer was made on the condition that Vilma drop his defamation lawsuit against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Goodell has shown a crack in his armor. That is what happens with bullies once they get hit back.

[John_0515]

Originally Posted by patman

What is wrong with this? Unions and Management negotiate and get fines and suspensions reduced constantly in other sports.

To me this is showing some flexibilty, his highhandedness irked the players more than the punishments. I take the opposite tact.

The fact that the NFL is considering dropping the suspension to 8 games if Vilma drops the lawsuit is telling. If I was Vilma, I would keep putting the pressure on. If the NFL was so in the right, why would they back off by 50% of what the original punishment was?

The NFL knows that they punished the involved parties way worse than they should have (if they should have been punished at all).

It's one thing to reduce a fine and/or suspension, but another thing in response to a lawsuit.

[patman]

I don't think he is buckling because of the suit, but because of the opinion of many that he is being to tough.

I think of it as more of making peace with the union and the players than Vilma personally. Like charlie brown has said, the union even told Vilma he does not have a shot in court of proving it. But in any compromise with the union, management needs something, in this case keep the NFL out of court. Just going to court is a black eye on the NFL PR wise. l

[sec.101row23]

Originally Posted by Untouchable

Not to mention who in the hell is going to challenge America in football?

Exactly, who else even plays American football in the rest of the world? Canada?

[loluchka80]

Originally Posted by patman

I don't think he is buckling because of the suit, but because of the opinion of many that he is being to tough.

I think of it as more of making peace with the union and the players than Vilma personally. Like charlie brown has said, the union even told Vilma he does not have a shot in court of proving it. But in any compromise with the union, management needs something, in this case keep the NFL out of court. Just going to court is a black eye on the NFL PR wise. l

but vilma already appealed and it was upheld. what happened since then? is there any new information? the only thing that has changed since now and the appeal is the lawsuit.

[sec.101row23]

Originally Posted by John_0515

The fact that the NFL is considering dropping the suspension to 8 games if Vilma drops the lawsuit is telling. If I was Vilma, I would keep putting the pressure on. If the NFL was so in the right, why would they back off by 50% of what the original punishment was?

The NFL knows that they punished the involved parties way worse than they should have (if they should have been punished at all).

It's one thing to reduce a fine and/or suspension, but another thing in response to a lawsuit.

It also suggests that the evidence Goodell used in determining the suspensions, might not hold up in an actual court of law and he is doing what he can to keep this out of the courts. The only issue if Vilma were to challenge this further is the timing of it all. I am not sure if Vilma could get this in front of a judge in time to settle before the season starts.

[TheMikeIsHot]

Why are you guys so mad that he changed his mind?

I think it's good that he stepped back and realized that a year was way too harsh for something that probably happens all the time.

[southparkcpa]

Originally Posted by TheMikeIsHot

Why are you guys so mad that he changed his mind?

I think it's good that he stepped back and realized that a year was way too harsh for something that probably happens all the time.

Actually, I hear that the deal requires Vilma to drop his defamation civil suit againt the NFL and (I believe) Goodell.

Good for Vilma.

[BRONX JET]

Originally Posted by patman

What is wrong with this? Unions and Management negotiate and get fines and suspensions reduced constantly in other sports.

To me this is showing some flexibilty, his highhandedness irked the players more than the punishments. I take the opposite tact.

Especially when a lawsuit is lurking. I'm sure they would've reduced it without the lawsuit

[McGinley]

UPDATE: NFL has reportedly NOT offered anything to Vilma.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...headline_stack

[Apache 51]

Who is Vilma........

[McGinley]

Jonathon Vilma, Saints LB.

[johnnysd]

People seem to forget all the time that the Saints organization admitted to the bounties.