#DFG: Canceling the Noise
- Thread starter nattysez
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The owners can't be happy with the way that Goodell's loose cannons have permanently tarnished one of the greatest Super Bowls ever and inflicted economic harm, and while it's still small, if this feud snowballs it won't stay small. And after that a lot of these guys have to be asking themselves what happens when the Artless Roger comes for them. So I think they'd like a resolution that stops the bleeding at this point.Ed Hillel said:
One thing needed in a deal, and this would need to come from owners rather than Goodell, would be that considering past actions would specifically be prohibited in setting penalties. If you want to convince an owner to take his punishment "and get it behind you", you can't then throw it back in his face later when you feel like it.
My initial reaction was to say, "I am a completely separate asshole". But dcmissile might be a good guy.MarcSullivaFan said:
"All"? Good luck.lambeau said:
I don't think there is anything Bob Kraft could say or do that would persuade Brady to accept any punishment. His loss here is reputational and long standing, and Brady has a more than respectable case.
And I don't think realistically things can get much worse for Tom -- unless he fears the two guys will rat him out.
Cell records -- I think people misapprehend the scope of review. I don't think Tom can suddenly produce them and prevail. And I don't think the NFL can get them produced. The obstruction charge will raise or fall on the record as it now stands.
The obstruction charge has been levied against the Patriots, correct? Would that make a difference?dcmissle said:
I don't see how Kraft can do any sort of deal at this point. They have already gone "all in", so any deal would be a tacit admittance of having been more probably than not guilty of cheating. The Brady suspension is different and separate (and will undoubtedly be reversed), but Kraft accepting a 4th and $500,000 fine would still say "the Patriots cheated".lambeau said:
I get the business and good solider aspect of things, but I think Kraft is already beyond that. I'd would rather the Patriots keep on fighting the PR battle and potentially litigate and just accept the 1st/4th/$1million as the cost of doing business with an incomptent Commissioner. Anything else, even with a Brady reversal, says "we cheated" and I don't see how Kraft can accept that after Spygate, after Brady telling him he is innocent, and after all of the holes that have been punched in the Wells Report and NFL's handling of this.
What happens the next time an opposing team's communication system goes out in Foxboro during a hailstorm????
I'd love to be wrong but I don't really see what has changed from Goodell's perspective that would make a deal likely. He had many opportunities along the way to defuse this thing and passed each time. Even once the Wells Report was published he could have levied a small punishment that would have ended everything then and there. Instead, at every step of the process he has been maximally antagonistic and punitive. And all along the other owners, or at least some substantial proportion of them, have at least tacitly condoned the league's behavior.
What is the game-changing new set of circumstances that would make Goodell do a 180 at this point?
The most likely scenario is that he will profess a willingness to hold negotiations (because not being willing to negotiate would be negatively perceived) but will offer next to nothing.
What is the game-changing new set of circumstances that would make Goodell do a 180 at this point?
The most likely scenario is that he will profess a willingness to hold negotiations (because not being willing to negotiate would be negatively perceived) but will offer next to nothing.
This. I've seen it mentioned a couple times and I fail to grasp how it could be possible. If anything they are making more money with ratings boosts on NFL network in an otherwise dead part of the year.Rudy Pemberton said:
The obstruction charge for TB would seem to be a slam dunk on consistency--no player has ever served a suspension for obstruction.
The conspiracy charge seems awfully weak without TB's phone. That's why I think it may be important that McNally and Jastremski ignore Roger's hearing, thus creating no new record for the court to review. But--IANAL.
The conspiracy charge seems awfully weak without TB's phone. That's why I think it may be important that McNally and Jastremski ignore Roger's hearing, thus creating no new record for the court to review. But--IANAL.
No deals. I want them to fight every last insinuation with every last ounce of strength. I want an independent arbitrator (or a judge) to eviscerate Goodell and his minions in a very public and humiliating way, and for them to skulk away in shame to live out the rest of their small, bitter lives far away from the NFL. I want the Pats to run the table on the season, and when the team is up by 67 points, with the ball, with twenty seconds left in the Super Bowl, I want the eventual MVP of that game (Tom Brady) to call the "deflate" audible and take a knee while the clock runs out.
My sloppy typing aside, yeah. That's what I was getting at. It's a PR move from one side or the other to try to win the "reasonable" side of the public discourse. Either a false, last olive branch by Kraft or an attempted defense strategy by NFL.DrewDawg said:
Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
Kraft letting it be known that he wants Goodell's head if this situation isn't fixed quick and enough owners not committing to fight Kraft over it?
Fuck that noise. I want them to run the Statue of Liberty and win by 74. Fuck everyone.kartvelo said:
RGREELEY33 said:
EVERY case that setlles once involved parties that were "all in."
Judge Crater could re-appear, declare the Patriots not only innocent, but virginal victims of a venal vengeful Goodell/Kensil/Irsay plot and "Patriots cheated" is how its going to be pretty much forever. 30 years later, Danny Ainge still bit Tree Rollins.
Get used to it. Laugh at it. Because it will only be mentioned if they are winning. So it will be good. If they suck, no one will call them anything.
Maybe something like they reduce it down to a fine, the 4th and a game or two for Brady for the BS 'not cooperating with the league', and the NFL walks back the cheating allegations citing insufficient evidence despite the report. Goodell gets to look tough, Brady and the Patriots don't have their legacy as tarnished and Wells looks like an asshole. I could live with that.
Goodell maybe does a show interview of those two goobers, decides that clears things up and tips the balance to not cheating, but the non-cooperation stands.
Goodell maybe does a show interview of those two goobers, decides that clears things up and tips the balance to not cheating, but the non-cooperation stands.
dcdrew10 said:
Kraft would need 23 other owners to take down Goodell. That's a very hard coalition to put together and there's been little evidence thus far of ownership flocking to Kraft's side in this conflict.
The optics of removing Goodell right now would also be awful for the league. The commissioner crosses the Cheatriots' owner and Cheatriots' owner has him fired? Yeah, I don't see 23 other owners signing up for that.
Some allies might lobby Goodell on Kraft's behalf but I don't see a full blown palace coup as a reasonable threat.
@mikefreemanNFL: Owner: Right now I dont sense a great movement to rally around (Kraft)
Read: http://t.co/NhHFwPiav4
Read: http://t.co/NhHFwPiav4
If, in fact, there are some conversations going on here it is proof that the NFL has nothing.
There is no incentive for the league to back down unless they know they are actually doomed.
I hope Kraft has it in him to twist the knife.
What a shit show.
There is no incentive for the league to back down unless they know they are actually doomed.
I hope Kraft has it in him to twist the knife.
What a shit show.
True, but the more relevant question might be how many votes it takes to renew Goodell's contract. Revenge is best served cold, etc, etc.Morgan said:
I'm starting to think that the only acceptable deal from the Pats' view is complete exoneration (kensil under the bus?). If you take the long view, how much do the two picks (and Brady's suspension) really matter to the club's value? Even if they do affect them competitively, that won't matter ten years from now.
What will matter though, is Kraft's reputation and legacy. He can't make any deal that makes him a cheater, or complicit with one. He's better off fighting and losing but keeping the right to say "I'm innocent" then make a deal where he can't defend himself.
What will matter though, is Kraft's reputation and legacy. He can't make any deal that makes him a cheater, or complicit with one. He's better off fighting and losing but keeping the right to say "I'm innocent" then make a deal where he can't defend himself.
wiffleballhero said:
This is probably incorrect. There is *always* incentive to put an end to a legal fight where the end result is that all of: * the league's marquee franchise, the league's marquee player and the League's commissioner look, in varying degrees like cheaters, liars and idiots.
"But what if Kraft and Brady win their appeals," you ask. Doesn't matter. That will make about 5% of NFL fandom change their mind. Brady knows this. Kraft knows this. The NFL knows this. The longer the battle goes on, the longer it reflects badly on everybody.
This doesn;t mean they will. The parties might want victory for many reasons. Kraft and Brady might think they have nothing to lose.
A zero-sum game is better than a negative sum game, one in which all sides lose (except the lawyers) .BigSoxFan said:
Right now the Pats and the NFL are playing a negative sum game with the losses getting bigger.
time to cut a deal and cut the losses.
Pats get whacked for LOIC ($1M + a 4th rounder)
Brady walks
They throw JJ and JM under the bus
NFL throws the Wells and his inconclusive report under the bus
Kensil get canned for orchestrating leaks.
Vincent cleans bathrooms at Gillette.
Ah. Enough chimpanzees and all that. Does he drink a shitload of beer? ("shitload", by the way, does not generate the red squiggly of misspell-dom. Cool.)MarcSullivaFan said:
He should have used a term other than level playing field, because it really sounds like they are punishing the Pats because they are better than everyone else.
The other owners need Kraft as the man is the chairman of far and away the most important committee the NFL has. Kraft has been the most important owner over the last 5 years, helping with the lockout and of course the broadcast committee.
As expected. This has been sour grapes since day one. Logic need not apply here.Ed Hillel said:
Ed Hillel said:
As mentioned earlier, these owners are not spending late evenings burning up an expensively scented candle poring over the Wells report.
Kraft supporters are navigating deeper waters. These secondary owners can throw bananas from the van and pretending they're being one with the wild.
RGREELEY33 said:
Everybody already thinks the Patriots cheated. Cheated by stealing signals and processing the tape at half-time. Cheated by EMP-ing the opponents headsets. Cheated by taping practices and walkthroughs. Cheated by running illegal plays. Cheated by playing with a sponge.
I might be wrong, but the only way, and I mean THE ONLY WAY this could be resolved in a way that absolves the Patriots in the eyes of the average fan, certain owners, and specific players and coaches would be a scenario that also ends half the careers at 345 Park Avenue.
SeoulSoxFan said:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/16/david-carr-spoke-of-deflating-footballs-in-2006/
The NFL and Media really need a fucking "Come to Jesus" meeting on the topic of all things gamesmanship, cheating, and violating.
Yeah, so the average fan can then say that Kraft controls the league, too. I think Goodell needs to save face for the sake of the league here, setting aside that he deserves to be pilloried.
Papelbon's Poutine said:
It's akin to the Sox last ditch effort to sign Lester. Present a deal that you know won't be accepted by the other side to leave the impression that you (the NFL) tried, but the other side wanted too much.
Kraft cutting a deal that doesn't include softening the Brady suspension has the potential to create a schism between player and team.
BigSoxFan said:
If Kensil and Vincent get (deservedly) thrown under the bus, you can bet it will be a cash filled bus.
E5 Yaz said:
Absolutely zero chance that a Kraft deal would directly affect the Brady suspension. That's an NFLPA matter now. No way will any of the owners, or Goodell, give NFLPA something of value without extracting some kind of concession.
SeoulSoxFan said:
Fairly weak defense, if you ask me. It's basically "well, his heart's in the right place".