#DFG: Canceling the Noise

[joe dokes]

 
I assume he knows it's smart to lay out his case in a truthful manner, but this notion of "under oath" in an NFL disciplinary hearing is simply hilarious.
 
As much as the NFL fancies itself to be an all-powerful entity, any oath sworn at this hearing is meaningless from a legal standpoint.

 
I suppose it might have some substantive meaning baecuase the fact that its both under oath and subject to cross examination might make it admissible in federal court under some limited circumstances.  But mostly, its an optics thing.

 

[Bleedred]

So the NFL is going to ask Brady about knowing Knucklehead #2's name, right?

 

[Average Reds]

 
I suppose it might have some substantive meaning becuase the fact that its both under oath and subject to cross examination might make it admissible in federal court under some limited circumstances.  But mostly, its an optics thing.

 
The entire hearing creates a record for any court challenge, so I'm not sure that the oath adds anything.
 
If Brady requested it, then yes, the optics are good.  Still funny to me.

 

[RG33]

Brady going under oath was the TD pass to Amendola in the back of the end zone.

Now just find Edelman at the goalline and have Kessler close things out a la Butler.

 

[Corsi]

 

[Bleedred]

Any chance that the Princeton professor who supported the Exponent scientific findings is part of the 40 in Mr. Malfoy's basement?

 

[Bleedred]

She was pretty good in the Hunger Games movies

 

[Corsi]

She looks like Tonya Harding on acid.

 

[ManhattanRedSox]

I get that picture is a still, but it is not windy here.  WTF is with the bride of frankenstein walking Brady in?

 

[Corsi]

 

[joe dokes]

Before she was a successful attorney, I believe Ms. McPhee was in "Liquid Sky."

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

I get that picture is a still, but it is not windy here.  WTF is with the bride of frankenstein walking Brady in?

 
Companionship for the hard days coming in the dungeon?

 

[TSC]

She looks like Tonya Harding on acid.

 
Redundant.

 

[mikeot]

She was pretty good in the Hunger Games movies

Really though, why is Effie Trinket there?

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

Hopefully Gillooly runs in and kneecaps Goodell.

 

[TFP]

Really though, why is Effie Trinket there?

 

While watching the NFL Network here in the office and I saw some B role footage of TB walking into the NFL Bldg accompanied by a blonde woman with really bad hair (think Phyllis Diller after a long motorcyle ride.)  It turns out that woman is pretty bad ass, works for the NFLPA and successfully helped Ray Rice through his appeal process.    Her name is Heather McPhee.
http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/12237820/meet-heather-mcphee-woman-took-nfl-won
 
This article about the Rice appeal before Judge Jones (by Florio from November) is pretty damning about the shoddy note taking by NFL personnel including a few VP's and Goodell himself and the Judge dismissed their recollections and put major weight on the verbatim notes taken by McPhee and thus ruled in Rice's favor:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/28/judge-jones-rejected-nfls-testimony-focused-on-notes-from-june-meeting/
 
This article seems to imply that there was no recording or any official transcript taken when Rice went before Goodell.  Is it safe to say, they learned from that and there are a few recording devices being used?

 

 

[Average Reds]

 
Jesus, Gisele looks like shit without makeup.

 

[bankshot1]

So do we assume that as Brady is under oath, all those offering testimony are also under oath?

 

[Devizier]

SOSH lawyer contingent; is ridiculous hair something that successful lawyers earn at some point in their career? Is it a mark of status, like the length of a doctor's coat?
 
I'm thinking in terms of the ferret that lives on Ted Wells' face, as well.

 

[Buster Olney the Lonely]

 
Is it a bad sign that Brady is making this face just before he goes to testify under oath? 
 

 

[joe dokes]

So do we assume that as Brady is under oath, all those offering testimony are also under oath?

 
Not necessarily. Kessler probably swore Brady in, and it probably came as a surprise to Goodell.  Kessler could call Wells as a witness, offer to swear him in, Wells could say "no thanks," and if Kessler pushes it, Goodell might have to make a ruling. [/100% guesswork; I have no idea how it actually went down. But -- to the extent that any such oath-taking in this context has any meaning whatsoever --  I am assuming that Goodell does not have the authority to swear in a witness).

 

[Omar's Wacky Neighbor]

SOSH lawyer contingent; is ridiculous hair something that successful lawyers earn at some point in their career? Is it a mark of status, like the length of a doctor's coat?
 
I'm thinking in terms of the ferret that lives on Ted Wells' face, as well.

How about wearing a cape?
 

 

[joe dokes]

SOSH lawyer contingent; is ridiculous hair something that successful lawyers earn at some point in their career? Is it a mark of status, like the length of a doctor's coat?
 
I'm thinking in terms of the ferret that lives on Ted Wells' face, as well.

 
Who you calling ridiculous?

 

[Dahabenzapple2]

hard to believe anyone wanting to maintain sanity on the issue would turn on ESPN or NFL network.
 
i have resorted to yelling at anyone in my office who brings this up. Not funny any more!! even the nice guy near my desk tried to make a joke - but this former decent person was probably jacking off to the fraudulent A-Rod accomplishments thasi past weekend with the rest of the yankee fan douchbags
 
every fucking Yankee fan who might be anti-NE Patriots gets mocked heartily by me for cheering for the ultimate cheater: A-Rod. Thiei hypocrisy knows no bounds. When he is busted again, it will make it even sweeter. Even on the off chance he is 'clean' this year, it is still the hight of hypocrisy for any of them to even bring it up when it is apprant to anyone witha brain that it is very unlikely anything was down to the balls - let alone Tom Brady being involved in some secret plan to have the balls deflated buy 0.2 to 0.3 PSI under the 12.5 PSI minimum!!!!
 
You think they even know the Ideal Gas law by now???
 
about as smart as Craig Fucking Carton they are - Boomer is an intellectual giant compared to the whole of them - and he is a slighly dumber than a boulder.
 
As always, none of these assholes have any knowledge of any of the details of the fraudulent case other than they KNOW the Pats CHEATED and Brady is a CHEATER.
 
I again over the weekend asked two relatively informed NFL fans what Spy-Gate was and the answer was that they illegally taped practices!!!!
 
what a shock!!! I have YET to have ANY NFL fan here in NJ answer the question correctly.
 
what would we expect ANY average NFL fan - especially those who watch ESPN or NFL network - to know anything other than the fucking "NARRATIVE"!?!?!

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

Larry David in a cape as Frank's divorce lawyer kills me every time.

And that Tom Brady is one handsome fella. Roger will melt when Tom looks him in the eyes.

 

[TomRicardo]

I'm expecting nothing more than a token 1 game reduction in the suspension. Neither party really has much incentive to budge.

 
Goodell has massive incentive to budge.  He is going to lose in federal court.
 
He is better off throwing Wells under the bus than having a federal judge shove his face into the puddle he left on the floor.  The suspension won't stand regardless why piss off the federal courts and have on record that you as commissioner violated the CBA?

 

[RG33]

Goodell has massive incentive to budge.  He is going to lose in federal court.
 
He is better off throwing Wells under the bus than having a federal judge shove his face into the puddle he left on the floor.  The suspension won't stand regardless why piss off the federal courts and have on record that you as commissioner violated the CBA?

Because the 3rd time is the charm?

 

[DJnVa]

 
Goodell has massive incentive to budge.  He is going to lose in federal court.
 
He is better off throwing Wells under the bus than having a federal judge shove his face into the puddle he left on the floor.  The suspension won't stand regardless why piss off the federal courts and have on record that you as commissioner violated the CBA?

 

If he throws Wells under the bus, don't you think Wells could drop a fucking bomb on Goodell and the NFL?

 

[RG33]

hard to believe anyone wanting to maintain sanity on the issue would turn on ESPN or NFL network.
 
i have resorted to yelling at anyone in my office who brings this up. Not funny any more!! even the nice guy near my desk tried to make a joke - but this former decent person was probably jacking off to the fraudulent A-Rod accomplishments thasi past weekend with the rest of the yankee fan douchbags
 
every fucking Yankee fan who might be anti-NE Patriots gets mocked heartily by me for cheering for the ultimate cheater: A-Rod. Thiei hypocrisy knows no bounds. When he is busted again, it will make it even sweeter. Even on the off chance he is 'clean' this year, it is still the hight of hypocrisy for any of them to even bring it up when it is apprant to anyone witha brain that it is very unlikely anything was down to the balls - let alone Tom Brady being involved in some secret plan to have the balls deflated buy 0.2 to 0.3 PSI under the 12.5 PSI minimum!!!!
 
You think they even know the Ideal Gas law by now???
 
about as smart as Craig Fucking Carton they are - Boomer is an intellectual giant compared to the whole of them - and he is a slighly dumber than a boulder.
 
As always, none of these assholes have any knowledge of any of the details of the fraudulent case other than they KNOW the Pats CHEATED and Brady is a CHEATER.
 
I again over the weekend asked two relatively informed NFL fans what Spy-Gate was and the answer was that they illegally taped practices!!!!
 
what a shock!!! I have YET to have ANY NFL fan here in NJ answer the question correctly.
 
what would we expect ANY average NFL fan - especially those who watch ESPN or NFL network - to know anything other than the fucking "NARRATIVE"!?!?!

Wow. Feel better?

 

[yecul]

RG would rather go to court than appear weak. This is about power and control, as I said. Doing away with the punishment would make him look bad in the eyes of the public (it's the Pats, they're guilty), the league (owners) and players. It would undermine his authority and the process. Etc, etc. Contrast that with a court turnover which is not a conscious reversal on his part. 
 
Goodell is like Stannis in Game of Thrones. Only forward, ever forward. Any deviation means weakness and illegitimacy. So on we go.

 

[H78]

Wouldn't that depend on whether or not he thinks he's going to get paid millions of dollars for slouch investigating at some point in the future?

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

 
If he throws Wells under the bus, don't you think Wells could drop a fucking bomb on Goodell and the NFL?

 
Without also making himself look worse?

 

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

RG would rather go to court than appear weak. This is about power and control, as I said. Doing away with the punishment would make him look bad in the eyes of the public (it's the Pats, they're guilty), the league (owners) and players. It would undermine his authority and the process. Etc, etc. Contrast that with a court turnover which is not a conscious reversal on his part. 
 
Goodell is like Stannis in Game of Thrones. Only forward, ever forward. Any deviation means weakness and illegitimacy. So on we go.

 
But he can hedge on looking weak by still finding the Patriots culpable through McNaully.  He has an out by throwing the locker room attendants under the bus and still laying the largest penalty ever on a franchise.  The NFL can spin that.  He would also keep this out of court and prevent the NFLPA from having another string to pull that might lessen his authority in the future.  The locker room attendants are the perfect scapegoats.  They can't fight back.
 
It depends if he values his perception of power or his actually ability to retain that power in the future.  I am wrapping my mind in pretzels thinking about the different risks and outcomes that are present for the NFL.

 

[DJnVa]

 
Without also making himself look worse?

 
 
I don't think Wells lives in a world where he thinks Roger Goodell can get the best of him.
 

 

[yecul]

Sure maybe he throws a bone -- 0-2 game decrease -- but no way the slate is wiped clean and no way the other penalties aren't sticking. And, barring a removal of the entire suspension, it's likely to go to court. So that's irrelevant IMO. Avoiding court means negating the suspension and that will not be happening.
 
Odds he sticks at 4 games are much greater than giving zero.

 

[bakahump]

RG would rather go to court than appear weak. This is about power and control, as I said. Doing away with the punishment would make him look bad in the eyes of the public (it's the Pats, they're guilty), the league (owners) and players. It would undermine his authority and the process. Etc, etc. Contrast that with a court turnover which is not a conscious reversal on his part. 
 
Goodell is like Stannis in Game of Thrones. Only forward, ever forward. Any deviation means weakness and illegitimacy. So on we go.

Goodell is the League equivalent of Al Davis.  The flip side of the coin.

 

[ifmanis5]

I don't think there will be any change in the suspension. Overwhelming public support is for Roger to stand firm. In fact, there will be an hot sports take outrage riot if he lessens the sentence.

 

[EricFeczko]

hard to believe anyone wanting to maintain sanity on the issue would turn on ESPN or NFL network.
 
i have resorted to yelling at anyone in my office who brings this up. Not funny any more!! even the nice guy near my desk tried to make a joke - but this former decent person was probably jacking off to the fraudulent A-Rod accomplishments thasi past weekend with the rest of the yankee fan douchbags
 
every fucking Yankee fan who might be anti-NE Patriots gets mocked heartily by me for cheering for the ultimate cheater: A-Rod. Thiei hypocrisy knows no bounds. When he is busted again, it will make it even sweeter. Even on the off chance he is 'clean' this year, it is still the hight of hypocrisy for any of them to even bring it up when it is apprant to anyone witha brain that it is very unlikely anything was down to the balls - let alone Tom Brady being involved in some secret plan to have the balls deflated buy 0.2 to 0.3 PSI under the 12.5 PSI minimum!!!!
 
You think they even know the Ideal Gas law by now???
 
about as smart as Craig Fucking Carton they are - Boomer is an intellectual giant compared to the whole of them - and he is a slighly dumber than a boulder.
 
As always, none of these assholes have any knowledge of any of the details of the fraudulent case other than they KNOW the Pats CHEATED and Brady is a CHEATER.
 
I again over the weekend asked two relatively informed NFL fans what Spy-Gate was and the answer was that they illegally taped practices!!!!
 
what a shock!!! I have YET to have ANY NFL fan here in NJ answer the question correctly.
 
what would we expect ANY average NFL fan - especially those who watch ESPN or NFL network - to know anything other than the fucking "NARRATIVE"!?!?!

At this point, I think your friends are just messing with you, possibly as payback for messing with them re: A-rod.

If this absurdly minor saga is getting you this riled up, maybe you should take a break from the NFL.

 

[Average Reds]

 
If he throws Wells under the bus, don't you think Wells could drop a fucking bomb on Goodell and the NFL?

 
Any lawyer willing to "drop a fucking bomb" on a client is a lawyer intent on destroying his (extremely lucrative) law practice.  I don't believe that Ted Wells fits that description.
 
I am not a Ted Wells fanboy, but we should all remember that lawyers serve their clients, not the other way around.

 

[Ralphwiggum]

hard to believe anyone wanting to maintain sanity on the issue would turn on ESPN or NFL network.
 
i have resorted to yelling at anyone in my office who brings this up. Not funny any more!! even the nice guy near my desk tried to make a joke - but this former decent person was probably jacking off to the fraudulent A-Rod accomplishments thasi past weekend with the rest of the yankee fan douchbags
 
every fucking Yankee fan who might be anti-NE Patriots gets mocked heartily by me for cheering for the ultimate cheater: A-Rod. Thiei hypocrisy knows no bounds. When he is busted again, it will make it even sweeter. Even on the off chance he is 'clean' this year, it is still the hight of hypocrisy for any of them to even bring it up when it is apprant to anyone witha brain that it is very unlikely anything was down to the balls - let alone Tom Brady being involved in some secret plan to have the balls deflated buy 0.2 to 0.3 PSI under the 12.5 PSI minimum!!!!
 
You think they even know the Ideal Gas law by now???
 
about as smart as Craig Fucking Carton they are - Boomer is an intellectual giant compared to the whole of them - and he is a slighly dumber than a boulder.
 
As always, none of these assholes have any knowledge of any of the details of the fraudulent case other than they KNOW the Pats CHEATED and Brady is a CHEATER.
 
I again over the weekend asked two relatively informed NFL fans what Spy-Gate was and the answer was that they illegally taped practices!!!!
 
what a shock!!! I have YET to have ANY NFL fan here in NJ answer the question correctly.
 
what would we expect ANY average NFL fan - especially those who watch ESPN or NFL network - to know anything other than the fucking "NARRATIVE"!?!?!

 
It is comical to me the degree to which this kind of stuff aggravates people.  Take a step back and watch Malcolm Butler's interception again.  Were you thinking about deflated footballs or the ideal gas law when that happens?  Does this whole thing diminish your enjoyment of that moment?

 

[DJnVa]

 
Any lawyer willing to "drop a fucking bomb" on a client is a lawyer intent on destroying his (extremely lucrative) law practice.  I don't believe that Ted Wells fits that description.
 
I am not a Ted Wells fanboy, but we should all remember that lawyers serve their clients, not the other way around.

 
Okay, that was a bit much, but post I was responding to I read as Goodell going out of his way to dump this all on Wells, in a way that would cause Wells issues in that law practice, and Wells pushing back.
 
 
 

 

 

[tims4wins]

It depends if he values his perception of power or his actually ability to retain that power in the future.  I am wrapping my mind in pretzels thinking about the different risks and outcomes that are present for the NFL.

 
Wow, this really sums up the Commish beautifully. Awesome line.
 
Edit: and if I had to guess, I would guess the former is more important to him than the latter

 

[yecul]

And that is why people shouldn't be surprised that Kraft fell in line and that RG has plenty of support. He may appear to be a buffoon, but at the end of the day he's accumulated great power for the office (owners/league) at the expense of the players (union). Any effort by the union to re-take that power is at the expense of other goals ($$$).

 

[Gambler7]

https://twitter.com/STEVEBURTONWBZ/status/613382984545267712

 

[drbretto]

I don't think the frustration has as much to do with the actual act as it is about just the sheer absurdity and stupidity of it all. I'm sitting back with popcorn through this whole thing, but you gotta admit, this has been a pretty fucking absurd handful of months.

 

[tims4wins]

 
https://twitter.com/STEVEBURTONWBZ/status/613382984545267712
 

 
Fuckin A. If the league says no, then they have something to hide - or at least, that is how the hotsportztakez should react given how they reacted to Brady not turning over his phone. And if they say yes, methinks they're fucked.
 
Edit: I can just picture it in my head: Don Yee sitting across from Kensil in the room, mouthing "you're fucked". That thought alone brings a thousand smiles to my face

 

[NortheasternPJ]

I hope it's league emails.

 

[Dahabenzapple2]

 
It is comical to me the degree to which this kind of stuff aggravates people.  Take a step back and watch Malcolm Butler's interception again.  Were you thinking about deflated footballs or the ideal gas law when that happens?  Does this whole thing diminish your enjoyment of that moment?

 to all of you - of course I now feel better. The last few days, it all really got under my skin. Of course they are pulling my chain. I was banned from sports talk in the office in OCT 2013!! I am the most outspoken person here on sports. Plus being in NJ - I am the ONLY Patriots fan in existence in my somewhat small world.
 
and again - YES I feel better!!

 

[staz]

She looks like Tonya Harding on acid.

Hush, hush... voices carry

 

[MarcSullivaFan]

I imagine this was addressed before the hearing. If not this is totally ass backwards.