dcdrew10 said:
Goilodell could keep waging the PR war.
But it would be against Tom Brady and the NFLPA with a court ruling on "their side," which is a tougher sell. It would be against a Tom Brady who has reporters gathered around him EVERY DAY. (Unlike Roger, who is available every day.) It would be against a Tom Brady who, toward the end of a convincing victory (Hi, Indy!) could be seen on camera squeezing the football, tossing it to an opposing coach and saying "call me a cheater, now." With Bob Kraft echoing those statements in his own post-game interviews.
It might not be in the Patriots best interests to act that way, therefore they might not. But the NFL would no longer have the advantage of leaking stuff as the Patriots and Brady and the NFLPA wonder what's going on.
Eddie Jurak said:
if Berman upholds, isn't he, in effect, saying that Article 46 gives Goodell the right to haul any player before him, suspend that player for any length of time based on any real or merely imagined offense, and then uphold his own suspension on appeal?
I think upholding creates a far more damning precedent and I can't imagine Berman going that far.
I'd guess that, if he confirms the arbitration award, Berman wouldn't be ruling in favor of the NFL as much as he would be ruling in favor of collective bargaining agreements, and their arbitration provisions. He's said enough to poke holes in the NFL process, but he has not said as much on notice, inconsistent punishment, the fairness of the appeal, and Goodell's bias.