There is a bit in there that does seem to confirm that Ross offered Flores 100K for...something.It’s important to note that this is nearly 100% related to tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton and they found no evidence to suggest they were intentionally losing games.
The NFL clearly has an interest in making sure the games are in the up and up. It’s possible they would sweep findings of throwing games under the rug.
What my guess was, and it seems that the report sort of backs it, is Ross said off-handed or jokingly, “don’t worry about the record this year. Hell, I’ll even give you 100k per loss if it means we get the first overall pick.”There is a bit in there that does seem to confirm that Ross offered Flores 100K for...something.
Billionaires gonna billionaire.Stephen Ross is a damn idiot. How could he not know that meeting with Brady while he was under contract with NE was tampering? Was he really that arrogant?
They don't *want* to have hard evidence of it. Then the league is not on the level.What my guess was, and it seems that the report sort of backs it, is Ross said off-handed or jokingly, “don’t worry about the record this year. Hell, I’ll even give you 100k per loss if it means we get the first overall pick.”
They don’t seem to have any hard evidence of him actually incentivizing losing for Flores.
Of course. I said as much.They don't *want* to have hard evidence of it. Then the league is not on the level.
that’s really not true - the owner running around telling people the draft position was more important than winning and “in jest” offering 100k was absolutely part of the reportIt’s important to note that this is nearly 100% related to tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton and they found no evidence to suggest they were intentionally losing games.
The NFL clearly has an interest in making sure the games are in the up and up. It’s possible they would sweep findings of throwing games under the rug.
That’s true.that’s really not true - the owner running around telling people the draft position was more important than winning and “in jest” offering 100k was absolutely part of the report
the NFL and dolphins fans will be downplay it of course
If I were Flores and I had a 100K deposit in my bank account I’d show that immediately.That’s true.
There’s a pretty stark difference between the owner saying, “hey we’re gonna stink, so let’s at least try to make it worthwhile and get the first pick” and saying “I want you to make sure we get the first overall pick no matter what, including intentionally losing games.”
Why would Dolphins fans downplay it?that’s really not true - the owner running around telling people the draft position was more important than winning and “in jest” offering 100k was absolutely part of the report
the NFL and dolphins fans will be downplay it of course
Players aren’t prohibited by the CBA from contacting other teams while under contract, ie, the tampering prohibition doesn’t apply to players.So, why isn’t Tom Brady suspended? Not like the team can punish him at this point.
Pretty sure if he had such a thing, he’d have presented it as evidence by now.If I were Flores and I had a 100K deposit in my bank account I’d show that immediately.
Yeah, but..."integrity of the game," right?Players aren’t prohibited by the CBA from contacting other teams while under contract, ie, the tampering prohibition doesn’t apply to players.
I actually am not familiar enough with the model player contract to know if it has any non-solicitation terms, but it’s not like Tampa would do anything about it.
I think any player-team contract dispute would go to arbitration (see, eg, the disputes over bonus payments with Hernandez and Brown), although I don’t know what kind of relief the Pats could plausibly stand to get.Yeah, but..."integrity of the game," right?
Not that they would, but I wonder if the Patriots have some sort of civil suit potentially available based on standard contract details? I mean this is pretty egregious.
This is a great question and not one that I personally want to deal with, because I think I won't like the answer. But unless Brady told Ross to go F himself, then that probably means that Brady actually engaged in conversation with him about the possibility of being there, all while being under contract with the Patriots.How do we look at the player being tampered with?
You mean, like, should we judge Brady for this? I know it's the Dolphins thread and maybe this deserves its own thread but in my view very harshly. Schefter's reporting makes it sound like the tampering was going on for months and that has to be more than Brady just saying, "I can't talk to you." I know he's Tom Brady but if he was a willing participant, that's not cool.How do we look at the player being tampered with?
He did it twice too, once with the Pats once with the Bucs. And that's just what we know about from this investigation.You mean, like, should we judge Brady for this? I know it's the Dolphins thread and maybe this deserves its own thread but in my view very harshly. Schefter's reporting makes it sound like the tampering was going on for months and that has to be more than Brady just saying, "I can't talk to you." I know he's Tom Brady but if he was a willing participant, that's not cool.
But do players have any responsibility? I mean Mac Jones could come out and say "as soon as my contract is up I want to sign with the Packers for the league minimum." It would be a stupid business decision, but he can do it without issue.He did it twice too, once with the Pats once with the Bucs. And that's just what we know about from this investigation.
He's absolutely not without fault here and it bums me out.
I'm somewhat ignorant on this, but how does this penalty for tampering stack up against others? I'm thinking that the reason that this is so harsh has more to do with the tampering "joke" than anything else. Goodell isn't going to admit that games were being purposely thrown and maybe this is his way of punishing without admitting that they found anything.What my guess was, and it seems that the report sort of backs it, is Ross said off-handed or jokingly, “don’t worry about the record this year. Hell, I’ll even give you 100k per loss if it means we get the first overall pick.”
They don’t seem to have any hard evidence of him actually incentivizing losing for Flores.
I think those scenarios are two different things. It's one thing for a player to state they'd like to play for another team, it's another thing to be engaged in active, continuing conversation with another team while under contract.But do player have any responsibility? I mean Mac Jones could come out and say "as soon as my contract is up I want to sign with the Packers for the league minimum." It would be a stupid business decision, but he can do it without issue.
Players can talk to whoever they want. The teams need to not tamper.
Maybe the player gets a pass (even if that's questionable policy), but agent Don Yee will face no repercussions from this from the NFL?I really don't think that businesses can punish employees under contract from discussing/exploring post-contract options -- which is what we have here. The notion of Brady sharing culpability should die.
This is so fucking well played on various levelsWon't someone think of poor Don Shula at a time like this? I'm sure he's quite upset right now....
If the Patriots rule is followed they will forfeit their highest pick even if they trade up.We heard smoke about Brady and Miami for way too long to doubt these findings.
I have no doubts that Ross’s wet dream as a Michigan guy would be to have Brady involved in the organization as a player, owner, or executive.
It’s a little laughable because this stuff likely happens all of the time with agents and players and owners, but Ross managed to step in a little too directly to try and tip the scales in Miami’s favor.
I believe Miami still keeps SF’s first rounder next year.
If we agree that the player isn't culpable, I don't see how the agent (who's just an extension of the player), would be. I think that the blame should lie entirely with the organization in tampering situations (unless it's true that the player's activity is somehow affecting his performance under his current contract).Maybe the player gets a pass (even if that's questionable policy), but agent Don Yee will face no repercussions from this from the NFL?
I believe it's literally the rule cause of how Belichick gamed the system after the Pat forfeited one of their 1st rounders. So the NFL changed it so it will always be your highest pick in a round no matter how you got the pick (your own or a trade).If the Patriots rule is followed they will forfeit their highest pick even if they trade up.