Tuesday. Yeah, they don't want him on the field on Friday
night. They do not want him to play and they are going to rig.
It and look Rick, Rick sounds derisive.
Again it's part of good strategy and good lawyering.
Yeah they're going to come up with the best way possible to
keep it from happening. They're going to put him in check mate
when they make their next move, it's going to be Checkmate and
it's going to be where they just knock all the every that
you're gonna throw the board against
the wall. That's what the NFL is going to do. Yeah. Well,
we've been saying this all along that, There's just
there's no way the NFL wants to Sean Watson Associated his face
associated with with the shield right now.
And I think you know we're explaining that the NFL is
going to do something here. The NFL I mean I'm with you in
the fact that
this is one where, you know, this is Brady with one,
one minute and 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, they
just don't lose these ones, I don't know what else to say it
really is. It's that type of thing. This is
this is what the NFL does.
They're Good at it. Of course the the bylaws of the CBA and
everything they're favored them as well and we know that 2
plus,
you know there's
there's the powers that be in the NFL there. They have just,
you know, what do I want to see a tremendous reach with with
power and these type of arguments
I'm on we know that these are again. We've discussed this
before. Oleg arcs that have they got people on speed dial
that we can't imagine they're living in a world.
World that we can't imagine as far as
the power the connections. The people they know that have power
that you know ultimately can get them what they want in
a situation like that and this is one that I look at that there's
just there's no way
I look at this and think
well maybe the nflpa I'll figure out a way to finagle
this and delay this or get to Shool. I just I don't see that
happening in this case
I think the NFL is adamant
and like back to what you just said a second ago
what
I've been All in football, my whole life. And I know when
I was five or six, I wasn't really worried about what Pete
Rozelle was saying or anything like that. But,
again, I'm somewhat of a historian here.
I don't remember any time ever
the commissioner talking that, frankly
about a player and basically, saying what he said, they're
calling him out, breaking the four rules,
you know, within the NFL
and and saying we think it should be a year-long
suspension.
I don't ever remember hearing that I really do. That's about
as strong as it gets for a guy. Like Roger Cuda Goodell who
tries not to you know I feel like go that hard all the time
on a subject like this. So I think you're right.
When you say they like the the signs are there, the dots are
there and people just need to connect them and hopefully
we're helping that you know, helping that out a little bit.
That's why I think there wasn't a press conference on Tuesday.
That's why I
was so stunned yesterday. Because when I saw the quotes
coming through late in the day on, A I thought, well, I did do
a press conference. I'm impressed II thought that this
would be an occasion
to to not meet with the media because it's not the normal
ownership meeting. It's for one very specific purpose to
approve the
purchase of the Denver Broncos by the Walton. Penner group. Do
you think you wanted? I see that it was,
I then well, you know what, it may be. You know what, maybe
that's doesn't say. Did you think I wanted to MIT
little no, no II. Think I think his If people didn't want him
talking, right? And I think when he saw the opportunity,
you know it was
yesterday. My thought was, well,
the reporters kind of got him in a spot where he couldn't be
a complete jerk and walk away but
he could have either you wanted to talk. I do too. I think he
I think he wanted to say what he was going to say, but but Chris
and this is an item. I'm going to write later today on
PFT.
I also think that the union is going to use his words against
him. It was, I think not Eyes
to say as bluntly as he did that this was predatory and
egregious behavior and there were four different violations.
What you say, then is what we always hear when something like
this is going on. This matter is currently the subject of a
legal proceeding.
I will defer any comment until the proceeding has concluded.
But you know what? But what about, if it does that hole and
you know, if that's already been said by, you know, judge
Sue Robinson, like he's just he's he used her language,
right? So no
matter at all. No, I'm just I'm just throwing it out there.
Yeah. It
it it's just not like him is quoted. Right, right.
But he's the guy who decides who handles the appeal. He is
part of the process.
It and look, if he was the one handling the appeal, I doubt
that he would have come out and said it, I don't know why you
handed it off to somebody who's going to because he's able to
give to somebody is going to do exactly what he wants to die.
I guess he's able to create enough of a buffer where he can
say
I did. Do it. I've washed my hands of it. I've just instead
giving it to a guy that is going to
do exactly what I would have done.
And I know again I don't know how they're going to be able to
get any traction with it but I think they're going to use it.
I think they're going to find a way to use it against him. It
would have been better. It would have been better to just
say nothing but this is where you balance
legal questions versus the importance of PR.
And from the perspective, Active of PR and all the people
out there. I mean look you got Browns, fans are screaming,
this is unfair, this is rigged, this is this, the everybody
else is like, throw the guy out for a year.
We had a poll on Twitter last week
of four different options of how long he should be.
Suspended, 6, 8, 12, and full season of those four options,
which one
do you prefer? And full season was seventy one percent
seventy one percent. So
you get Browns fans out of the Your and everybody else is
saying, what are we? What are we even talking about non
violent sexual assault. He was preying upon
these, massage therapist. He was using his status.
I think that's something
when we see the written ruling from Peter Harvey,
between lying to the investigators,
and using his status
as an NFL starting quarterback, as the opening
for these sessions. And even though it's only for, as I've
said before, Chris, everybody knows it's 20. E4 who sued him.
Everybody knows it's at least sixty six different people. He
did this with, you're not getting a pass. Yeah, they
can't use that as evidence
but they know about it. That is all the time
that happens all the time
judges
judges have the four corners of what they're allowed to
consider
and then there's all this other stuff that they know that we
all know and you say I didn't base my decision on it but you
did you're human
these. Robots, these aren't calculators, this isn't
an algorithm.
These are human beings.
And Peter Harvey
knows damn, well,
that there were 24 cases. And look, Chris, the other thing
too, I asked the NFL, what, involvement did Peter Harvey
have with the DeShaun Watson case before he was designated
to be the appeal officer. And they said, none, I say bologna,
he's part of the team.
He's part of the committee's part of the advisors.
You think he wasn't privy
to what the commissioner thinks about this? You think somebody?
Didn't ask him the guy who helped write the policy,
whether or not non violent, sexual assault and sexual
assault. Are you kidding me? So
that's where I get back to Mike like so anyway, yeah, okay,
it's Browns, fans are
Browns. Fans are the vocal minority biased, of course
everybody else. And I feel bad for them because your team put
him in the spot where they have exact everybody else is saying,
get him out of here for a year
and I think it's just a matter of time.
Ours, is you say before he's out of here for a year, I would
think so. And then You know I'll second those sentiments.
You're right, you look on social media, you look on
comments behind, you know, underneath an article it's
it's ten to twelve to one of,
you know, get them out of here. Why is he ever allowed to play
and then occasionally, you have that person who makes
a comment, like, who doesn't understand?
You know, the CBA completely
and they just don't get that aspect but you're right.
I think public sentiment, anybody you talk to this following.
This are following the league. I don't think anybody wants to
see him out there, that's where I get back to something.
I believe I brought it up last week when we were out in Canton
maybe it was right before we went went to Canada was
the week before.
This one is one where I'm a little shocked. That maybe
Roger Goodell
isn't the guy making the decision here? I think it's so
big. This one and wide, leave it to,
you know, Steve,
I'm on this. Call him. Steve Harvey. Peter Harvey,
why leave it to him? I know you don't want to look like the bad
guy. But like,
like you just kind of
Who you gonna look like the bad guy to Cleveland Browns fans?
The I think the rest of the world would have been like hey
good that Roger Goodell. The leader of the league is the one
putting his foot down on stopping this
and I don't know maybe he wouldn't have to be so nervous
about. Is this going to go or unfold the way I think it's
going to unfold and less you know like you're saying they
know
and it's all you know a coup d'etat which was one of my
favorite phrases of last week. Maybe it is a coup d'etat.
I don't know but I am but I know I'm back.
Look, I know
Chris if I were wearing a black robe instead of my black
official PFT one-of-a-kind quarter zip, the Thursday
uniform, at the way I took, I took to Canton and Warden. Can
you didn't even notice,
you didn't even know. I did note about this thing. I did
notice the way to can waiting to say, I know, I doubt it,
I know. So I did.
Anyway, this is we talked earlier about how
Deshawn Watson's Presence at practice and all
the autographs. It's kind of a Automate a finger at the NFL
and announcing on Wednesday when there was no requirement
to do so that he's going to start on Friday night and
creating a news cycle
featuring DeShaun Watson playing for the Browns,
that's another middle finger.
The ultimate middle finger
is coming from the plain language of the collective.
Bargaining agreement, that the league and the union, agreed to
that, the union
agreed to. And that's why, if I was wearing the black robe and
the union came into court because there are people
connected, the union, think that their cases are
To be stronger now
because you've got an independent officer and
you're going to disregard her
her conclusions on appeal, and there's something inherently
wrong with that. Why did you agree to it? Then that's what
I would say. Why are we even here?
We had litigation
up the Wazoo, with Tom, Brady, and Ezekiel Elliott. So when
you had an opportunity to sit down at the bargaining table
and negotiate changes to the procedure with the league.
You agreed that there would be an independent party who
gathers the Axe
and makes an initial determination
and that the determination, not the facts, the facts are
binding. But the determination of how the personal conduct
policy applies to those facts would be subject to appeal
as handled by the commissioner or his designee. You agreed to
that. And I think part of the flex here
by Roger Goodell
is to say, I'm just doing what you gave me the power to do.
You gave me the power to handle the appeal
or designate it to someone.
I'll choose to designated the
M1. And the least common denominator fan out there. That
doesn't pay much attention,
they'll think. Wow! Okay, you know, he's handing off to
somebody else. He
he's willing to roll the dice here. He's willing to let
somebody else handle. Yeah, but it's not somebody who's
independent. It's a guy. Who's beholding to the league? It's
a guy who helped draft the policy. It's a guy who advised
on these he could only case. It's a guy who's handled
multiple arbitrations for the league and you don't keep
getting that work
if you're not giving your client what they want. And again,
Look at Peter Harvey's online. Bio
first item, former New Jersey attorney general. Second item
works with the NFL.
Yeah, it's a selling point. He doesn't want to give up
that relationship. He doesn't want to jeopardize that
relationship.
He knows what could l
wants, he's gonna give it to him. So,
so to those out there that don't pay a whole lot of
attention who obviously aren't watching this show, but to help
those who are watching the show have Relations with someone who
may ask them the question.
Whoa, what's going on here? What's going on here is, it's
all rigged. It's all rigged. And I,
I mean,
it sounds derisive, but it's accurate, its all pre-baked.
It's all strategically engineered. It's all rigged to
give the NFL what it wants and the union
agreed to it. There are plenty of people to criticize
the union for all sorts of things that I think are misguided.
This is an area where
the union can be fairly
And I know they were dealing with a lot of crap
in early 2020, trying to herd cats, trying to get players
interested, trying to get players to give a crap about
what was going on. I understand it.
But but this thing here,
this this notion of oh hey, we got an independent party. Yeah,
but you still let the commissioner control
the appeal.
What the hell were you thinking? Yeah, that's what
I would say in court. Yeah, if they came to me, I'd say, why
are we here? You agree to this process.
The process was followed, get out of my courtroom.
Courtroom. And let me focus on actual disputes that haven't been
agreed to by the parties that they've got some other way of
resolving it. Without me being involved.