is the case may be
speaking to reporters yesterday after this league meeting
always speak. Like he's, he, he doesn't do a lot of media,
but I gotta give it to him.
He always will be available to answer all questions whenever
there's a league meeting in this special, unscheduled
unnecessary. But for banging, the gavel on approving,
the sale of the Broncos,
resulted in Goodell
meeting with reporters
and taking questions about the Sean Watson.
Here's what Goodell had to say.
About the ongoing appeal of the six game suspension
back to seeking the four years has been
because we've seen the evidence, she was very clear
about the evidence. She reinforced the evidence
that there was multiple violations here and they were
egregious,
and it was predatory behavior. That's those are things that we
felt.
We always felt were really important for us to address in
a way that's responsible.
Different violations of the personal conduct policy as
opposed to one.
I think that's the case, that's what the facts.
You know, that's rare, that's the Good Ol Gaggle,
not even the press conference. I didn't realize it wasn't
a press conference. That tells me they were going to try to slip
on through the five hole and not having taught him in
the lobby and the reports and the reporters are like here we go.
Right. And he knew it was going to be a bad. Look. If he
just like acts like he didn't see him and walks away. He
wasn't going to come correct. One plan. I'm I got. Well
I give him credit. It had no choice. It would have been bad.
Look if there would have been tweets Galore from
the reporters
who went up there
with the sole purpose of, try to ask him some questions, if
he gives him this stiff arm because hey, come on man. Every
League meeting you talk. So I think they were trying
to make sure that he didn't. But at the end of the day,
credited the reporters for doggedly pursuing him and forcing him
to answer some questions. And and here's the bottom line.
Yesterday, I'm thinking
12 games. 10 million dollar, fine? Yeah, that's going to be
the end result here. The NFL has been
acting like it wants a full season, so when it gets 12, it
looks like it's being reasonable and fair and
balanced than measured in the hell with all that. What do you
think about 17? Yeah,
he ain't, hey, get a good. Look at the Sha Watson
in the preseason
because we are going to see him.
Well, I tell him, tell me what you said.
When you first, you know, read the the
the transcript of that press conference he said well I'm not
sure I can use the language. Well, you just I can paraphrase
for you but you basically were like, you know, damn, I don't,
I don't know.
He might get more than one year. You, you were starting to
think like, well, we might not see him for, you know, twenty
twenty-three, yours, get out of here. Yeah, that was creepy.
Okay, I'm getting confused. Sorry
but but either way,
With Roger Goodell
those are really strong statements. I just think you
know, to everything you've been saying and you've kind of been
all over this that
the league is there. They're all over this. They're going to
make a statement and the fact that he was willing to go that
far right there before we've even heard from Peter Harvey,
or
any final decisions been made? I think it just says, where
the League's had his at, in this, in this conversation and that,
you know, they're not going to go easy.
This. Because it's as we've talked about before. It's just
it's a bad look, it's a bad look and people were
mistreated. I think that's that's the biggest thing for
sure. And he lied and there's a lot of issues there and he
broke a lot of league rules and I think they're going to
make a big example of them.
You could argue, it would have been smart for Goodell to defer
any comment because the appeal process is pending. Yeah. And
I won't comment until this process is over, because
the union could now argue that,
he's see that he's and people can't
Well, but if he were handling the appeal himself, he wouldn't
have said anything because they would say he's prejudged it
etcetera. But they've agreed to let him either handle
the appeal, personally or delegate it to his hand-picked designee
and he has, and I'm
sure whatever he's saying publicly. Peter Harvey has
already heard privately. I know the league said Harvey's had no
prior involvement in the DeShaun Watson. Since situation
before he was designated the task of handling the appeal.
I choose not to believe that because I choose to apply
common sense to the situation. When you have a guy who helped
draft the policy, when you have a guy who is regularly, advise,
the NFL on these matters,
you're not gonna
wall em off when you're in the formative stages of crafting,
your approach, because maybe he'll be the guy that
I eventually designate to handle the appeal. So we have to keep
Peter out. I mean, why would you
Why would you even think that,
of course, Peter Harvey's been privy to what the commissioner
thinks? Of course, he knows what the commissioner wants.
And oh, by the way, if he didn't before yesterday, he
sure as hell does now
based upon what Roger Goodell
had to say, so
it's
they have they have the power. So I don't know what
the Union's thinking here,
give me just 30 seconds. Try to summarize. This,
they got caught up in the idea that they were able to convince
judge Robinson to only give 6. Games even though the facts
were as bad as they were and they thought maybe they could
parlay that into some sort of a PR play that would get the NFL
to say well will
respect the decision of
Judge. Robert. Look they agreed
to hand this power
to the commissioner.
They agreed two years ago
after everything that had happened in the prior decade
with Tom, Brady and Ezekiel Elliott. And the court cases
that happened arm's length collective bargaining.
They agreed to craft this very procedure
They think that the new CBA gives them a better
case in court, if they get there I think it gives them
a weaker case in court. Because if I'm the judge I'm saying,
hey look, you're citing to me all these past cases and you
sat down
and you agreed to this procedure,
that deliberately gives the commissioner, the ability to
handle the appeal or to delegate it to anyone in
the world that he chooses to do. So and is final and binding. It
is. No difference of any kind given to the legal analysis
engaged in by the
disciplinary officer. You agreed to this.
Why are you taking up my time?
I think it's I think it's Dead on Arrival. If they try to take
this thing to court, I would agree with you there. There's
no doubt. There's a guy, just doesn't, you know, I'm no
lawyer. I'm, you know, not in the weeds with some of this
stuff, but I just,
I don't feel like we've ever seen anybody
when in this instance, taking the NFL to court. I mean,
you're right. It's there, the, but the laws of the land have
already been written, as far as the NFL between the NFL and
the nflpa, and
I'm with you in an hour.
I would think just with those strong statements
and like you said, Peter, Harvey, working with the NFL before.
There's no way you could be so insulated that you don't have
a clue about what's been going on with the DeShaun Watson case,
whether you're just a casual football fan
or not, even a football fan. Yeah, I feel like this is, this
is something that everybody knows about it this point
because it's crossed over the line of football. And that's
where I think the NFL knows that
it's crossed the line of football here, this is
World country issue
and that's, you know, makes it even a worse look. And I think
for those reasons, yeah, I'm with you. You know, maybe 12
games but I'm with you, in the fact that I think it's going to
be 17. I think what's happened here, is
lawyers connected to the union, have gotten any ears of certain
reporters and they make their case,
And they make it persuasively because they're lawyers and
they're good about making their case. And if you're not
a lawyer who can push back or point out the flaws in
the argument, you're just kind of like, wow, that sounds pretty
good. I'll just go, I'll run
with that either. You sound very convinced.
You make a good argument, I'll run with that and
I just, I think that that it's a lot of wishful thinking and
they are doing a good job of work in the pr side of it, to
get some arguments out there and to kind of get the sense
that because people are still saying, why didn't you respect
the decision
of Judge Robinson? Well, because it says it on paper.
The NFL can appeal that, I mean,
either side could appeal, it's what could L said yes to either
side can appeal that they exercise their right to appeal
period and they appeal to Goodell has designee. The union
agreed to that. They didn't have to agree to that
they didn't have to. They could have said no way. We're never
agreeing to this will go on strike if we have to, I mean
they wouldn't have no but they could have. Yeah. And the NFL
had the stronger will hear the NFL said, this is what we want.
The also got it, and they agreed to it. That's what this
isn't
a parent negotiating with a child.
This is two adults
and they made their agreement and, and they got to live with
it now, that'll never change. Has to live with that. Now,
it'll never change. You know, we did, we hit on this
yesterday, right? That was you, we talked about this a little
bit, it's just
NFL players their careers, don't last long enough to strike,
you know, the only guys that can afford to strike and maybe
Miss some time or the guys that have made significant money and
been around the NFL a little while to go. Okay, I can sit
back for, you know, eight weeks a year even. Then that's a lot
of you get a lot of money to ton of money.
Right back and your right and then when you know wake wait,
it doesn't matter. I'm
whoa, okay. Wait, I only have a few more years, no matter what
to play football. And that's why, you know, the union and
the NFL was just not as strong as baseball or basketball for
that matter. And I don't think I don't ever see the owner or
the owners or the NFL
giving up this, right? They're always going to have final say
to protect the shield and that's what they're going to do
in this case.
For, as much as the world has changed in the last 35 years,
the strike of 87 continues to resonate. The league knows that
when push comes to shove, guys are not staying away.
Guys are not forfeiting
their limited window of time
when they are young enough
and healthy enough to play foot, well, you're not going to
give it up for some vague interests for future players
that they're not going to be exactly the beneficiaries of,
they're just not going to do it. Now, the end
the league and it's
Probably going to meet Chris
that the league doesn't push, it even harder. They probably
could, because they could. Yeah, they could. You're right.
They probably could. But there's a line there where they
probably go. Wait, now we look like we're like real
jerks and we're taking advantage of people
but hey, go back for that out that. Yeah, I know. Well it
does have some Optics that I think they got to worry about
a little bit,
I do. But at the same time I think that, you know, you bring
up 87 and I mean that is just a perfect example. The best
player in football.
Cross the line and said,
I need the money.
I gotta play, right? And I know people that they're well,
they're
always here though. There are other fellow football players
how much money than they need. All right, when you come from
nothing and you're on a rookie contract
and you make okay over, let's say you've made 10 million
dollars, like we've discussed this before five million, boom
gone. You have nothing. We got to remember. This is our people
that have nothing more times than not
and then well, what's 5 million? Wait. Let me get
myself a house. Whoa, my mom. Let me improve her life. Get
her a house.
Okay. I got myself a car. Let me get my mom a car. Okay.
Well, old man, I got an aunt and uncle who also got nothing
and I'm trying to help them out and more times. They're not,
listen, I've seen this, my own father. I mean,
he came from a family of Aid in Kentucky,
and he was always doing that. So now, you know, the world
likes to judge the athlete and go. Well, they made all this
money. Well, they've come from nothing and now they made their
lives. You know, their family a little bit more comfortable and
better
but they got to still keep making money.
They've lost all their money, not lost it, but they spent it all
already on good things to improve their life and like, we
were talking about, it's a short period of time. And
that's where, you know, it is rough. And that's where the NFL
is, just an absolute brutal business as a player,
you know, we know what we signed on for, but, but it
doesn't make it not brutal, that's her. Sure.
Back to the Browns, Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the team
along with his wife. Dee said yesterday that the Browns will
respect and honor the DeShaun Watson appeal process.
No, they're going to be happy with the outcome now. Last
week, they were trying to get the league to respect
the decision of Judge Robinson, my guess is that was probably
a fairly pointed communication from 345 Park Avenue to Berea,
Ohio about that because, yeah, I already got enough to worry
about Jimmy,
with the Union. Trying to
shame me into accepting this. I don't need one of my members
trying to play the same game with me. I understand you want
your new investment available, but you understand that there's
a greater good here. Here
that we're trying to deal with. So please back off with that
crap and now we have respect and honor and we'll see what
they have to say. Yeah when Peter Harvey issues, his
decision will see if they respect that non.