Regardless of agreements or commissioners, is not this still America . Nobody has to volunteer information that puts them in jeopardy. Appeal this point in a court and there will be changes. IMO , if the NFL can't prove their own case without bullying people then they deserve to loose. If medical testing and Private Investigator surveillance is not invasive enough, then the confessions will not be forthcoming . Can anyone say "The Imposition" or "The McCarthy Hearings ", the powerful never do stop reaching for even more power .
If your not the lead dog , then the view never changes !
But Rodgers leads the league in frumpy expressions and negative body language on the sideline, which makes him, like Josh Allen, a unique double threat.
-Tim Harmston
I think with a minimal amount of cooperation from the players, it would have ended very quickly. Recanting alone wasn't enough to stop their inquiry, but minimal cooperation back in March/April (whenever) from the players would have been, I think. It would have quickly been forgotten.
If my employer said they wanted to talk about some accusations, founded or unfounded and I told them to "forget it, I'm not talking". I would likely also be on an unpaid leave very quickly.
"This is Amercia" doesn't work so well with a private employer.
That said, Goodell makes this stuff up as he goes and people don't care until it's "their" team about to get rammed up the keister, then suddenly it's not fair.
That's the way I feel about it. I get the feeling this would have gone away quickly and quietly if the players had met with the league when first asked (sometime last spring?). The union decided to take a stance. That immediately set up a battle, because the league could not simply say, "Oh, OK. Never mind." and then just ignore it. The union knew it to. Basically, the initial refusal pretty much indicated that this was going to court, because I didn't expect either side to back down until forced.
Manning's part with the league went mostly unnoticed until it was done, and the announcement made. It could have been the same with the other players.
I never allowed any employer to BOSS me in any manor. Furthermore on the one occasion that I was called upon to testify truthfully about an incident, rather than lie and see a fine technician blamed, I told the truth and saw a nuclear engineer assume the responsibility for his actions . It was not what those in power wanted to see happen as they were trying to protect their engineer, but burning the innocent man would have been even worse .
If you live in fear of an employer, or those in power, they will feed on that fear and grow more arrogant . I pity anyone that can be held hostage to a job, no matter how good the job.
If your not the lead dog , then the view never changes !
The human "RACE' is adversarial, that is how many progress through life (Sadly) . The rarity is when you encounter those very few that qualify as human. Most people imitate the wolf as they prowl stealth-fully awaiting their chance to grab a share of the latest kill. Even in the most friendly of companies, advancement opportunities are reserved for family or a small circle of good ole boys or as a reward for reporting on your fellow workers. The current workplace today has become an environment of distrust and stress as more is continually expected from the same amount of resources and fear of being terminated is held over the heads of workers like a horse whip.
Goodell is no different, his power increases with each of his rulings . This elevates his position (and the owners) going forward. These accumulated bargaining chips of precedents set give him and the owners a stronger place to negotiate from in the future. If he can increase the fear level in the league, he can easier direct the league where the owners have told him to proceed.
If I had to sign a contract that contained a morals clause , I'd most likely reject it after reading it. Football players and other athletes don't have the option that other professions afford. The NFL, NBA, MLB , and other sports are monopolies that operate in their own best interest. The Billions of Dollars they make put them in the powerful position of dictating not just sports league rules , but also the power to manipulate people in their private lives. I still can't see where it's the leagues business if a player gets in trouble with the law as long as said player does not miss any of his job related activities. PED's do need to be tested for, but busting a player for smoking a little "legal" Marijuana in a state where it is legal is just plain intruding into another's personal life. Yet that's just where Goodell's morality squad are invading . After all, they'ere not operating heavy equipment or flying airplanes.
If your not the lead dog , then the view never changes !
But Rodgers leads the league in frumpy expressions and negative body language on the sideline, which makes him, like Josh Allen, a unique double threat.
-Tim Harmston