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.
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 !
But that is why Goodell's actions will ultimately be self defeating. In a normal environment (say Tagliabue or Rozelle), the NFLPA might be more inclined to believe it is not precedent setting to have an interview under these circumstances.
But Roger is maximizing every chance he has to rule against players. I have no doubt that if they refused to be interviewed, it would not be a Favre non-cooperation fine or a Brady-like 4 game sentence. They would be gone until Roger is satisfied. And what satisfied Roger is not written down anywhere. It exists in the press reception of news and the opinions of his owners.
Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.
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 !
Just a couple of points to mix up the mess:
1. The news organization that broke the story - Al Jazeera America is now defunct for a reason.
2. As has been pointed out, the reporter associated with the story has recanted.
3. Peyton Manning, the reigning Superbowl Champion QB, was also implicated in the very same report. He is now successfully retired and unscathed.
4. I have an uneasy sense of dread I am about to be Patlerized.
5. The only "Imposition" to which I can relate is my In Laws unexpectedly showing up and staying for the July 4th holiday.
Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.
ProFootballTalk @ProFootballTalk 3h3 hours ago
This Al Jazeera investigation could be the tipping point for fans and media to realize that the NFL routinely overreaches on discipline.
BET YOU A DINNER IT IS NOT.
Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.
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
GO MEADOW GO!
Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.
Really? Let's look at Brady - IMO he went well beyond 'minimal cooperation'. By all accounts, he turned over records from the telecom company with all the texts from the time in question from his personal phone. He submitted to interviews. Roger still went after him tooth and nail, and focused on one item, text messages from a destroyed phone, and hung him for that.
If I was in the shoes of these players, I would be awful nervous that co-operating could end badly because Goodell, for instance, wants them to give him the GPS tracking information from their car...
--
Imagine for a moment a world without hypothetical situations...
^ That is the worst thing about that whole case. He was eventually dinged more for not cooperating than for the evidence of his involvement in the original crime.
Bud Adams told me the franchise he admired the most was the Kansas City Chiefs. Then he asked for more hookers and blow.
I think the cases and situations are different from the leagues perspective.
Deflategate was viewed by the league as calling into question the legitimacy and fairness of how the game is played. It involved a team that had stretched the rules in the past, if not blatantly violated them. They smelled another act of unfairness. In their mind, it demanded a resolution.
The Al Jazeera situation was another in the line of ongoing drug annoyances, but the source was more distasteful than the alleged violation. They couldn't ignore it, but they would rather that it just go away quietly. To convey the appearance of due diligence in their investigation, it would be necessary to talk to the players.
Question : If you are a sub-group of NFL owners that the other owners follow and you want to hurt the NFLPA , but you want to remain out of the spotlight, what do you do ?
Answer : You get your commissioner to pounce upon an unproven story and threaten players . Weather you win or loose, the players look bad in the media as you come off as the high moral standards champion . In addition, you wave the commissioners gavel of power over the players heads and remind them who is in charge . All this pleases the owners who never saw a headline that they did not like .
If your not the lead dog , then the view never changes !