Fall NFL Thread

[gnut]

Apparently Goodell can increase it at his discretion, but what are the chances he does that?

Not good...Watson is a new money cow in Cleveland for him to cash in on

 

[Jammin]

Oh my god, what a travesty.

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 1, 2022, Original Post Date: Aug 1, 2022 ---

Apparently Goodell can increase it at his discretion, but what are the chances he does that?

He may have to just to even try and keep the appearance of being a human being. This is a borderline comically light sentence for the guy. It would have a been a slap on the wrist for this kind of thing even back in the 90s. Now it's almost unthinkable that he wouldn't even get a season off.

 

[gnut]

Like I said...just WoW

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 1, 2022, Original Post Date: Aug 1, 2022 ---

Plus...Goodell is a POS xD

 

[Jammin]

True, he is. And he would never do the right thing for the right reasons but this story is going to dominate NFL headlines for the first 6 weeks of the season and probably right until the first week as well.

Can't imagine he wants to be the face of this situation for all that time. He's reviled enough as it is.

 

[gnut]

He dgaf....smh xD

Watson in Cleveland is hype....NFL will try their best to squeeze as much juice out of it as they can.

 

[xi0]

Jammin is right, it's not a good look. If I was a heartless piece of shit like someone in Goodell's position, I'd prefer if people just forgot about it for this season or possibly longer and hope for the best. It's Cleveland's fault for mortgaging the next 10 years of their franchise for a serial rapist.

 

[Jammin]

Also, it should probably be mentioned that NFL league office may not exactly be thrilled about this. They along with the NFL PA installed a independent official, retired judge I believe, to handle this type of thing. By all accounts the NFL's position on this was wanting a year long suspension. The NFL players association were the ones lobbying for him to get less.

The process seems fairly similar to arbitration. And apparently the NFL can appeal in some form if they want to.

 

[xi0]

I never understood the "independent official" thing. There's an NFL rulebook, but it's not like law, it can be whatever the fuck the league wants it to be. Grievances could then be filed after the fact. The NFLPA will always lobby for things to benefit the player, even in a situation like this. It's set up to do that... but yeah...

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 2, 2022, Original Post Date: Aug 2, 2022 ---

At least with arbitration there's actual law involved so a judge is actually qualified based on that basis.

 

[Jammin]

Me neither, honestly, seems like it's a sort of psuedo arbitration and built with a sort of non-legally binding version of that framework but I'm sure it's mostly just something the league office and players association cooked up to deflect blame and responsibility for dealing with messed up situations. But it's put the league in a hell of a position this time.

Because now they either have to swallow a PR disaster of a ruling or undermine it on it's first judgement by appealing it. It's a bad look either way. Though I think the latter would be "quieter" bad look.

 

[xi0]

All of these loser Browns fans acting like they're not actually supporting Watson but saying how comparisons to past suspensions are dishonest because it was a different CBA. Like come the fuck on...

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 2, 2022, Original Post Date: Aug 2, 2022 ---

Remember all of the Browns fans shitting on Steelers fans for Big Ben being a rapist?

Yeah me too

 

[Jammin]

They had a valid point... Steelers fans behavior regarding Ben in his was a divisive topic for many years but that doesn't make the Browns fans behavior any less horrible.

Anyway, I was talking to somebody I know that knows these sorts of sports rules better than I do. And he seemed to think that at the end of the day Deshaun Watson will get whatever Goodell wants him to. The reason for this being that the wording in CBA where the rules for handling this comes from allows Goodell to more or less pick the arbitrator for his own appeals, which is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. He could even appoint himself if he wanted to.

Who he hand picked to do that with this appeal is a former Attorney General from New Jersey, and former criminal prosecutor who has worked for the league before. So he picked someone naturally inclined to be harsh and unsympathetic to Watson.

 

[xi0]

They had a valid point... Steelers fans behavior regarding Ben in his was a divisive topic for many years but that doesn't make the browns fans behavior any less horrible.

Anyway, I was talking to somebody a know that knows these sorts of sports rules better than I do. And he seemed to think that at the end of the day Deshaun Watson will get whatever Goodell wants him to. The reason for this being that the wording in CBA where the rules for handling this comes from allows Goodell to more or less pick the arbitrator for his own appeals, which is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. He could even appoint himself if he wanted to.

Who he hand picked to do that with this appeal is a former Attorney General from New Jersey, and former criminal prosecutor who has worked for the league before. So he picked someone naturally inclined to be harsh and unsympathetic to Watson.

I'm being monolithic with the fanbases because it's convenient for my point, but there absolutely are Browns fans who shit on Ben for his past but now aren't holding Watson to the same kind of standard.

Idk, I think might be too optimistic for my tastes. You could also frame it as Goodell kicking the can down the street to another "impartial" actor so he can't be criticized either way.

 

[Jammin]

I'm being monolithic with the fanbases because it's convenient for my point, but there absolutely are Browns fans who shit on Ben for his past but now aren't holding Watson to the same kind of standard.

Idk, I think might be too optimistic for my tastes. You could also frame it as Goodell kicking the can down the street to another "impartial" actor so he can't be criticized either way.

More than one thing can be true.

I'm just saying you want an impartial actor you don't throw an appeal to a former prosecutor instead of a judge. I suspect the reason he doesn't just say "fuck it" and appoint himself to hear is own appeal is exactly the reason you said though.

 

[xi0]

More than one thing can be true.

I'm just saying you want an impartial actor you don't throw an appeal to a former prosecutor instead of a judge. I suspect the reason he doesn't just say "fuck it" and appoint himself to hear is own appeal is exactly the reason you said though.

Well I wasn't saying the opposite really, just pointing out convenient lines of thinking I guess

And that makes him a shit Commissioner. I don't really know what kind of nuance could exist that would prevent him from just banning this guy indefinitely. The only people upset would be the Browns FO and some fans.

 

[Sanity Check]

He's a handsome and athletic guy making big NFL money.

Why does he need to sexually assault anyone to get sex.

I want to see evidence before drawing conclusions.

 

[xi0]

He's a handsome and athletic guy making big NFL money.

Why does he need to sexually assault anyone to get sex.

I want to see evidence before drawing conclusions.

Because he's a sexual abuser

There's plenty of it available online

 

[Sanity Check]

Because he's a sexual abuser

There's plenty of it available online

Does he hide in the bushes, waiting for women to walk past.

With chloroform and duck tape?

Does he drive a sketchy van with "FREE CANDY" scrawled on the side.

What's his MO.

There are claims of "alleged" sexual misconduct.

 

[xi0]

And even without details, 30+ allegations against him for the same kind of behavior is more than enough to me. Prior to this Watson's image was pretty impeccable. There's plenty of egotistical sociopathic pieces of shit in the NFL who get by in life simply due to talent and have done terrible things, and even THEY don't have that kind of evidence against them.

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 6, 2022, Original Post Date: Aug 6, 2022 ---

Does he hide in the bushes, waiting for women to walk past.

With chloroform and duck tape?

What's his MO.

Hiring massage therapists and then forcing himself on them

 

[Sanity Check]

And even without details, 30+ allegations against him for the same kind of behavior is more than enough to me. Prior to this Watson's image was pretty impeccable. There's plenty of egotistical sociopathic pieces of shit in the NFL who get by in life simply due to talent and have done terrible things, and even THEY don't have that kind of evidence against them.

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 6, 2022, Original Post Date: Aug 6, 2022 ---

Hiring massage therapists and then forcing himself on them

R Kelly's story was so unreal.

It would have to be something crazy like that for him to get busted.

But if there was no evidence for it, there was a slim chance he could be innocent.

 

[Jammin]

R Kelly's story was so unreal.

It would have to be something crazy like that for him to get busted.

I mean, that's sort of apples to oranges.

What Deshaun Watson did was like @xi0 said. He had a pattern of behavior spanning years where he would hire female massage therapists then act like they were hookers. And demand sexual services from them. Sometimes by force or intimidation. Each woman's separate story was remarkably similar. And he met with as many as 66 massage therapist over the course of the last two years. 25 of which filed suits against him in civil court, you can read the details if you like. 20 of which he has settled.

A grand jury did chose not to indict him but keep in mind the burden of proof for a criminal trial vs a civil trial is different. And the league doesn't need a criminal conviction to punish players for violating the personal conduct policy.