Commish Drops Hammer on Saints Players

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963 · #1 05-02-2012, 11:28 AM

Suspending jonathan vima for the entire season,varying suspensions for the remaining players.Adam Shefter of ESPN says the players will appeal the suspensions,and it will eventually end up in the courts.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/j...scandal-050212

AustinSkin · #2 05-02-2012, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

Suspending jonathan vima for the entire season,varying suspensions for the remaining players.Adam Shefter of ESPN says the players will appeal the suspensions,and it will eventually end up in the courts.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/j...scandal-050212

Wow, that was harsh. Vilma out for the season and Will smith out the first 4 games, There's your defensive play caller and a DE out for game one. I have a funny feeling it's going to be very difficult to play defense for the Saints without bearing the scrutiny of being under a microscope.

Emmanouel8 · #3 05-02-2012, 11:47 AM

Yes he dropped the hammer all right. If anyone can give me the mass of the hammer I can calculate how much potential energy it had when it was dropped from the moon. We can then extropolate the amount of energy that Vilma's head absorbed, determine whether it was enough to suffer a concussion, if Goodell is in any violation of rules regarding player safety, and file a countersuit.

shally · #4 05-02-2012, 11:50 AM

probably a career ender for Vilma based upon his age... hard to come back from a 1 year layoff since i would guess he would be banned from contact with the team and it's training facilitites

AustinSkin · #5 05-02-2012, 12:00 PM

I don't like where this is headed. I don't like Vilma, but he brings the hammer when he tackles. Does this set a precedent for how to tackle people?

I'm in agreement with the helmet-to-helmet stuff, horse-collar tackles, and spearing the knees. Those are hits designed to create injuries. But there is nothing wrong with getting legally trucked. If so, why not just play professional flag football?

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963 · #6 05-02-2012, 12:22 PM

I Think we are about to see how well the NFLPA is committed to enforcing suspensions on it's own players when it's clear they crossed the lines.how much clearer do they want things when vilma throws 10 k on a table and says,"this goes to whoever takes out favre."?
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-legal-battle/

Keino · #7 05-02-2012, 12:31 PM

I don't like this. Not only do I think the penalty to be excessive, some of the players being punished no longer play for the Saints. So now the Browns and Packers have to suffer for what amounts to Institutional Middle Fingers given to the league by the Saints when they were told to knock off the crap? That doesn't seem to be in the interest of justice. Those players on other teams, should not have to sit out games in my opinion. Fine them 6 game checks or whatever it is.

AustinSkin · #8 05-02-2012, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

I Think we are about to see how well the NFLPA is committed to enforcing suspensions on it's own players when it's clear they crossed the lines.how much clearer do they want things when vilma throws 10 k on a table and says,"this goes to whoever takes out favre."?
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-legal-battle/

Agreed. If it can be PROVED that you were offering up bounties to knock people out of games and cause game, season or career ending injuries should be met with harsh penalties.

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963 · #9 05-02-2012, 03:05 PM

what the nflpa is saying is that is not an off the field issue,it's an on the field issue which the commish can't do anything about which i think is totally nuts!
sounds like it's gonna get dirty!remember the NFLPA and The Owners were at one another's throat 10 months ago,so there still must be some bad blood there.

Emmanouel8 · #10 05-02-2012, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

what the nflpa is saying is that is not an off the field issue,it's an on the field issue which the commish can't do anything about which i think is totally nuts!
sounds like it's gonna get dirty!remember the NFLPA and The Owners were at one another's throat 10 months ago,so there still must be some bad blood there.

The NFLPA may be representing a divided group. Offensive players are typically on the opposite end of the bounties and I'd tend to think they would support the punishment (maybe not the harshness).

RedskinsDave · #11 05-02-2012, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shally

probably a career ender for Vilma based upon his age... hard to come back from a 1 year layoff since i would guess he would be banned from contact with the team and it's training facilitites

I would doubt that. Keeping coaches away is different than players. I would imagine they could still work out.

That said, I don't like the fact that Vilma said the commish won't show any of the evidence he has. If you're going to give someone a year off, the least you can do is show them why. Not having arbitration for this is another ball dropped by the NFLPA during last years negotiations. They got raped by the owners.

akhhorus · #12 05-02-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedskinsDave

I would doubt that. Keeping coaches away is different than players. I would imagine they could still work out.

That said, I don't like the fact that Vilma said the commish won't show any of the evidence he has. If you're going to give someone a year off, the least you can do is show them why. Not having arbitration for this is another ball dropped by the NFLPA during last years negotiations. They got raped by the owners.

Sound bites aren't sworn testimony lol. He should sue and force discovery. And I think that Vilma and the players have recourse to the same arbitration system that the skins/boys are taking advantage of.

EDIT: I'd add that what the pundits are saying on twitter is that the players kept denying everything, both to the league and union, and they have hard evidence of the bounty system and which players led it with G-Williams. Not surprised that Goodell dropped the hammer on them.

RedskinsDave · #13 05-02-2012, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akhhorus

Sound bites aren't sworn testimony lol. He should sue and force discovery. And I think that Vilma and the players have recourse to the same arbitration system that the skins/boys are taking advantage of.

I don't know. The owners have arbitration built in to their agreements. Der Commish hears the players protests.

akhhorus · #14 05-02-2012, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedskinsDave

I don't know. The owners have arbitration built in to their agreements. Der Commish hears the players protests.

I'm 99.9% sure that players can file a grievance the same way that teams can with or without union support.

Keino · #15 05-02-2012, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedskinsDave

I don't know. The owners have arbitration built in to their agreements. Der Commish hears the players protests.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akhhorus

I'm 99.9% sure that players can file a grievance the same way that teams can with or without union support.

I think you both are correct. Der Goodell hears the initial appeal. I believe the NFLPA can push for arbitration on behalf of the players and DeMaurice Smith seems to indicated that this is on the table. He too indicated that the lack of evidence is disturbing.