NFLPA files suit in bounty matter
 

It started early this morning....

The NFL Players Association has filed a lawsuit against the NFL on behalf of three players suspended in connection with the league's bounty investigation.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in New Orleans on Thursday. It says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell violated the collective bargaining agreement by showing publicly he had determined Will Smith, Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita had participated in a bounty system even before serving as an arbitrator at their hearing.

The lawsuit asks a judge to set aside earlier arbitration rulings and order a new arbitrator to preside over the matter. The suit comes two days after Goodell denied appeals by four players. The other player, Jonathan Vilma, has sued the NFL and Goodell separately.

Vilma is suspended for a season, Hargrove for eight games, Smith four and Fujita three.

Hummmm interesting angle.... I do not recall any verbiage that was violated..

The NFLPA really annoys me. This is about the 12th time they've tried to sue the NFL, and each time they use the most vague reasoning. I'm absolutely all for suing the league, but the NFLPA continuously fails to attack the weakest points of Goodell's arguments.

If you keep complaining about language in the CBA being misinterpreted and violated, you're gonna keep getting the same result. Nothing. It's been proven that no arbitrator wants to look at the CBA, as they have repeatedly sided with the commissioner. I've said it before and I'll say it again, every time they question whether Roger has jurisdiction it makes it seem like they're admitting guilt and hoping for a way around punishment.

The players themselves have been vehemently denying any involvement, and so the question is not whether he has jurisdiction, but rather does he have reason, or just cause to punish our team. I keep hearing Goodell, after each time he denies our appeals, saying "you haven't shown me any evidence to reverse my rulings". Huh? What exactly do you want them to show you, Roger? You have zero proof that the Saints ever tried to hurt anyone... That seems like evidence in favor of the players to me. You talk about some ledger of which no one knows it's origin, and not surprisingly there are no links between players on the ledger and any actual injury to said players.

This man is the perfect definition of a dictator.

I totally agree with everything you said.
I think the NFLPA is in a MUST SUE situation to backup the players suing or about to sue.

The "unfairness" they are discussing is whether dictator Goodell who handed down the punishment should have stepped back and allowed other arbitrators to work on the appeal.

And they are correct, it's almost like players careers are in the hands of a school principle dictator in Goodell.

All we know is this.... the flood gates of litigation have been opened by ROGER GOODELL and he has only one person to blame and that's himself!!!!

Bad for football?? Yes, horrible.

Who is to blame? Don't blame Vilma! Look no further than Goodell. Tough job or not he needs to give players and coaches a fair shake, which he is not doing.

Sucks to be Goodell right now!

Oh yeah, definitely. He absolutely should step back and allow an unbiased set of eyes and ears look at it. But it seems like the NFLPA has tried this before, with no success. I want the NFLPA to really attack him in court and call him out for all the loose "documents" he keeps throwing around that, for one, nobody ever seems to know where they came from, and secondly, don't show anything but names and holds no proof of any wrong doing.

But you're right, these players deserve a real chance, and we all know they haven't had it yet.

Gentlemen, I believe we are witnessing the end of football as we know it. We have reached a point in the NFL from which there is no turning back. Ten years from now, we won't even recognize the NFL. This is a sad time to be a NFL fan imo. Thanks NFLPA and Comrade Goodell. You are both equally guilty of destroying an American institution. :(

The bias angle due to the release of information and public statements could be an interesting angle. Could bring into question ethics surrounding the "Judge, Jury, Executioner" view of the appeals process.

The court could be a good venue to pull more information regarding the investigation and any involvment by the Kommisar's office leading it.

I know the arbitrator is supposed to be impartial, but didn't the MLB fire an arbitrator after he overturned a suspension? Not sure if it was the same arbitrator or not.

I think the NFLPA has a stronger case than most believe. One thing I noticed is that Roger was on lock down after the March ESPN interview. Other than general statements, he hasn't opened his mouth since.

Yep, the arbitrator who overturned Ryan Braun's drug suspension before this season was almost immediately fired thereafter.