League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued | ProFootballTalk
Many are painting the decision to wipe out the bounty suspensions imposed against Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, Saints defensive end Will Smith, Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, and free-agent defensive end Anthony Hargrove as a slam-dunk win for the players.

While it was a victory on the surface, it was fairly hollow and potentially temporary.

Apart from the fact that the timing of the decision prevented the players from practicing in preparation for Week One, the ruling gives the NFL another chance to impose the suspensions in a way that draws clear lines between conduct detrimental to the game (over which Commissioner Roger Goodell has jurisdiction) and salary-cap violations arising from a pay-for-performance/bounty system (over which Goodell has no jurisdiction).

It’s likely that the league will simply re-issue the same suspensions. Indeed, the memo sent by NFL general counsel Jeff Pash to the various teams on Friday clearly indicates that the league continues to believe that wrongdoing occurred — and that there should be significant punishment for it.

“Nothing in today’s decision contradicts any of the facts found in the investigation into this matter, or absolves any player of responsibility for conduct detrimental,” Pash writes. “Nor does the decision in any way suggest what discipline would be appropriate for conduct that lies within the authority of the Commissioner. Per the panel’s direction, the Commissioner will promptly reconsider the matter and make a determination of the appropriate discipline consistent with the standards set forth in today’s decision. All clubs will be advised when that decision is made.”

It would be a surprise if the outcome is anything other than what it already was: a full season for Vilma, four games for Smith, three games for Fujita, and eight games for Hargrove.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

Well of course they will........

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

.....and the legal merry go around continues to turn

Goddell can go suck it

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

that was my take also.

I still want the judge to make her ruling. I think that may have more weight than this silly appeals council!!

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

Goodell can hand down the same suspensions all he wants... He did it once and it was overturned. He's fighting a losing battle. He's not going to get his way... the Saints did nothing wrong and our boys will fight it every step of the way as they have done already successfully. Face it Herr Goodell, you're wrong.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

might be a chance for Goddell to offer the olive branch and signifcantly reduce the suspensions

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

She's basically waiting on Goodell's decision first before she rules. She said she won't rule at this time...but the cases are still pending. She's pretty much indirectly telling him he either better come to a reasonable settlement for both sides or risk getting exposed even more than he already has.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

skank

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

yes they will.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

Somebody else said it here and I agree. I think this was at least in part manipulated by the NFL. Roger DOES NOT want to show his 'evidence' in a real court, or even at all. We know he's hacked all to hell over this and he's certainly not going to just give in.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

There is every reason to believe Goodell will re-issue the suspensions. There is also every reason to believe this will end up in court, where just saying something is true will not be sufficient. Courts require PROOF, something Goodell apparently lacks.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

Does this mean anything for coach Payton.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

One less day until his suspension is lifted. Coaches don't have any organization/labor agreement to help them.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

I don't think Goodell would be so crass as to just turn around and issue the very same suspensions again, because this time around, he's going to have to specifically define where was the intent to injure and prove who got paid for what; he cannot conveniently lump everything in one nice pay-for-performance/pay-to-injure" package.

The problem about defining intent to injure in the NFL, is that players already hit each other as hard as they can. There isn't a single play the past 3 years then Saints D was on, that you cannot see the very same play every Sunday, multiple times.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

I think Goodell is at the point where almost HAS to walk this thing back a bit, do a bit of a "do over" on it. The owners are looking at him from down the table like, Roger, come on man, why hasn't this thing gone away yet...the circus has gone on long enough. The actual memo could even be a tough line of posturing, for them to walk it back from that.


I don't want to get people falsely optimistic, but remember that Goodell does have a history of walking back suspensions and reducing them, while they are going on -- he gives them out and then cutting out the last few games in many cases, when they prove to be wildly unpopular or backfire in his face. (which just shows how incompetent he is, but don't get me started.) To reinstate the same exact suspensions as before, just keeps the whole thing going and going spinning around in the media, and the owners have to be getting testy about that. Now that the season is here they want to get back to the story lines that the league wants to dictate -- Manning, Tebow, how about that Andrew Luck kid, aren't we "diverse" for hiring a female referee, blah blah blah -- not the so-called "bounty" mess from March that will not die, and makes the league look more and more foolish every week.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

This memo being leaked is great news for the players imo.
If they can prove that such a memo was sent,when the Commissar re-suspends the players under the "Actions detremental to the game" penalty they players will be able to prove that they are being suspended for the same thing under a different rule.

I still think the players may be suspended but the amount of games will be vastly reduced with some games under a suspended sentance/

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

Love for the Saints aside, Goodell/NFL have got to drop to this. For their sake now more than anything. Obviously, the scandal isn't going away (which for all parties involved it needs to). So why prolong it? Especially when the NFL ref dispute is blackening the eye of the league. Who wants to have 2 open scandals at the same time? Especially, when both could have easily been avoided. Smart thing would be to say, "we disagree with the judges' rulings and we still feel strongly about our position but right now the league will take no further action". Then MOVE ON. Drop it and the black eye for the game so it's forgotten by next week's news cycle. But alas Goodell turns everything into a pussing contest rather then doing the smart thing.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

I was thinking the same thing. Someone on the bubble of a roster like Hargrove, or Vilma at the relative twilight of his career (Smith is kind of getting up there too)....let them play out and then have a nominal suspension, of a couple of game checks, tacked on at the very end. Like they did with several guys in Starcaps. It's like an asterix on your name, indicating you did something wrong, but you still get to have a career. Or a guy like Fujita with no prior history, he should get a small suspension and some type of PROBATION, where on a second offense he is guaranteed to get the book thrown at him.

But see, Goodell wouldn't do something like that in the first place, because it makes too much sense. This is what ticks me off to no end.

Remember how Fujita said in that interview, that he had participated in P4P at almost every team he'd ever been on, all through his career? That's a lot of pay for performance! That's like a pattern or habit of behavior that the league wants him to stop doing. A small suspension/fine and a seriously loooooong period of probation, would actually make sense as a punishment, for a guy like him. To say to him, whatever you were doing, stop it, and OK we are watching you now. That's how you change his behavior in the future. But NOT when it comes to Goodell. He just went crazy with these heavy-handed punishments that MADE NO SENSE.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

I didn't read the decision, but in order to punish the players, didn't the appeals panel dictate that Goodell must present evidence other than what has been submitted in order to justify any suspension? If that's the case, the whole process has to start from scratch, he has to present the evidence to the players and allow diligence and a hearing. Then an appeal after the "ruling."

I don't think the League has thought through this. The ruling utterly blasted the NFL's process and made it impossible for them to simply re-issue punishment. None of us are experts, so the roller-coaster will still ride.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

The true conduct detrimental to the game was the excessive punishment.
Had Roger punished the exact same players 1/4th of what he did, the players would probably have agreed the punishment fit the crime, and the NFL message would still have been heard loud and clear.

Its similar to fining someone $10,000 for speeding. Yep, the "law" was broken but the punishment was way way too excessive.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

Why didn't Goddell do the right thing in the first place, the SOB. He cheated just as much as he thinks those four players did to get what he wanted. How does that make anything right? It doesn't and the dumbarse is hurting the reputation of a sport that is followed like no other.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

On the field means non suspension penalty right? What if Twinkle Nuts (my new favorite) levies fines instead? I keep hearing suspension, suspension, suspension, but he could take the $$$ route instead. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The kommisar is a self serving ***** of a megalomaniac, but I don't think he's insane. Do the players still take it to court?

I don't think they would for fines as long as it was widely reported as a pay-per-performance matter.


My hope is we get next season draft pick back.
When the Broncos got caught violating the cap twice in a few years both times it was under $1ml fine and a third round pick.We lost a second allready do should be pushing being the scenes to get the pick back.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

No sadly. Don't worry, we'll be fine for this yr at least without him.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

oh god, So we all believe he is wrong. It will just not go away will it.

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

She said she is waiting to see what Roger does

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

The funny thing to me is that ALL OF OUR SUPPOSEDLY ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR IS ON TAPE! If you want to give evidence of pay for injury why not just look for plays where Saints players took cheap shots? Show us that? I mean, look at the 2009 playoffs, I think it was clear that McCray and Hargrove were trying to hurt those QBs, I think it was to win the game, not for some bounty, but it's on tape, you can see it! If we have been brazenly trying to injure people, just show us where it happened on the game tapes!!

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

dick head!

Re: League’s internal memo suggests that suspensions will be re-issued
 

Screw Goodell !