Collusion-Gate: The Secret Texts and Testimony of NFL Owners and Superstar QBs, Revealed

SmashMouth · 07-08-2025, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by BakoSaint

Legally, the problem is that it is not one company with legitimate outside competitors, it is 32 separate companies that work together to reduce outside competition. That is like if Walmart, Target, Kohls, Home Depot, Lowes, Dollar General, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Dollar Tree, etc all got together and discussed the importance of none offering sick leave. They are supposed to compete, in theory, and in return for the degree to which they don't (like the salary cap) it is supposed to be negotiated with the players.

But alas, as a fan, guaranteed contracts are not my problem. The salary cap is my problem, because without it, the Super Bowl is LA vs NY most years, or other big markets, and we are the Drays or something.

Originally Posted by TheOak

It is a hybrid that isn't as clear cut as your example. Depending on the circumstance it can be 32 separate divisions of the same company. All teams fall under the NFL Corporate umbrella, so much so that the NFL decides how many teams there (limits competition), how much they are allowed to pay (salary cap), which cities get them, and who gets to own them. Not apples to apples with your comparison.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that the NFL and its teams must be treated as 32 independent businesses, particularly for antitrust and licensing purposes, according to multiple legal news sources. While the teams collaborate to operate the league (this collaboration is what is being called collusion), they are ultimately separate, profit-maximizing entities.

If they had a meeting to blanket raise ticket prices that is collusion as the public is getting screwed. Guaranteed contracts have nothing to do with the public, that is an internal union issue between the employers and the employees.

It is convoluted to say the least, almost as if at some point, congress had a hand in forming the NFL and granting cities and teams (which it did).

Is it a better analogy if the NCAA is used instead, the NIL being what's resulted in a long legal battle from the players' suits vs the NCAA? While the NFL has a union, what's to stop a certain player from doing what transpired with the NCAA? It's clear DW set a precedent, one that owners don't want to become common place. Yet we see the 2nd rounders vying for guaranteed contracts, including our very own Tyler Shough. DW and 2nd rounders have created a trickle with guaranteed contracts. Is it inevitable like it is with the NBA now? What special player will have the balls to sue?

And btw, Chuckie Gruden still has a pending suit against the league and RG. Surely, there's collusion there too, neaux?

AsylumGuido · 07-08-2025, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by SmashMouth

Is it a better analogy if the NCAA is used instead, the NIL being what's resulted in a long legal battle from the players' suits vs the NCAA? While the NFL has a union, what's to stop a certain player from doing what transpired with the NCAA? It's clear DW set a precedent, one that owners don't want to become common place. Yet we see the 2nd rounders vying for guaranteed contracts, including our very own Tyler Shough. DW and 2nd rounders have created a trickle with guaranteed contracts. Is it inevitable like it is with the NBA now? What special player will have the balls to sue?

And btw, Chuckie Gruden still has a pending suit against the league and RG. Surely, there's collusion there too, neaux?

In what way is Gruden's situation collusion? He is suing because of leaked emails that showed examples of "racist, sexist, and homophobic language". That has nothing to do with collusion. It has everything to do with defamation of character, instead.

BakoSaint · 07-08-2025, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido

In what way is Gruden's situation collusion? He is suing because of leaked emails that showed examples of "racist, sexist, and homophobic language". That has nothing to do with collusion. It has everything to do with defamation of character, instead.

Collusion could definitely be an element to the Gruden case. 32 purportedly independent businesses fund one central league office that is supposed to play a merely organizational role, more of a neutral arbiter. Instead that 'neutral arbiter' commissioner entered into feuds with various owners and coaches who he perceived as not towing the company line and being too independent, including the Raiders, Davis Family, and Jon Gruden. To further pursue that grudge, the league office apparently selectively leaked small excerpts from a sealed investigation to specifically target one NFL employee, Jon Gruden, for doing something numerous NFL employees including the commissioner himself likely did behind closed doors, likely as punishment for the many times Gruden, the Davis Family, and the Raiders defied the NFL and other owners. Imagine if Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Walgreen, etc formed an office to manage the mutual interests of the top 32 retailers, conducted an extensive investigation, then kept everything sealed except for excerpts of racist statements by the CEO of Dollar Tree, after numerous clashes with Dollar Tree over other top retailers disagreements with its low pricing. Yeah, that would probably be collusion.

TheOak · 07-08-2025, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by SmashMouth

Is it a better analogy if the NCAA is used instead, the NIL being what's resulted in a long legal battle from the players' suits vs the NCAA? While the NFL has a union, what's to stop a certain player from doing what transpired with the NCAA? It's clear DW set a precedent, one that owners don't want to become common place. Yet we see the 2nd rounders vying for guaranteed contracts, including our very own Tyler Shough. DW and 2nd rounders have created a trickle with guaranteed contracts. Is it inevitable like it is with the NBA now? What special player will have the balls to sue?

And btw, Chuckie Gruden still has a pending suit against the league and RG. Surely, there's collusion there too, neaux?

Sh1t Smash.... Without collusion there would be no New Orleans Saints so we should appreciate the fact that some days you are the hammer, some days you are the nail

07-08-2025, 10:24 AM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 39,271 Blog Entries: 29	Re: Collusion-Gate: The Secret Texts and Testimony of NFL Owners and Superstar QBs, Revealed Originally Posted by BakoSaint Legally, the problem is that it is not one company with legitimate outside competitors, it is 32 separate companies that work together to reduce outside competition. That is like if Walmart, Target, Kohls, Home Depot, Lowes, Dollar General, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Dollar Tree, etc all got together and discussed the importance of none offering sick leave. They are supposed to compete, in theory, and in return for the degree to which they don't (like the salary cap) it is supposed to be negotiated with the players. But alas, as a fan, guaranteed contracts are not my problem. The salary cap is my problem, because without it, the Super Bowl is LA vs NY most years, or other big markets, and we are the Drays or something. Originally Posted by TheOak It is a hybrid that isn't as clear cut as your example. Depending on the circumstance it can be 32 separate divisions of the same company. All teams fall under the NFL Corporate umbrella, so much so that the NFL decides how many teams there (limits competition), how much they are allowed to pay (salary cap), which cities get them, and who gets to own them. Not apples to apples with your comparison. The Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that the NFL and its teams must be treated as 32 independent businesses, particularly for antitrust and licensing purposes, according to multiple legal news sources. While the teams collaborate to operate the league (this collaboration is what is being called collusion), they are ultimately separate, profit-maximizing entities. If they had a meeting to blanket raise ticket prices that is collusion as the public is getting screwed. Guaranteed contracts have nothing to do with the public, that is an internal union issue between the employers and the employees. It is convoluted to say the least, almost as if at some point, congress had a hand in forming the NFL and granting cities and teams (which it did). Is it a better analogy if the NCAA is used instead, the NIL being what's resulted in a long legal battle from the players' suits vs the NCAA? While the NFL has a union, what's to stop a certain player from doing what transpired with the NCAA? It's clear DW set a precedent, one that owners don't want to become common place. Yet we see the 2nd rounders vying for guaranteed contracts, including our very own Tyler Shough. DW and 2nd rounders have created a trickle with guaranteed contracts. Is it inevitable like it is with the NBA now? What special player will have the balls to sue? And btw, Chuckie Gruden still has a pending suit against the league and RG. Surely, there's collusion there too, neaux?

07-08-2025, 12:15 PM	#2
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,953	Re: Collusion-Gate: The Secret Texts and Testimony of NFL Owners and Superstar QBs, Revealed Originally Posted by SmashMouth Is it a better analogy if the NCAA is used instead, the NIL being what's resulted in a long legal battle from the players' suits vs the NCAA? While the NFL has a union, what's to stop a certain player from doing what transpired with the NCAA? It's clear DW set a precedent, one that owners don't want to become common place. Yet we see the 2nd rounders vying for guaranteed contracts, including our very own Tyler Shough. DW and 2nd rounders have created a trickle with guaranteed contracts. Is it inevitable like it is with the NBA now? What special player will have the balls to sue? And btw, Chuckie Gruden still has a pending suit against the league and RG. Surely, there's collusion there too, neaux? In what way is Gruden's situation collusion? He is suing because of leaked emails that showed examples of "racist, sexist, and homophobic language". That has nothing to do with collusion. It has everything to do with defamation of character, instead.

07-08-2025, 10:20 PM	#3
BakoSaint 1000 Posts + Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,459	Re: Collusion-Gate: The Secret Texts and Testimony of NFL Owners and Superstar QBs, Revealed Originally Posted by AsylumGuido In what way is Gruden's situation collusion? He is suing because of leaked emails that showed examples of "racist, sexist, and homophobic language". That has nothing to do with collusion. It has everything to do with defamation of character, instead. Collusion could definitely be an element to the Gruden case. 32 purportedly independent businesses fund one central league office that is supposed to play a merely organizational role, more of a neutral arbiter. Instead that 'neutral arbiter' commissioner entered into feuds with various owners and coaches who he perceived as not towing the company line and being too independent, including the Raiders, Davis Family, and Jon Gruden. To further pursue that grudge, the league office apparently selectively leaked small excerpts from a sealed investigation to specifically target one NFL employee, Jon Gruden, for doing something numerous NFL employees including the commissioner himself likely did behind closed doors, likely as punishment for the many times Gruden, the Davis Family, and the Raiders defied the NFL and other owners. Imagine if Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Walgreen, etc formed an office to manage the mutual interests of the top 32 retailers, conducted an extensive investigation, then kept everything sealed except for excerpts of racist statements by the CEO of Dollar Tree, after numerous clashes with Dollar Tree over other top retailers disagreements with its low pricing. Yeah, that would probably be collusion. SmashMouth likes this.
BakoSaint 1000 Posts + Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,459

07-08-2025, 02:51 PM	#4
TheOak 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Cypress Tx. Posts: 19,061	Re: Collusion-Gate: The Secret Texts and Testimony of NFL Owners and Superstar QBs, Revealed Originally Posted by SmashMouth Is it a better analogy if the NCAA is used instead, the NIL being what's resulted in a long legal battle from the players' suits vs the NCAA? While the NFL has a union, what's to stop a certain player from doing what transpired with the NCAA? It's clear DW set a precedent, one that owners don't want to become common place. Yet we see the 2nd rounders vying for guaranteed contracts, including our very own Tyler Shough. DW and 2nd rounders have created a trickle with guaranteed contracts. Is it inevitable like it is with the NBA now? What special player will have the balls to sue? And btw, Chuckie Gruden still has a pending suit against the league and RG. Surely, there's collusion there too, neaux? Sh1t Smash.... Without collusion there would be no New Orleans Saints so we should appreciate the fact that some days you are the hammer, some days you are the nail SmashMouth likes this.