08-06-2012, 03:16 PM
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Site Donor MONTHLY
Join Date: May 2002
Location: New Orleans, LA
Posts: 20,889
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Vilma files brief on Goodell's statements last night; appears to be going for the win
With Commissioner Roger Goodell discussing the bounty case on Saturday, the lawyer representing Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has filed a new legal document arguing that Goodell’s comments prove that the suspension imposed against Vilma should be overturned.
PFT has obtained a copy of the new filing.
“Goodell claims to have reviewed 50,000 pages of ‘evidence,’ but produced approximately 180 pages prior to the Appeal Hearing,” lawyer Peter Ginsberg writes. ”It is simply impossible that Goodell only considered the ‘evidence’ produced prior to the Appeal Hearing, both because the 180 pages do not come close to justifying any punishment and because it is humanly impossible to block out, and not consider, over 99 per cent of the information gathered. Now, in light of the airing of the 180 pages, and the dearth of evidence provided, Goodell is publicly attempting to justify his actions based upon purported undisclosed evidence.”
It’s a point we’ve made once or twice here. Goodell knows much more about the investigation than what was introduced at the June 18 appeal hearing. So how can he set aside what he knows and make a decision based only on the documents produced to the players who have been suspended and introduced at the hearing? ...
"Goodell has revised the allegation to be that the Saints engaged in a program that rewarded players for good, clean plays that did not involve designated specific opposing players for injury,” Ginsberg writes.
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Finally, Vilma accuses the NFL of leaking to the media the settlement talks between the league and the player. ”Vilma entered into settlement discussions with the NFL in good faith,” Ginsberg writes.
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The broader point here is that Vilma apparently isn’t thinking about settling. He’s thinking about winning. And his lawyer is using everything at his disposal to get there.
Linkback to ProFootballTalk
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