Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

From ESPN (so take it like that) - "If Tagliabue delivers a ruling significantly different from Goodell's when he hears the appeals, many league sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that they believe Saints owner Tom Benson will petition Goodell to reconsider Saints coach Sean Payton's one-year suspension."

The NFL players' union might challenge former commissioner Paul Tagliabue replacing Roger Goodell as the appeals officer in the Saints' bounties case.

The players association has concerns about "ethical and legal issues"...

The NFL had no comment.

Tagliabue is scheduled to hear the appeals of Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Scott Fujita and Anthony Hargrove on Oct. 30. He was appointed Friday by Goodell, his successor as commissioner.

Tagliabue works for the law firm that is defending the league in U.S. District Court in Louisiana in the bounties case. The NFLPA believes that's a conflict of interest. The union also might contend that such "pay-for programs" existed when Tagliabue was commissioner, with his knowledge.

The NFL and the union discussed the possibility that Tagliabue would step in if Goodell recused himself from hearing the appeals, and the union also suggested "several outsiders" who could be used in place of Goodell, the person said.

From ESPN

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

This might be interesting!!!!

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

You can say that again....

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

If we got Payton back before Philly...

WE WIN IT ALL this year.

At HOME.

Alaska

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

:popcorn:

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

This is going to be great. Could this be the beginning of the end of Goodell?

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

I smell more of the same coming. If Tagliabue is on the same law firm that's defending the league, then I don't know how this ends any differently. At first I thought this was good, because it was someone other than Roger, but now that I know this I don't feel any better.

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

This is exactly what I thought.

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

We want our players
We want our coach
We want our draft picks
We want our name cleared

And nothing short of any.

We'll deal with Goodell after Superbowl run.

Re: Players Union May challenge Tagliabue; Benson May Petition for Sean Payton's Return
 

The difference is now with the lack of credible evidence and the court of public opinion swinging towards the Saints now, this allows Tagliabue to vacate the suspensions without making Goodell look soft and weak. He can still claim he was tough because he wasn't the one to back down on the suspensions.