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.

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

Agreed ...

:popcorn: :popcorn:

:popcorn:

:greendevil:

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

http://www.ocdqblog.com/resource/Win...fileId=5549546

So you're telling me there's a chance?

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

If coach comes back Goodell needs to be fired! No stepping down gracefully allowed.

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

Way to
http://www.wrvmuseum.org/morsecode/i..._telegraph.jpg

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

It sure will be. FREE SEAN PAYTON

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

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

Dumb and Dumber is one of the funniest films I have ever seen!

I remember that scene, it was hilarious!

GEAUX SAINTS!

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

Our options seem to be looking beter every day. Dare I think it?

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

Goodell is Tag's hand-picked boy. No way he makes Rodger look bad.

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

Or he does the "this is what should have been done"... Hand picked pupil or not.. The master never lets the pupil think he has a hand up. Tag would prefer to be burred with people thinking he was the nest thing since sliced bread.

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

There is still really a very simple way this can ALL be settled at the next Vilma hearing.....
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http://chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2...achine-gun.gif

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

If you are not familiar with FPS Russia... get that way.. I could spend all day watching his videos and the cheesy Russian accent just adds to the hilarity.

This option may leave less traceable residue.

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

Goodell and Tagliabue; birds of a feather flock, I say flock, together! :)

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

I would love to believe that, and I hope that you end up being right, but unfortunately it seems highly unlikely at this point. Tagliabue, being on the same team that has been defending Roger's "findings" all along, has had a birds eye view of this whole sham, yet he has apparently agreed with Roger if he has been defending the league. So for Tags to change now would make himself look just as weak as Goodell.

I hoped he would have the integrity that Roger lacks to get this right, but I was unaware till yesterday that he was in that law firm. I do think Tagliabue was a much better commissioner than Goodell could even dream of being, but in this case he appears to be on Roger's side.

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

That was funny not only because they got blown up, but because they were dummies :P

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

Me too. I don't understand why people are thinking it will be any different. I would love it to be but I honestly can't see it. As well thought of as Tagliabue is, giving a different verdict will be a slap in the face for the NFL and I can't see him allowing that to happen.

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

There is a VERY good chance that Tagliabue walks this thing back a little, hears the case and then takes it quietly into the back room, and tries to come up with a more REASONABLE solution, one that lets each side save a little face, while each is giving up a little. Otherwise, why bring him in? Why not just keep letting Goodell butt heads like an idiotic goat with everybody?

Think of it like this -- the league has just changed QB's. They've pulled Aaron Brooks and put in Jake Delhomme. There is every reason to read into this, that something has happened to the owners' faith in Goodell, and that the league is expecting or desiring a DIFFERENT result now.

This is something that actually happens a lot in courts and judicial things in federal circuit courts or state Supreme Courts -- one of the standard things they will do, if a justice has a conflict of interest in a particular case, they get a former retired justice to come in and hear the case in his place. Someone more senior, with even more experience.

Also, people shouldn't underestimate the "Tagliabue is his own man" angle in all of this. Don't sleep on that. He's not just a rubber stamp. These guys are ALL serious type A personalities, and this is a chance for Tagliabue to step in and show up Goodell, and school him on what he should have done in the first place -- to ride in on a white horse and be the one that saves the day, saves the league, have everyone kiss his ring, and then he says "you folks miss me yet?" -- that is going to be a HUGELY appealing scenario to a big ego guy like Tagliabue. NOT to just double down on the raw stupidity of what Goodell has been doing so far.

I smell a deal on this, I really do. Not just more of the same.

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

Watch goodell use the " we brought in fresh eyes" approach. He'll be off the hook for doing all this crap without eveidence and he'll look like a good guy.

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

Goodell didn't bring in fresh anything.

NFLPA - Moe
Goodell - Curley
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0...oges_large.jpg

I guess that make Tag Larry or Shimp?

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

Sure he'll be off the hook.... BUT NOT IN FEDERAL COURT!
The Judge KNOWS Tagliabue works for the same firm defending Goodell and the NFL in court in the Vilma case.

Let's get 1 thing clear: Vilma's case was against Goodell, personally. Vilma's attorney JOINED his case with Fujita, Hargrove etc. BUT Vilma's case is STILL THERE -

Vilma's case is a defamation case against Roger Goodell for transmitting public information that was NOT TRUE about Vilma. It claims Goodell used 'excessive force' in overdoing the Vilma proclamation and deliberately attempted to destroy his reputation. Vilma lost endorsements because of Goodell, along with any charities he represented. Not only did Goodell make media appearances proclaiming Vilma was suspended for a year, but ALSO proclaimed Vilma as the kingpin of the Bountygate scandal.

Make no mistake about it, if Tagliabue makes the EXACT or harder decision on the Bountygate case, the case in federal court WILL go forward and Goodell WILL go on the stand to testify about false or phony evidence.

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

I agree with you Halo - and I do not believe that the NFL wants that defamation case going to trial under any circumstances!

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

If that case goes to the courtroom, it will really get UGLY for the league.

The repercussions of the case could reach into other leagues as a precident for other players to use in the future.