ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

I turned on my t.v. and it happened to be on ESPN2. I try to avoid First Take but I saw DeMaurice Smith being interviewed by those two knuckleheads. Not a bad interview but toward the end of the interview, Smith made it apparent that the NFL screwed the fans of the New Orleans Saints.
He also said that Sean Payton was unfairly punished. This is stuff we know but it's good to hear someone as important as Smith state it so clearly.

He also said that he has read every transcript and said that he has no problem with the NFL releasing every the transcript. Even Smith referred to the "NFL PR Machine.":pissed:


Edit: This video does not show the end of the interview. I'll look for it.

Re: ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

Damage has already been done. NOTHING can ever give us back our season.

Re: ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

It was worth hearing DeMaurice Smith acknowledge the affect on the fans but that's in the last 10 or 15 seconds of the interview.

Re: ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

Five seconds would be fine for me. I just wanted to hear it.

Re: ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

At this point in time, all I want is our second round pick back.

Re: ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

For someone as important as D. Smith to say that unequivocally, the NFL messed this whole "bounty" issue up, you'd like to believe that the NFL would do the right thing by returning the 2012 2nd round pick and, at the very least, give the Saints an additional 2nd round pick. WITH a Roger Goodell public apology and admitting that he screwed up.

As all of us know, this wont happen. It speaks volumes about the character of Goodell and the league office.

Re: ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

I think, in the end, not this year but probably next and down the line, the Saints will get compensatory picks. If you watch the draft, the commish gives away compensatory picks back to teams whose players were suspended rightly or wrongly, but usually not immediately. This year one team got a compensatory 2nd round and a 3rd from the commish for something that happened during the previous regime.

Re: ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

I don't think Roger is going to give an inch, much less a draft pick, because he's butt hurt over this whole thing and he is just that big of an ass.

I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

Re: ESPN's First Take 01-08-12
 

I don't expect anyone who had to recuse himself from the final hearing because of his clear bias to give in and give this us anything back.

The fact that he was clearly shown and told by the guy that used to do his job that he was being a vindictive a**hole the entire time....while still saving his a** in future court proceedings (although....that might backfire as well if the Judge allows discovery). And he STILL feels that the Saints should be punished to the maximum degree of the law that exists only inside the mind of a egomaniacal tyrant..........makes me highly doubt that he has gonna give us anything back willingly...

Smith represents the nflpa so him saying that the fans were hurt is not a big deal to me. Now if Greg Aiello came out and said the same thing, that would be significant, but that will never happen.