Indians Weekend Wrapup: A Conclusion To An Unimpressive Week
June 4, 2012Chad Ford likes Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (a lot)
June 4, 2012The first tactic to try and poke holes in Roger Goodell’s punishment of players for the Saints bounty program has failed. The first order was to try and claim that Roger Goodell didn’t have standing to punish players under the current form of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Specifically, the players were questioning whether the current CBA gave Goodell standing over actions that took place under prior agreements.
“System Arbitrator Stephen Burbank upheld the commissioner’s authority under the Collective Bargaining Agreement to impose ‘conduct detrimental’ discipline on players who provided or offered to provide financial incentives to injure opponents,” the league explains. ”He also upheld the commissioner’s authority to impose such discipline against players who obstructed a league investigation. The System Arbitrator thus confirmed the commissioner’s authority to suspend Mr. Fujita, Mr. Smith and Mr. Vilma. He invited the commissioner to clarify the precise basis for his discipline of Mr. Hargrove who, among other things, was found to have lied to the league’s investigators and obstructed their investigation.”
So the first path that Fujita and his fellow players have taken appears to be fruitless. We’ll see if they have any other ideas up their sleeve to get relief from the punishments handed down by Roger Goodell and the NFL.
Fair or not, it appears that short of suing the NFL in real court, Scott Fujita might just have to accept that he is subject to the whims of the Commissioner.
[Related: Browns fans shouldn’t pay for Saints bounty program]
7 Comments
“Fair or not, it appears that short of suing the NFL in real court, Scott Fujita might just have to accept that he is subject to the whims of the Commissioner.”
Not a fan of the almighty overlord, Craig?
Craig, why do you use the word “whims” when you don’t know the extent of the evidence-base Goodell is working with (which has seemingly become more substantial w/ the revelation of the Saints ledger)?
considering Fujita was one of the main player reps for the NFLPA who helped negotiate the rights of the commissioner in the latest CBA; I would say that it is fair.
3 games is not bad when you are still allowed to practice and play in preseason.
Something that I thought of that is a little funny. Fujita suspended 3 games. There are 4 preseason games, but not suspended (not real games). Season ticket holders pay for 2 of those not real games.
Agree. I’m glad football has a strong commissioner who won’t tolerate this and other stuff. This isn’t whimsy.
The whiny union ought to quit posing and pouting and start acting like a legitimate organization.
There is nothing funny about having to shell out good money for bad, meaningless football.
Granted, towards the end of pretty much every season since 1999 many of us have been doing just that for many regular season games.
and in post-draft news, if the Browns were ever seriously considering Blackmon, they’re probably breathing a sign of relief today. His second DUI is a .24, not good. http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-justin-blackmon-20120604,0,771629.story?track=rss