Watch the hysterical video of the Indians reading mean tweets
March 30, 2015McShay has the Browns adding to their trenches in latest mock draft
March 30, 2015I hate calling it “Textgate,” so other than that reference I won’t call it that. Regardless of what you want to call the Cleveland Browns’ texting violations and forthcoming punishment, it appears we might now know said punishments. And thankfully for me and my bubbling pot of rage, it appears the Browns will not lose one of their draft picks as a result.
Browns GM Ray Farmer also expected to be suspended for Text-gate role but Cleveland is not expected to lose a draft pick, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 30, 2015
There also could be hefty fines handed down against ATL and CLEV for its roles in unapproved NFL activities. Announcement coming by Tuesday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 30, 2015
First of all, how long did this thing need to take? I know the NFL wants to dominate the sports news landscape, but was this drawn out process a part of that? Or worse, did it really take them this long to deliberate on the facts and decide on the punishment? I understand how bad a year it’s been for the NFL in terms of rules enforcement, but just because they might have acted too quickly and wrongly with Ray Rice certainly doesn’t mean they need to spend countless weeks on every single issue involving punishment.
This is all good news from my vantage point. Obviously you wish the Browns wouldn’t have gotten involved in any of this at all, but this hopefully closes the book on the disastrous departure of Kyle Shanahan. It seemed to be his departure that set all this texting stuff in motion. That departure ended up getting Shanahan his release, but also led to his apologizing for how it all went down in his exit.
Regardless of that, this punishment seems to fit the crime. In a league that has coaches in a sky-high booth connected with headsets and armed with non-iPad Microsoft tablets to help gameplan, it seemed rather backward-looking to think that the Browns gained any kind of advantage from texting. As Shanahan’s messy departure unfolded, it’s easier to see how it was the opposite of advantage as it all unfolded in a buffet of dysfunctional dishes.
In case you missed my rant on the previous rumors of the Browns’ “severe” penalties, you can go back and read it. In the end, I don’t consider this punishment (if it comes to pass as Schefter describes) to be too severe for what the transgression turned out to be.
UPDATE: The rulings have been made official: the Browns will not lose a draft pick, but the organization has been fined and Farmer will be suspended for the season’s first four games.
So Browns GM Ray Farmer suspended four games and team fined $250,000 for Text-Gate.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 30, 2015
#Browns Ray Farmer's four-game suspension will start at midnight before the first regular season game and end immediately after fourth game
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 30, 2015
69 Comments
Wooooo….What does a GM do during the first 4 games?
[Insert best Browns analogy here]
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view5/2111344/blinkin-man-in-tights-o.gif
And without a trace of self-consciousness!
Suspended from doing what??
How does he get paid? Per game or annually? Basically, does this cost him 1/12th his salary?
I wish I could save this comment forever.
So predictable!
Yep.
Can’t wait for the day when they digitize people into the seats.
That’s how long you’ll need.
So predictable!
http://ct.fra.bz/ol/fz/sw/i54/5/8/24/frabz-really-bc5c51.jpg
More importantly, if he’s at home watching on tv, is it still a violation to send text messages? Maybe he’s discovered a workaround.
What?
http://images.wildammo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/what-did-i-do.gif
No, when Farmer and/or Pettine is gone then this comment will have proven itself out.
He is to have no involvement with team management.
hi HOP … you can. simply print it out , laminate it & take it with you everywhere & share it with everyone you meet … don’t be afraid !
Sounds pricey…
Backfill for injuries