Tagliabue Overturns Saints Suspensions

[Bemular]

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue overturned the suspensions of four current and former New Orleans Saints players

 

[antone112]

The emperor won't be happy.

 

[TobyTyler]

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue overturned the suspensions of four current and former New Orleans Saints players

Bummer. If those guys are not guilty then how can Sean Peyton not be?

 

[Geraint]

 

[clyde_carbon]

I said this from the beginning. The entire investigation and suspensions were a complete farce. Another reason why Goodell is a complete and utter buffoon. Ridiculous.

And this is coming from someone who hates the Saints.

 

[MHSL82]

Bummer. If those guys are not guilty then how can Sean Peyton not be?

Well, he doesn't say nothing happened; he said it was the organization's fault and responsibility to not have this stuff happening. So according to them, Sean Payton is so guilty (?) that the player's can't bear the brunt or as much as the league gave them. He said he could based on the evidence, fine the players, but chose not to do so because the organization is to blame. It sounds like he doesn't agree with the suspensions, but is trying to save face for the NFL - blame the person who has already paid their fine/suspensions - who's he to complain, someone already ate his cookie.

 

[jeffro151]

This is bull shit. Tagliabue admits that there is enough evidence to suggest Vilma had a bounty on Brett Favre, yet he lets them off?

"Having reviewed the testimony very carefully, including documentary evidence that is at the center of the conflict, and having assessed the credibility of the four central witnesses on these matters, I find there is more than enough evidence to support Commissioner Goodell's findings that Mr. Vilma offered such a bounty (on Brett Favre)," Tagliabue wrote.

 

[ckhokie]

Tags being a big pussy here.

 

[TobyTyler]

Well, he doesn't say nothing happened; he said it was the organization's fault and responsibility to not have this stuff happening. So according to them, Sean Payton is so guilty (?) that the player's can't bear the brunt or as much as the league gave them. He said he could based on the evidence, fine the players, but chose not to do so because the organization is to blame. It sounds like he doesn't agree with the suspensions, but is trying to save face for the NFL - blame the person who has already paid their fine/suspensions - who's he to complain, someone already ate his cookie.

That makes sense.

 

[TobyTyler]

This is bull shit. Tagliabue admits that there is enough evidence to suggest Vilma had a bounty on Brett Favre, yet he lets them off?"Having reviewed the testimony very carefully, including documentary evidence that is at the center of the conflict, and having assessed the credibility of the four central witnesses on these matters, I find there is more than enough evidence to support Commissioner Goodell's findings that Mr. Vilma offered such a bounty (on Brett Favre)," Tagliabue wrote.

Vilma gets off on the old military "I was just following orders" defense.

 

[threelittleturds]

I'd guess he felt suspending them would be for show only... the Saints have already paid the price for the bounty stuff. They went from 3 years of being among the best teams in the NFC/NFL to a .500 team with no shot at the playoffs.

What would suspending the players do? The message is already sent, Goodell will end your season in August if you have a bounty program... he already cut off the head by suspending the Head Coach, the GM, and the DC for most of or the entire year. Suspending players at this point would just be pulling out fingernails of a rotting corpse.

 

[MHSL82]

Well, he doesn't say nothing happened; he said it was the organization's fault and responsibility to not have this stuff happening. So according to them, Sean Payton is so guilty (?) that the player's can't bear the brunt or as much as the league gave them. He said he could based on the evidence, fine the players, but chose not to do so because the organization is to blame. It sounds like he doesn't agree with the suspensions, but is trying to save face for the NFL - blame the person who has already paid their fine/suspensions - who's he to complain, someone already ate his cookie.

That makes sense.

I have to fix something in my post - I heard on the radio that Tagliabue basically authorized there to be fines, not suspensions. So theoretically, the players could still be fined? I did hear it on the radio, so this isn't the most accurate interpretation per se. Even if it's true, Goodell may pass? Plus, it wouldn't make sense for him to recuse himself before and then be the one to fine the players.

Slightly off-topic, but what do you guys think about him recusing himself and assigning to someone else (Tagliabue)? Was that necessary? Did that hurt his case? (A judge shouldn't have a case, but face it, he does.) Does this set a good/bad precedent for future appeals to be sent to someone else besides Goodell? Or will Goodell just be more careful before saying anything before appeal. Just let the sentence do the talking - the idea was that he had spoken on the subject so affirmatively against the players that he couldn't be a neutral judge on the matter - so in the future he may not speak against them so much prior to judgment. (It can't just be him hearing the appeals because he's still doing that in other cases and that was in the CBA - I think he recused himself despite technically being authorized by the CBA to stay.)

 

[MHSL82]

I'd guess he felt suspending them would be for show only... the Saints have already paid the price for the bounty stuff. They went from 3 years of being among the best teams in the NFC/NFL to a .500 team with no shot at the playoffs.

What would suspending the players do? The message is already sent, Goodell will end your season in August if you have a bounty program... he already cut off the head by suspending the Head Coach, the GM, and the DC for most of or the entire year. Suspending players at this point would just be pulling out fingernails of a rotting corpse.

If I had the evidence, as Goodell, I would want to do it even if it were for show - Vilma and the players basically challenged his authority after doing what he thinks is bad and gave a big f' you to him here. But, I see your point in this still being a deterrence for others to do so, too.

 

[ChrisPozz]

Tagliabue shows Goodell the way to implement a culture change | ProFootballTalk

 

[ChrisPozz]

Tagliabue’s ruling suggests Saints were targeting Peyton Manning, too | ProFootballTalk

 

[mem49er]

This is bull shit. Tagliabue admits that there is enough evidence to suggest Vilma had a bounty on Brett Favre, yet he lets them off?

"Having reviewed the testimony very carefully, including documentary evidence that is at the center of the conflict, and having assessed the credibility of the four central witnesses on these matters, I find there is more than enough evidence to support Commissioner Goodell's findings that Mr. Vilma offered such a bounty (on Brett Favre)," Tagliabue wrote.

+1 and awesome job on the Avy, last one was good but this is a def upgrade.

 

[TobyTyler]

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue overturned the suspensions of four current and former New Orleans Saints players

With the way black players and pundits (Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin) see Goodell and his policies as racist, and the fact that Fujita was completely exonerated, do you think Fujita was thrown in there by Goodell as a token?

 

[Bemular]

With the way black players and pundits (Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin) see Goodell and his policies as racist, and the fact that Fujita was completely exonerated, do you think Fujita was thrown in there by Goodell as a token?

Interesting question. No, I don't believe Fujita was tossed in as the obligatory white guy; but then I'm not buying the premise either so there you go.

 

[TobyTyler]

Interesting question. No, I don't believe Fujita was tossed in as the obligatory white guy; but then I'm not buying the premise either so there you go.

As image-conscious as the NFL is, I wouldn't put it past them.