Football Brady v. NFL: No Settlement; Judge Berman to Decide - Page 38

Amnorix · 08-31-2015, 01:45 PM

Can't find the old thread. Brady and Goodell were back in NYC today for settlement talks. No progress.

Judge Berman said he would likely decide "in the next day or two" and definitely before September 4th.

Interesting how the narrative among the national writers has evolved.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/roger-g...180816187.html

NEW YORK – They arrived surrounded by lawyers, each wearing a blue suit and displeased expression. Here was Roger Goodell and here was Tom Brady back in federal court in a fight over power, ego and legacy, as much as whether the footballs were deflated in January's AFC championship game.

New York Giants owner John Mara came in an attempt to soften the face of the league's side a bit. Jay Feely, a long-time NFL kicker and friend of Brady's from back at the University of Michigan, arrived to stand by his side.

Once again, nothing worked. A private meeting in front of Judge Richard M. Berman yielded nothing. No one budged. No one backed down. No settlement was reached.
And now both sides roll the dice and sit and wait for a ruling.

"Tomorrow or the day after," Berman said of when he would likely announce whether to vacate Brady's four-game suspension. He assured it would come before Sept. 4, when both sides requested an answer so the New England Patriots can begin preparing for the season opener with or without their star quarterback.

So that's that, all or nothing, all or everything, all eyes on the court docket here.

For Brady it's either a quarter of the season lost or a measure of redemption gained. For Goodell it's either a reaffirmation of the totality of his authority or another humiliating public defeat.

There may be appeals and requests for stays and thus months still to go, what will be won, what may not be done. None of that minimized the tension and drama inside Berman's 17th-floor courtroom here on Monday, when a case that started as a curiosity on that playoff night boiled toward a milestone, if not a conclusion.

Berman clearly knows how he is going to rule and likely has much of the decision already written. He's read and heard it all over the past month. There were no new arguments on Monday. The chief attorneys, Daniel Nash of the NFL and Jeffrey Kessler of the NFL Players Association, both merely stood and praised the efforts of all sides even though, as sometimes happens, they just couldn't reach a settlement.

"This is a time Mr. Nash and I are going to agree," Kessler joked.

The inability to find common ground is not a surprise. Tom Brady was simply never going to admit he had any role in the tampering of those footballs, or even that the footballs were ever tampered with in the first place.

First off, after he said as much under oath and then introduced the transcript into federal court, doing so would risk a perjury charge. More importantly though, it would be a complete reversal, making him a liar and a cheat, crushing his image among not just fans but, most importantly according to those that know him best, his own children.

He also very well may be innocent. The NFL never produced much of a case against him, let alone that the footballs were even unnaturally deflated.

So the only way a settlement could go down was for Goodell to drop any demands for an admission of guilt. He'd have to settle for Brady merely acknowledging a failure to fully cooperate with the investigation. That, however, would be a serious concession from a commissioner who's built his career on cracking heads among misbehaving players.

So there was the irresistible force clashing with the unmovable object, each willing to lose in court as long as he could still save face.
It has been, if nothing else, a remarkable showdown of oversized personalities.

In court Monday, the two men, rich and famous and atop their chosen professions, refused to even look at each other.

When the session was adjourned, both were forced to awkwardly wait for the galley to clear out of media and observers, leaving them within a few feet of each other a couple table rows apart.

Brady stood first and wandered over to one wood-paneled wall of the ornate courtroom. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, looking as intense as any tight fourth-quarter drive. Feely stood by his side and the two eventually hugged.

Goodell, seated in front, stood slowly and also put his hands in his pocket, looking down and then turning in the opposite direction of Brady, trying to wear a face of nonchalance.

Eight months into this scandal, after swings of allegations and misrepresentations, of false media leaks and broadside-legal attacks, the distrust and disgust were clear: Two men known for their ability to smoothly glide through life, with fashion and fabulous hair, looked strangely uncomfortable.

No one ever wants to sit in this position, leaving it to another man, federal judge or not, to declare whether he or she is a cheat or a fraud or a bully or a bum.

Here these two are though, going down that awkward path together. Their lives are seemingly too charmed for this, yet they were like a couple of rivals on opposite sides of the schoolyard, unwilling to even acknowledge the other's presence in front of onlookers.

The stakes seem higher for Goodell, if only because his legal argument here is based on the 1981 Supreme Court decision MLBPA v. Garvey, which essentially prohibits judges from interfering with the decision of arbitrators even if they are horrendously flawed or based on inaccurate facts. Arguing you have the right to be a dictator isn't ideal in public relations terms.

As such, Goodell and the NFL could certainly prevail in front of Berman but do so via a ruling full of the same kind of harsh verbiage that the judge used during two prior public sessions.

It's clear that no matter which way Berman goes, he looked upon the NFL's judicial system in general, and the league's conduct in this case specifically, as lacking any semblance of fairness or competency. He could unload in the ruling and leave Goodell laid out, even if he's technically victorious.

That's the risk Goodell was willing to take. And one Brady is willing to go with, essentially entering the verdict stage with a two-pronged chance at redemption – either total or at least in the court of public opinion. A loss and a four-game suspension would hurt, but he could at least point to an impartial federal judge down in New York agreeing that Goodell is out of line.

It's certainly reasonable that the NFL initially erred when it failed to comprehend Ideal Gas Law and thus initially thought any Patriots football that measured below 12.5 pounds per square inch of inflation was a sign of nefarious conduct. It immediately went after a speeding ticket like a homicide case.

But by the time the league should've have dialed it back, it had already leaked prejudicial stories and begun building a case against Brady and two Patriots locker room attendants. The NFL never was able to find a smoking gun or much more than suspicions, but that didn't matter.

The NFL not only never backed down, it just kept doubling down, believing the full force of the league's power – both in the CBA and in its ability to manipulate national reporters – would overwhelm Brady.

The league may be correct and on the verge of a show-of-force victory. It may be wrong and headed for a comeuppance.

It's all up to Judge Berman now. Who knows what he thinks and who knows what he'll rule. On Monday he seemed eager to make it known though as he sent the two men in fancy blue suits off into the Manhattan morning, Goodell via a black Escalade, Brady in a Chevy Suburban. Each is left awaiting his word.

The QB v. the Commissioner, it's all or everything now.

Chiefnj2 · 09-04-2015, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

Unless of course Brady goes DOWN in one of the games that he would have been serving his suspension.

If that were to happen, I'd know for sure that there's a God and my liife would completely change. After I laughed my ass off for about a week...

You'd laugh until Garropolo came in won some games and was traded to KC in 2016.

TEX · 09-04-2015, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

You'd laugh until Garropolo came in won some games and was traded to KC in 2016.

REP!

GloryDayz · 09-04-2015, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

You'd laugh until Garropolo came in won some games and was traded to KC in 2016.

I think almost any QB can be successful in the "Patriot Way" system... It's like the average man who's allowed to bring a gun to a knife fight, you'd need a pretty big idiot to not be successful.

There's no mystery here..

Pasta Little Brioni · 09-04-2015, 09:49 AM

I'm sure young Jimmy has been well trained in the art of the Patriot Way aka cheating at all costs not beating someone man to man

TEX · 09-04-2015, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Now they have lied themselves into believing NONE of the Pats balls were deflated

You have got to be shitting me

Yep. Which is proof positive they're full of shit. It's the classic - "Say something enough and people think it's the truth" syndrome.

Kinda like what happens if you watch CNN for any length of time...

Pasta Little Brioni · 09-04-2015, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I think almost any QB can be successful in the "Patriot Way" system... It's like the average man who's allowed to bring a gun to a knife fight, you'd need a pretty big idiot to not be successful.

There's no mystery here..

Great minds heh

TEX · 09-04-2015, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I think almost any QB can be successful in the "Patriot Way" system... It's like the average man who's allowed to bring a gun to a knife fight, you'd need a pretty big idiot to not be successful.

There's no mystery here..

Exactly the case. Which is why they FAIL when REMOVED from that element.

TEX · 09-04-2015, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

The Patriots cheated
The nfl over reached
Brady lied

I don't know how any logical person could look at the facts of the case and conclude otherwise. It really is that simple.

Yes. And I never thought I'd agree with you on anything.

Seriously, the only answer to your question is those who don't see it that way, don't want to. It says more about them and is the very reason why shit like what occurred is allowed to occur.

TEX · 09-04-2015, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

There's no way anybody wants that to happen. I know for one I don't. Hell, last time he want down the fact that a hold was what led to the injury was completely discounted, only the hit (that was low as a result from having been held vs. being blocked) was focused on. So it's not worth having the discussion, and I'd prefer it not happen.

What I would like is for the NFL to choose to focus on the Pat's O-line and chunk a flag for every hold they commit in the 2016 season. It's both right, and will make the NFL right.

I love your idea. And I would still laugh if Brady went down during the 1st four weeks of the season. Not "wanting" it to happen, but would find it very funny if it did. I'm just wired tat way...

Reerun_KC · 09-04-2015, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I think almost any QB can be successful in the "Patriot Way" system... It's like the average man who's allowed to bring a gun to a knife fight, you'd need a pretty big idiot to not be successful.

There's no mystery here..

Where can the Chiefs sign up to have that kind of success over that long of a period?

Hootie · 09-04-2015, 10:12 AM

Can we just ban these threads already? Good God shut the **** up ... Go to a ****ing patriots board

Reerun_KC · 09-04-2015, 10:13 AM

LOL, well done ExtremeChief...

That's awesome...

**ExtremeChief** · 09-04-2015, 10:18 AM

**ExtremeChief** · 09-04-2015, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

LOL, well done ExtremeChief...

That's awesome...

I'm challenged...

BigCatDaddy · 09-04-2015, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reerun_KC

Exactly all of this... You are right and that's the issue here... People are so blinded by their hate of successful players/franchises that they cant see the root cause of this issue...

Same with Alex Smith and Andy Reid, they are so blinded by their hate of Smith they will intentionally ignore the root of the problem.

Honestly this is the best outcome for any NFL fan, this will force the NFL to adopt a process that is fair, consistent and balanced when handing down punishments to players and franchises. But having one person make up the punishments as we go with zero regards to the CBA or any other set of rules regarding punishments isn't going to make the NFL a better league.

Nailed it.

08-31-2015, 01:45 PM
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	Brady v. NFL: No Settlement; Judge Berman to Decide Can't find the old thread. Brady and Goodell were back in NYC today for settlement talks. No progress. Judge Berman said he would likely decide "in the next day or two" and definitely before September 4th. Interesting how the narrative among the national writers has evolved. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/roger-g...180816187.html NEW YORK – They arrived surrounded by lawyers, each wearing a blue suit and displeased expression. Here was Roger Goodell and here was Tom Brady back in federal court in a fight over power, ego and legacy, as much as whether the footballs were deflated in January's AFC championship game. New York Giants owner John Mara came in an attempt to soften the face of the league's side a bit. Jay Feely, a long-time NFL kicker and friend of Brady's from back at the University of Michigan, arrived to stand by his side. Once again, nothing worked. A private meeting in front of Judge Richard M. Berman yielded nothing. No one budged. No one backed down. No settlement was reached. And now both sides roll the dice and sit and wait for a ruling. "Tomorrow or the day after," Berman said of when he would likely announce whether to vacate Brady's four-game suspension. He assured it would come before Sept. 4, when both sides requested an answer so the New England Patriots can begin preparing for the season opener with or without their star quarterback. So that's that, all or nothing, all or everything, all eyes on the court docket here. For Brady it's either a quarter of the season lost or a measure of redemption gained. For Goodell it's either a reaffirmation of the totality of his authority or another humiliating public defeat. There may be appeals and requests for stays and thus months still to go, what will be won, what may not be done. None of that minimized the tension and drama inside Berman's 17th-floor courtroom here on Monday, when a case that started as a curiosity on that playoff night boiled toward a milestone, if not a conclusion. Berman clearly knows how he is going to rule and likely has much of the decision already written. He's read and heard it all over the past month. There were no new arguments on Monday. The chief attorneys, Daniel Nash of the NFL and Jeffrey Kessler of the NFL Players Association, both merely stood and praised the efforts of all sides even though, as sometimes happens, they just couldn't reach a settlement. "This is a time Mr. Nash and I are going to agree," Kessler joked. The inability to find common ground is not a surprise. Tom Brady was simply never going to admit he had any role in the tampering of those footballs, or even that the footballs were ever tampered with in the first place. First off, after he said as much under oath and then introduced the transcript into federal court, doing so would risk a perjury charge. More importantly though, it would be a complete reversal, making him a liar and a cheat, crushing his image among not just fans but, most importantly according to those that know him best, his own children. He also very well may be innocent. The NFL never produced much of a case against him, let alone that the footballs were even unnaturally deflated. So the only way a settlement could go down was for Goodell to drop any demands for an admission of guilt. He'd have to settle for Brady merely acknowledging a failure to fully cooperate with the investigation. That, however, would be a serious concession from a commissioner who's built his career on cracking heads among misbehaving players. So there was the irresistible force clashing with the unmovable object, each willing to lose in court as long as he could still save face. It has been, if nothing else, a remarkable showdown of oversized personalities. In court Monday, the two men, rich and famous and atop their chosen professions, refused to even look at each other. When the session was adjourned, both were forced to awkwardly wait for the galley to clear out of media and observers, leaving them within a few feet of each other a couple table rows apart. Brady stood first and wandered over to one wood-paneled wall of the ornate courtroom. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, looking as intense as any tight fourth-quarter drive. Feely stood by his side and the two eventually hugged. Goodell, seated in front, stood slowly and also put his hands in his pocket, looking down and then turning in the opposite direction of Brady, trying to wear a face of nonchalance. Eight months into this scandal, after swings of allegations and misrepresentations, of false media leaks and broadside-legal attacks, the distrust and disgust were clear: Two men known for their ability to smoothly glide through life, with fashion and fabulous hair, looked strangely uncomfortable. No one ever wants to sit in this position, leaving it to another man, federal judge or not, to declare whether he or she is a cheat or a fraud or a bully or a bum. Here these two are though, going down that awkward path together. Their lives are seemingly too charmed for this, yet they were like a couple of rivals on opposite sides of the schoolyard, unwilling to even acknowledge the other's presence in front of onlookers. The stakes seem higher for Goodell, if only because his legal argument here is based on the 1981 Supreme Court decision MLBPA v. Garvey, which essentially prohibits judges from interfering with the decision of arbitrators even if they are horrendously flawed or based on inaccurate facts. Arguing you have the right to be a dictator isn't ideal in public relations terms. As such, Goodell and the NFL could certainly prevail in front of Berman but do so via a ruling full of the same kind of harsh verbiage that the judge used during two prior public sessions. It's clear that no matter which way Berman goes, he looked upon the NFL's judicial system in general, and the league's conduct in this case specifically, as lacking any semblance of fairness or competency. He could unload in the ruling and leave Goodell laid out, even if he's technically victorious. That's the risk Goodell was willing to take. And one Brady is willing to go with, essentially entering the verdict stage with a two-pronged chance at redemption – either total or at least in the court of public opinion. A loss and a four-game suspension would hurt, but he could at least point to an impartial federal judge down in New York agreeing that Goodell is out of line. It's certainly reasonable that the NFL initially erred when it failed to comprehend Ideal Gas Law and thus initially thought any Patriots football that measured below 12.5 pounds per square inch of inflation was a sign of nefarious conduct. It immediately went after a speeding ticket like a homicide case. But by the time the league should've have dialed it back, it had already leaked prejudicial stories and begun building a case against Brady and two Patriots locker room attendants. The NFL never was able to find a smoking gun or much more than suspicions, but that didn't matter. The NFL not only never backed down, it just kept doubling down, believing the full force of the league's power – both in the CBA and in its ability to manipulate national reporters – would overwhelm Brady. The league may be correct and on the verge of a show-of-force victory. It may be wrong and headed for a comeuppance. It's all up to Judge Berman now. Who knows what he thinks and who knows what he'll rule. On Monday he seemed eager to make it known though as he sent the two men in fancy blue suits off into the Manhattan morning, Goodell via a black Escalade, Brady in a Chevy Suburban. Each is left awaiting his word. The QB v. the Commissioner, it's all or everything now.
Posts: 43,125

09-04-2015, 09:49 AM	#559
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $278880	I'm sure young Jimmy has been well trained in the art of the Patriot Way aka cheating at all costs not beating someone man to man __________________ **Official TFWdemB Trivia Commisioner**
Posts: 72,960

09-04-2015, 10:07 AM	#565
Reerun_KC Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7231160	Originally Posted by GloryDayz I think almost any QB can be successful in the "Patriot Way" system... It's like the average man who's allowed to bring a gun to a knife fight, you'd need a pretty big idiot to not be successful. There's no mystery here.. Where can the Chiefs sign up to have that kind of success over that long of a period?
Posts: 1,529

09-04-2015, 10:12 AM	#566
Hootie Banned Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Casino cash: $10004900	Can we just ban these threads already? Good God shut the ** up ... Go to a **ing patriots board
Posts: 56,356

09-04-2015, 10:13 AM	#567
Reerun_KC Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7231160	LOL, well done ExtremeChief... That's awesome...
Posts: 1,529

09-04-2015, 10:18 AM	#568
ExtremeChief Poser Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: BFE, MO Casino cash: $9991344	__________________ When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.
Posts: 2,354