Football Brady v. NFL: No Settlement; Judge Berman to Decide - Page 33

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.

**Ming the Merciless** · 09-03-2015, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

porno...and atmospheric pressure deflated their balls but no one elses....

I havent been following this, but weren't some of the colts balls under inflated as well? (thought I heard somehwhere way after the fact that a couple of the colts balls were a bit under)

Amnorix · 09-03-2015, 02:16 PM

NFL apparently not seeking expedited appeal. If true, ZERO chance this is resolved before the Super Bowl. Figure next summer or thereabouts.

Amnorix · 09-03-2015, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoChargers

Goodell is a moron for many reasons, but this isn't one of them. This is players getting butthurt about getting caught cheating and punished, the union still being salty from how they got taken to the cleaners in the CBA negotiations, and liberal activist judges who will always side with organized labor no matter what.

I guess since the unions and their personal judges have made it so the CBA and the rulebook are toothless, the players can cheat, roid up, and commit crimes to their hearts' content and the league will be forced to let them play every week. They can enjoy their Pyrrhic victory as the league collapses under the weight of bad PR and corruption just like boxing and FIFA, because that's where it's headed.

Goodell is 0 for 5 in appeals.

ZERO for five.

Three different Federal judges.

One former NFL commissioner

Former NFL VP for Labor Relations (Henderson)

Each one said "Roger...WTF are you doing?!?"

You can paint this however you want, but it's Goodell that is ****ing up over and over and over and over nad over and over...

FringeNC · 09-03-2015, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

According to Stephanie Stradely Law :

I do not think the NFL will like the precedent set by Berman on this. This was a bad set of facts to go to war with.

https://twitter.com/StephStradley/st...63487425527808

Yep. Not only does the league have egg on their face from the ruling, but why risk undermining your authority to punish players on such a joke of a case? There must be a lot of butthurt owners pressuring Goodell on this one.

**Mr. Flopnuts** · 09-03-2015, 02:19 PM

Well **** it, let's cheat. Apparently that's perfectly okay now.

Pasta Little Brioni · 09-03-2015, 02:23 PM

This is all playing out like the WWE. Goodell playing the Vince role well.

Just Passin' By · 09-03-2015, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

Well **** it, let's cheat. Apparently that's perfectly okay now.

Be better than that.

Pasta Little Brioni · 09-03-2015, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Flopnuts

Well **** it, let's cheat. Apparently that's perfectly okay now.

But but but they will compromise on a pre season game next year

MagicHef · 09-03-2015, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Goodell is 0 for 5 in appeals.

ZERO for five.

Three different Federal judges.

One former NFL commissioner

Former NFL VP for Labor Relations (Henderson)

Each one said "Roger...WTF are you doing?!?"

You can paint this however you want, but it's Goodell that is ****ing up over and over and over and over nad over and over...

Yep, Goodell is awful, and deserves to be fired.

However, that does not change the fact that Tom Brady is a cheater.

Pasta Little Brioni · 09-03-2015, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

Be better than that.

Just Pass the **** By already.

Red Dawg · 09-03-2015, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

. Tuckdaddy?

Uh no. I don't hate Brady at all. I don't like anyone getting treated special when 20 some odd players took their shit like men. I think he certainly was aware of the football tampering through out the season and that day. A ton of evidence points to it. He is definitely hiding something and does not deserve to get out of his suspension completely. 2 games at lease. He cried and whined like a little girl and was treated differently by getting his case fast tracked to a decision that no other player gets.

Other players have to wait to be heard (AP. Rice, Vilma), in the mean time, serve their suspension. But not him. Not him, he gets to say "Hey, I need this done by this day so I can play" "Yes sir Mr. Brady". He was let off on technicalities in one guys opinion.

He's still a liar and full of shit. The Pats were caught cheating for the second time and punished for the second time but nobody cares now because Brady just negotiated peace on Earth. He's now a national hero for being a liar and getting away with it.

BryanBusby · 09-03-2015, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Yep, Goodell is awful, and deserves to be fired.

However, that does not change the fact that Tom Brady is a cheater.

The Denver Broncos cheat too so what's your point

TEX · 09-03-2015, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagicHef

Yep, Goodell is awful, and deserves to be fired.

However, that does not change the fact that Tom Brady is a cheater.

THIS sums it up.

After all, you know all about teams that cheat...

**ChiefGator** · 09-03-2015, 02:40 PM

I continue to wonder why only Brady was getting suspended. Lower inflated balls helped Gronkowski, LaFell, Edelman, etc.. None of them could tell it was so amazingly underinflated as to give a competitive advantage as they caught the balls?

Chromatic · 09-03-2015, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuckdaddy

Other players have to wait to be heard (AP. Rice, Vilma), in the mean time, serve their suspension. But not him. Not him, he gets to say "Hey, I need this done by this day so I can play" "Yes sir Mr. Brady". He was let off on technicalities in one guys opinion.

Because didn't he sue?

Also, the others you mentioned were probably advised to just take their punishment. Raising a stink over how fair you were treated for beating the shit out of your kid and knocking your fiancee out cold would look really, really bad and scare potential teams and sponsors away once it blows over.

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

09-03-2015, 02:16 PM	#482
Amnorix In BB I trust Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, Mass. Casino cash: $10029808	NFL apparently not seeking expedited appeal. If true, ZERO chance this is resolved before the Super Bowl. Figure next summer or thereabouts. __________________ "I love signature blocks on the Internet. I get to put whatever the hell I want in quotes, pick a pretend author, and bang, it's like he really said it." George Washington
Posts: 43,125

09-03-2015, 02:23 PM	#486
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $268880	This is all playing out like the WWE. Goodell playing the Vince role well. __________________ **Official TFWdemB Trivia Commisioner**
Posts: 72,967

09-03-2015, 02:40 PM	#494
ChiefGator Can these boys not play? Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Northcentral Florida Casino cash: $6452956	I continue to wonder why only Brady was getting suspended. Lower inflated balls helped Gronkowski, LaFell, Edelman, etc.. None of them could tell it was so amazingly underinflated as to give a competitive advantage as they caught the balls? __________________ - Mark
Posts: 4,705