News: BTB: Ezekiel Elliott suspension would set up every single NFL player for blackmail

[NewsBot]

Will the NFL bungle yet another “investigation”?

Various sources claim that Ezekiel Elliott could face a one- or two-game suspension at the hands of the NFL after being accused of domestic violence. Despite investigating Elliott for almost a year, the league has denied that any decision on discipline has been made.

What makes the situation so tricky for the NFL is that there doesn't appear to be any type of evidence beyond the statement of the victim of the alleged domestic violence incident.

The Columbus police, who were called to the alleged incident, did not arrest Elliott, and the city attorney’s office later declined to bring charges, citing conflicting and inconsistent evidence.

As is often the case in these types of he-said, she-said cases, it's impossible to determine with any type of certainty what actually happened. Yet the NFL appears to be ready to hand down a suspension for something it can't prove - and which Elliott can't disprove.

Which means that suspending Elliott based solely on an unprovable accusation sets a dangerous precedent that would set up every single NFL player as a blackmail target.

Even if the league suspends Elliott without pay for just one game, it effectively sets the market price for an unprovable accusation: at least one NFL game check.

A look at sites like Spotrac.com or OverTheCap.com would quickly give potential blackmailers the precise amount of money (NFL players are paid in 17 game checks over the course of a season) a player would be set to lose to an unprovable accusation.

You may think the threat of blackmail is far-fetched, but it is not.

• In 2015, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman found himself photographed in a rather compromising position when a woman, identified only as Sabrina, posted a selfie on Tinder in bed with a sleeping Edelman (******** has a screengrab). What if instead of bragging about the night with Edelman, she had made a DV-type accusation?
• That same year, a 19-year old bragged on Tinder about having had sex with Odell Beckham. What if she had been looking for a big payday?
• But NFL players aren't just at risk from former bedmates. In 2012, Robert Griffin was blackmailed by Richard Hurd, the ex-boyfriend of Griffin's fiancee. At the time, Hurd demanded $1 million or he would provide the media with information that would damage Griffin's reputation. Griffin contacted the authorities, and Hurd was eventually arrested and sentenced to jail. If another player was faced with a similar situation today, and the blackmail threat included allegations of domestic violence, would that player still contact the authorities, or simply pay up?

Effectively, any acquaintance with a grudge - or with a need for cash - will be handed a weapon by the league in case of an Elliott suspension based on the DV allegation.

The NFL is likely aware of the precedent they would set with an Elliott suspension based on the alleged domestic violence charges. Which is why, if a suspension is eventually handed down, it will likely be based on some kind of “conduct detrimental” language that will not explicitly mention domestic violence as the reason for the suspension, but will contain language that will imply it.

Because hiding behind some legalese mumbo-jumbo is exactly the way Roger Goodell likes to weasel his way out of a tough spot.

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