StanleySpadowski;1560400 said:
You guys are all missing the point.
The NFL did not "suspend" Vick. He's on a paid leave of absence.
This does several things; First it takes almost every legal remedy for Vick to see the field out of Vick's hands. Secondly it buys time for everyone involved to figure out all the legal ramifications. Thirdly, it takes the NFLPA out of the equation for now. (remember the heat Upshaw's been under and the NFL likes the status quo) and lastly, it protects Blank's potential future pursuit of $20+ million in signing bonus monies.
There you are again Stan. This is exactly correct. As Hos said, the second post of this thread, this is the best possible direction that can be taken right now.
The thing that I find interesting is that people seem to gravitate towards guilty or innocent where Vick is concerned. I mean, we all realize that there is due process that must take place but by and large, most people seem to think it's one or the other, which is understandable. The really interesting thing I see is the opinions of Goodell. People seem to think he's a good solid guy or he's a drunken Judge Roy Bean. I don't know Goodell real well but the one thing I hear reported from almost everybody is that he is a fair guy. IE, he doesn't suspend guys who aren't in a position to get themselves suspended. He has a lot of power, to be sure. However, he was the hand picked guy, even over more senior people who many thought might be in line. I suspect it's because of his character.
I honestly believe the NFL had a plan when they knew a new commish was on the way. I believe that Roselle was the guy who built the NFL. He was the guy who started it and built the foundation. He was the perfect guy for that job. He was hard enough to deal with the rival leagues, enough of a ontraponor to make deals and relationships with potential owners. To form a league with enough strong backers to last. He had enough understanding of entertainment to create a show worth watching. He was the right man for the job.
Tags was a business man who understood how to make money and how to do it legally. He was tasked with the responsiblity of growing the NFL and making it a stable, proffitable enterprise for the long haul. He was the guy who was tasked with forming strong player relations, strong TV ties and taking the game to the next level, financially. Making sure the NFL was the best show in town, if you will. He was the perfect man for the job.
When Tags retired, I think the league and really, the owners, understood that the gravy train would not last if the players weren't brought under control. I think that everybody new this commissionars job would be to clean up the league. The money was in place for TV, League, Owners and Players. Now it would have to be made well so that all the hard work of Roselle and Tags would last. Goodell was specifically picked, IMO, because of his character and his ability to be fair about these kinds of things. The fact that the NFL negotiated the ability of this Commissioner to wield the power he does was no mistake. The Owners and the league gave up a substanial amount of money in return for this power. This was one of the things the players agreed to in return for higher revenue share. It was no accident that this was one of the things the League had to have, IMO. A guy who has this kind of power has to be a guy who is fair minded. Otherwise, you could be in more trouble then you know. I think Goodell is a very good guy. I don't think he's a tyrant or an unfair type of individual. I think, like Roselle and Tags, Goodell is the perfect guy for the job he has. His Job is to clean up the NFL. I think he's doing it exactly the way it needs to be done. I don't see him being unfair or even partial. He's going after the guys who need to be delt with. He's not going after the Wittens and Newmans of the world.
If the NFL has been more succesful in any one area, then the other major leagues, it's how they've picked there leadership. They, IMO, have consistantly picked the right guys for the job. You can't argue with there success. I think Goodell has a job and he's going to get it done. Good for him, I say. JMO
