News: PFT: NFL announces Harold Henderson will handle Ezekiel Elliott appeal

[Alexander]

I don't see how 2 games is better than 0 games.

0 games is vindication, 2 games is guilt.

Guilt is already out there. It would be unprecedented for this set up with appointed counsel completely lifting any and all suspension.

I cannot think of a single case where any appeal ended up being all or nothing like that. Can you?

 

[ilykdrama]

And if it goes that far, it will likely end up just like Brady with him relenting. I don't see what the difference is having him get it out of the way now or 2018.

Thankfully, the gears of justice turn slowly. If it could be assured it is tied up in court through February, I would be all for it.

But you never know. I would have a real issue with him fighting, losing and then depending on the timing miss games late in the year.

Yeah, it's a complicated issue for sure. Hopefully we can win enough games to lose a couple at the end of the year on a reduction, you just hope there not a playoff game. I think the difference on this one is that Goodell will be in deep **** and it will be way more publicly known that he can't get it right, losing his position.

 

[Alexander]

Yeah, it's a complicated issue for sure. Hopefully we can win enough games to lose a couple at the end of the year on a reduction, you just hope there not a playoff game. I think the difference on this one is that Goodell will be in deep **** and it will be way more publicly known that he can't get it right, losing his position.

Eh. His contract runs out soon anyways and he has had a very lucrative run. I don't think he cares a bit if this costs him his job. He has already burned enough bridges and ticked off enough of the upper crust of ownership that he stands very little chance of getting a new contract. Jones in particular will probably be able to convince people to dump him. If Kraft goes that route, he is dead anyways.

 

[waldoputty]

Roger Goodell is running as fast as he can away from this

Run Run Run

 

[Stash]

Guilt is already out there. It would be unprecedented for this set up with appointed counsel completely lifting any and all suspension.

I cannot think of a single case where any appeal ended up being all or nothing like that. Can you?

I think Brady's was well on his way if he hadn't given up the fight. And now, his legacy will be forever tarnished to some degree because he didn't.

And that was for allegedly deflating footballs.

"Woman beating"? Different stratosphere.

I'll ask you, what suspended player has ever recovered from it? Who's still in the league?

If it's anything but zero games, the guy is forever tarnished and he loses millions and millions in salary and endorsements.

This thing will be fought to the very bitter end.

 

[waldoputty]

Roger Goodell is running as fast as he can away from this

This is all very strange.
It appears Goodell has been hiding from the start, but yet they says things like "woman beater" at the start.
They knew this was going to get bad and there is a lot of ammunition...

How could they not know that Zeke has no choice but fight this to the end.
Cut it to 2 games is not going to do it because the DV label will kill his endorsements.
Team Zeke has to absolutely destroy them in the court of public opinion.

 

[Alexander]

If it's anything but zero games, the guy is forever tarnished and he loses millions and millions in salary and endorsements.

Is Roethlisburger forever tarnished? Brady still is a very marketable product even though he is branded a cheater.

As for the players who "recovered from it", there are other issues and demons that cause some of that. Hardy is not in this league anymore just as much for the manner in which he behaved in Dallas. He is unstable. Elliott is still a young man. And honestly, what millions and millions will he lose? There are a very small handful of NFL players that rake in the big endorsement money. This is not like the NBA where players are as brands even more than teams are.

 

[Jake]

Zeke and his attorneys aren't settling. They have no reason to. They know this case is a sham, and when his attorneys secure a victory in court over the NFL? Their reputation, and rates, will skyrocket.

Based on this evidence? This case is easy pickins.

It's not a criminal case. They don't have to prove Zeke is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt any more than they had to prove Brady deflated footballs. How did that work out for Brady?

 

[Reality]

This is all very strange.
It appears Goodell has been hiding from the start, but yet they says things like "woman beater" at the start.
They knew this was going to get bad and there is a lot of ammunition...

The NFL better hope there's some real evidence that hasn't been released yet in their favor. So far, I'm sure most of the leaks are coming from Elliott's side, either his team or the media, but if there is evidence against him, the media tide will definitely shift against him at some point.

 

[ThreeandOut]

Even if it gets knocked down somehow to 1 game or 2 games, he has to fight this out. The NFL would look dumb as hell if they lowered it to only a couple games. It's either 6 games or 0 , admit your mistake NFL , by holding on to this will only look more foolish

There's no way it's getting knocked down to 1 or 2 games. After implementing a get tough policy on domestic violence and branding Zeke a domestic abuser, there's no way they can give him the same punishment as Ray Rice. It's all or nothing.

 

[Stash]

Is Roethlisburger forever tarnished?

You tell me. Where are his big money deals?

Brady still is a very marketable product even though he is branded a cheater.

So you place deflating footballs on equal footing with domestic violence?

As for the players who "recovered from it", there are other issues and demons that cause some of that. Hardy is not in this league anymore just as much for the manner in which he behaved in Dallas. He is unstable. Elliott is still a young man. And honestly, what millions and millions will he lose? There are a very small handful of NFL players that rake in the big endorsement money. This is not like the NBA where players are as brands even more than teams are.

Hardy isn't anywhere, not just not in Dallas.

And seriously? You don't think that star NFL players make millions in endorsements? In that case, we have little more to discuss on this one.

 

[waldoputty]

The NFL better hope there's some real evidence that hasn't been released yet in their favor. So far, I'm sure most of the leaks are coming from Elliott's side, either his team or the media, but if there is evidence against him, the media tide will definitely shift against him at some point.

Team Zeke would know if there is damning evidence against Zeke.

So the key is what is the end game for Team Zeke.
If he settles for 2 games then the NFL has something.

If the NFL has something good, they should have used it upfront because it would reduce the amount of fighting Team Zeke would put up.
This all makes no sense regarding what the NFL is doing.
They could not be this irrational or stupid.

 

[waldoputty]

Is Roethlisburger forever tarnished? Brady still is a very marketable product even though he is branded a cheater.

As for the players who "recovered from it", there are other issues and demons that cause some of that. Hardy is not in this league anymore just as much for the manner in which he behaved in Dallas. He is unstable. Elliott is still a young man. And honestly, what millions and millions will he lose? There are a very small handful of NFL players that rake in the big endorsement money. This is not like the NBA where players are as brands even more than teams are.

Cheater >>> Woman Beater
There is no way Team Zeke should settle for 2 games if there evidence is what we have seen.

 

[Stash]

It's not a criminal case.

Domestic violence is a criminal act. If that's what he's being judged as? Yeah, it is a criminal case. And will be handled as such by a true court of law.

They don't have to prove Zeke is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt any more than they had to prove Brady deflated footballs. How did that work out for Brady?

When it reaches the proper courts, yes they do. And Brady dropped his case, Elliott's team won't. Especially based on the person who the NFL elected to take their word for it.

 

[Alexander]

Cheater >>> Woman Beater
There is no way Team Zeke should settle for 2 games if there evidence is what we have seen.

Roethlisberger was labeled a rapist. Where is that on the sliding scale? Above or below a woman beater?

 

[MRV52]

I think Zeke's legal team will fight anything that associates him with DV. If the league reduces it 2 games (not likely) due to the St. Patricks Day incident, they'll probably accept that. But ya, the best case scenario for Zeke's team is if Henderson reduces it to 4 games, but that's not likely.

Why do people bring up St Patricks day, bar fight, speeding etc. This has nothing to do with his 6 Game Suspension. It is strickly on DV!!!!

 

[gimmesix]

This is why they will not hand it over to an independent

When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell appointed Henderson as the lead arbitrator on the controversial Adrian Peterson case last year, the NFL Players Association was quick to voice its concerns. The NFLPA released a statement questioning Henderson’s ability to see the case from an un-biased angle after years as a top NFL executive:

A long-time NFL Executive and current legal consultant cannot, by definition, be a neutral arbitrator.

The NFL had appointed Hendrson despite requests from the NFLPA for a neutral third-party arbitrator. The move was particularly questionable considering the league had done just that during the Ray Rice case, appointing U.S. Judge Barbara Jones. However Jones required Goodell to testify during the appeal, much to the commissioner’s objections.

http://heavy.com/sports/2015/07/har...-appeal-reduced-suspension-nfl-roger-goodell/

This is also why Peterson's suspension was thrown out in court. Judge Doty agree that there was bias in appointing Henderson as the lead arbitrator. If he did that once, I cannot see why he wouldn't again.

 

[waldoputty]

Roethlisberger was labeled a rapist. Where is that on the sliding scale? Above or below a woman beater?

Good point.
But does Roethlisberger get much endorsements?

 

[Alexander]

Why do people bring up St Patricks day, bar fight, speeding etc. This has nothing to do with his 6 Game Suspension. It is strickly on DV!!!!

This is absolutely correct. The NFL had it's tactical chance to tack on Boob Gate and did not. They had every chance to say he did not cooperate. They did not.

They never fail to botch things when they go into investigation mode.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Goodell could have assigned the matter to a truly independent party. Goodell ultimately opted not to surrender the outcome to someone who would have been handling the case as a one-and-done project. Henderson, by virtue of the fact that the league regularly hires him to provide appeal services, is viewed as someone who will be inclined to rubber stamp the decision from the league — even if he hasn’t always done that.

Goodell's attempt to deflect blame of an order he already likely issued when hiring Henderson.

Goodell: Henderson, here is $25k to write an appeal document that confirms my six game suspension.
Henderson: Hell yeah, like printing money byotches!