News: PFT: NFL won’t rule out Ezekiel Elliott suspension beginning Monday night

[viman96]

Basically, this is going to be a weekly thing with them until the 5th Circuit rules on their stay request. The NFL will publicly state that Elliott's suspension could start every week simply as PR to remind everyone that he did something wrong in their eyes.

In other words if the 5th Circuit rules in their favor on the stay today or Monday, they'll immediately suspend him, while ignoring their own precedent, as another PR show to try to get people to believe they really are tough on DV.

I am also sure there's a bit of bitterness at play here with them knowing they've been made to look like a clown show over this ordeal by Elliott's legal team.

Technically the NFL has already suspended Zeke. The court's have blocked the suspension. So if the 5th circuit sides with the NFL then previous suspension could become active.

 

[MRV52]

Like the 5th Court is going to rush this to satisfy the NFL. They have more important matters than worrying about NFL garbage. See you in 3 to 5 months.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

That's not a rule.

certainly was bantered around as a rule on this very site back before week 1, remember Henderson needed to decide by Tuesday to ensure Zeke didn't play the next week,,,

 

[DenCWBY]

It's getting to a point that it might be best overall (in the long run) for the team and Zeke to take the 6 game hit now and move on. From what I understand, the NFL's chances are strong to ultimately win and enforce the suspension. The time off for him could go either direction in that he matures a little bit learning his lesson, works on his game and comes back with a huge chip on his shoulder or he falls into the shadows and continues his recent questionable behavior as a victim of circumstances.
Other considerations, suspended now he'll be back for the season end run. If we end up sucking this year (esp on defense), the suspension is behind him and the table is hopefully set for a run next year (with Dak) getting more experience as well. If he comes back after suspension looking out of shape and dejected, we take another RB in the following draft.
Just sayin.

 

[mugsybows]

yeah as it sounds right now, they are basically saying until we hear from 5th circuit were gonna say he can be suspended starting any game from here on out. this will become a weekly occurrence until 5th circuit rules. NFL gave them that laughable deadline of september 26, and we havent heard anything from 5th circuit yet. my guess is theyll get to it after the season is over like Brady's. NFL really trying to pull its weight in a place that isnt the NFL doesnt really work so well. hard for Goodell to fathom hes not God in the real world as well.

 

[Kevinicus]

certainly was bantered around as a rule on this very site back before week 1, remember Henderson needed to decide by Tuesday to ensure Zeke didn't play the next week,,,

It was bandied about, but was apparently wrong.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

certainly was bantered around as a rule on this very site back before week 1, remember Henderson needed to decide by Tuesday to ensure Zeke didn't play the next week,,,

And the NFl was going to screw us then until the judge asked them if Zeke was going to be allowed to play that first weekend. Put them on the spot.

 

[StarHead69]

Jerry needs to deal with goodell. Four games based on reasonable suspicion with no admission of guilt. Zeke goes to fat camp and gets back in shape.

 

[ThreeandOut]

Has the 5th CA even named the judges that will hear this? They hadn't as of Wednesday night.

 

[mugsybows]

Jerry needs to deal with goodell. Four games based on reasonable suspicion with no admission of guilt. Zeke goes to fat camp and gets back in shape.

not to mention ratings at an all time low, the goodell era needs to end and hopefully jerry can get it done.

 

[Nightman]

It's getting to a point that it might be best overall (in the long run) for the team and Zeke to take the 6 game hit now and move on. From what I understand, the NFL's chances are strong to ultimately win and enforce the suspension. The time off for him could go either direction in that he matures a little bit learning his lesson, works on his game and comes back with a huge chip on his shoulder or he falls into the shadows and continues his recent questionable behavior as a victim of circumstances.
Other considerations, suspended now he'll be back for the season end run. If we end up sucking this year (esp on defense), the suspension is behind him and the table is hopefully set for a run next year (with Dak) getting more experience as well. If he comes back after suspension looking out of shape and dejected, we take another RB in the following draft.
Just sayin.

yeah just give up and take the hit....... "thank you sir may I have another"

maybe Dak can volunteer to sit a couple games for the DUI charge he got in college

 

[CATCH17]

This is just going to be the way it is from now on until the final ruling way down the road.

Incredibly distracting.

Kind of why I wish we would just gotten the suspension over with.

This will give the media something to talk about for the next 2 years and we could've been done with it in October.

 

[Sydla]

Do we actually have evidence of this, or is it just what people say? Do we know of an instance where a suspension was announced on a Wed/Thur/Fri and then served starting the following week?

Past practice is still not a rule.

Apparently it doesn't apply to Cushing, either (announced on a Wed - Granted he was going to miss the first game anyway):

https://www.click2houston.com/sport...mes-by-nfl-for-performance-enhancing-drug-use

Or Vacaro and Payton (announced on a Friday):
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-report-20161209-story.html

Slightly different.

Vaccaro was notified earlier he had failed a test. He appealed it but then dropped the appeal himself on the 9th.

Payton, based on what I am reading, was already declared inactive that week prior to the announcement. He had been inactive for much of that season starting in November.

 

[Nova]

I like how the NFL once lifted a suspension to Suh because he was too important to the team (right before they faced us in the playoffs).

But it's totally fair to keep threatening the Cowboys with a sudden suspension so that it's difficult to comfortably prepare for a game.

 

[SultanOfSix]

When is Goodell's name going to change to Badell?

 

[viman96]

It's getting to a point that it might be best overall (in the long run) for the team and Zeke to take the 6 game hit now and move on. From what I understand, the NFL's chances are strong to ultimately win and enforce the suspension. The time off for him could go either direction in that he matures a little bit learning his lesson, works on his game and comes back with a huge chip on his shoulder or he falls into the shadows and continues his recent questionable behavior as a victim of circumstances.
Other considerations, suspended now he'll be back for the season end run. If we end up sucking this year (esp on defense), the suspension is behind him and the table is hopefully set for a run next year (with Dak) getting more experience as well. If he comes back after suspension looking out of shape and dejected, we take another RB in the following draft.
Just sayin.

This is about Zeke and IMO trumps the needs of the team or fans. This is his personal livelihood and it is only a decision he can make. No one should expect him to accept guilt for something he feels he did not do.

 

[TheHerd]

Exactly........there is no written rule but there is a decade of precedents

That is the whole case that Elliott is making........lack of due process, unfairness and the unequal application of the rules

And this is the rub no one seems to want to hear.

Everyone wants to say this is all about whether the NFL followed procedures, but this judge kept pointing to requiring fundamental fairness, a generic right.

The league is going to have to give its reasoning and to allow full testimony from all parties. At that time, if it's even possible, the league will look even more foolish:

Mazzant agreed that Goodell's testimony was necessary in order to determine what "credible evidence" — the standard required by the NFL's conduct policy — the commissioner relied on in order to suspend Elliott.
...
"The question before the court is merely whether Elliott received a fundamentally fair hearing before the arbitrator," Mazzant wrote in his opinion. "The answer is he did not. The court finds, based upon the injunction standard, that Elliott was denied a fundamentally fair hearing by Henderson's refusal to allow Thompson and Goodell to testify at the arbitration hearing. Their absence ... effectively deprived Elliott of any chance to have a fundamentally fair hearing."

 

[TheHerd]

Has the 5th CA even named the judges that will hear this? They hadn't as of Wednesday night.

The briefs are all filed. They can issue a ruling at any time.

 

[Kevinicus]

Slightly different.

Vaccaro was notified earlier he had failed a test. He appealed it but then dropped the appeal himself on the 9th.

Payton, based on what I am reading, was already declared inactive that week prior to the announcement. He had been inactive for much of that season starting in November.

And Zeke has been notified of his suspension as well. The supposed rule is supposedly for competition, not the player, so in Vaccaro's situation, that should still go to the next week...going by the "rule."

But we still have no evidence of a suspension being delayed in it's execution due to this rule as far as I'm aware.

 

[superonyx]

Do we actually have evidence of this, or is it just what people say? Do we know of an instance where a suspension was announced on a Wed/Thur/Fri and then served starting the following week?

Past practice is still not a rule.

Apparently it doesn't apply to Cushing, either (announced on a Wed - Granted he was going to miss the first game anyway):

https://www.click2houston.com/sport...mes-by-nfl-for-performance-enhancing-drug-use

Or Vacaro and Payton (announced on a Friday):
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-report-20161209-story.html

I would imagine the NFL has this unofficial policy in place to not upset the sports books and gambling lines ect.
It seems shady but I cant help but have the feeling they wont suspend a guy who has a real impact on the point spreads the day of the game.
Similar to why they have the injury reports that teams have to release...they can pretend its for other teams to prepare but its really for the odds makers.