Clay Matthews linked to painkiller

[Half Empty]

Certainly lots to discuss, but I assume that would be disallowed by the mods (having signed away my right to free speech by joining the forum ). Should this be an allowable topic, I'd be glad to debate.

 

[Pkrjones]

While many think Goodell is over-reaching on his powers the Brady ruling "gave" him those increased (end-around) powers as "conduct detrimental to the league". The players have been told they WILL be suspended on 8/25/16 and after UNTIL they agree to be interviewed.

The NFLPA has no power to delay those suspensions, so it's up to the players to defend themselves. Come up with the exact same story, short generic answers and be done. The more you say the more chance that the NFL will find "a discrepancy" in stories... short answers, deny everything and be done.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

The NFLPA has no power to delay those suspensions, so it's up to the players to defend themselves.

While the NFLPA can't prevent the league from suspending the players in the first place it’s likely the NFLPA would file a lawsuit claiming that the league had overstepped its bounds in forcing the players to submit to interrogation and asking for an injunction to stay the suspensions.

 

[Mondio]

An employee/employer relationship is clearly the same. Kudos to you. How much power do you want your employer to have over you? union contract or not? what should they be able to do to you? Hold an inquisition or you can't be employed? LOL

The NFLPA has no power to delay those suspensions, so it's up to the players to defend themselves. Come up with the exact same story, short generic answers and be done. The more you say the more chance that the NFL will find "a discrepancy" in stories... short answers, deny everything and be done.

I don't think they should. I think they should stand exactly by their initial statements. I think the entire league of players should back them. I think they should delay the start of the season until it's decided by the courts. This is bigger than them and the Green Bay Packers.

why should they submit to the NFL? you think short answers are going to get them past? What if they want your computers to check? what if they want their cell phones? What if they want a history of all deliveries to and from their homes, their trainers homes, their relatives homes. We've seen the witch hunt and the ends the NFL will take just to "win". If you think not giving them exactly what they expect will result in anything less than what the NFL wants, i think you're mistaken.

The players did defend themselves. The NFL wants more. I hope this goes to court again. They players have given sworn affidavits. They have denied it. Beyond that, it's up to the NFL to come up with more proof, or at least it should be. otherwise where does that leave us? And can you guys not see the amount of corruption and control and coercion this will lead to down the road? Please, a recanted allegation thru a defunct media source is now grounds to suspend players. Give me a break. This is bigger than football.

 

[Half Empty]

MODS, please, either open this up or cut it off. Too much good stuff on which to pass.

 

[Pkrjones]

In overturning Brady's suspension case the circuit Court of Appeals majority decision (brief excerpt):

"In a 33-page decision, the majority opinion stated: "We hold that the commissioner properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural rulings were properly grounded in that agreement and did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness. Accordingly, we reverse the judgement of the district court and remand with instructions to confirm the award."...

"Our obligation is limited to determining whether the arbitration proceedings and award met the minimum legal standards established by the Labor Management Relations Act."

Goodell is all-powerful in matters related to "conduct detrimental to the league"... short of a player revolt (with cancelled games & lost revenue) it will continue, IMHO.

I guess my earlier comment about keeping their interviews short, generic answers was REALLY optimistic... "June 23 (2015): Tom Brady's appeal for his four-game suspension ended Tuesday evening at NFL headquarters after ten hours of testimony, the NFL announced."

 

[PackerDNA]

Although I clicked "agree" on Mondio's post, this could get ugly. The league has threatened to indefinitely suspend the players unless they fully cooperate and come in for interviews by 8/25. They also claim a statement in Neal's affadavit is "demonstrably false".

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Although I clicked "agree" on Mondio's post, this could get ugly. The league has threatened to indefinitely suspend the players unless they fully cooperate and come in for interviews by 8/25. They also claim a statement in Neal's affadavit is "demonstrably false".

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind this will get ugly if the players don't agree to be interviewed by the league. BTW it seems Neal "forgot" to mention his four game suspension for PED use at the start of the 2012 season in the written affidavit.

 

[PackerDNA]

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind this will get ugly if the players don't agree to be interviewed by the league. BTW it seems Neal "forgot" to mention his four game suspension for PED use at the start of the 2012 season in the written affidavit.

That's not good on Neals part, but shouldn't something as blatantly obvious as that have come up in due dilligence by the league? And why would the "ommision' of something so obvious be such a big deal?

 

[Mondio]

oh, this is going to get ugly. The NFL isn't going to back down, and the more the NFLPA does, the worse it's going to get for the players. I think they way overstepped their authority in the entire Brady case. If the league just wanted to ask a couple of questions, i'm sure this wouldn't be an issue. But they don't. They've proven the lengths they will go to just to prove how strong they are. It's up to the courts to knock them back down, or the players to make a stand.

The NFL goes beyond asking questions, and any demand not met, is now seen as conduct detrimental. What a sad state.

 

[El Guapo]

Honestly, this is not an ugly situation. This is typical back and forth between the NFL and the union. They lock horns on an issue, go to the courts, somebody wins, and repeat. Eventually they negotiate a new deal, and then they repeat the process.

I agree with the union that this goes beyond the intent of the terms contained within the CBA.

I'm fairly confident that the NFLPA will file their lawsuit, our guys and Harrison will play until the courts decide and then they will abide with the decision handed down. Tar and feather me if I'm wrong, but I don't see any way that these guys actually get suspended. These are just two bears huffing and bluff charging. Slightly frightening but also a little comical from a distance.

 

[Sky King]

Honestly, this is not an ugly situation. This is typical back and forth between the NFL and the union. They lock horns on an issue, go to the courts, somebody wins, and repeat. Eventually they negotiate a new deal, and then they repeat the process.

I agree with the union that this goes beyond the intent of the terms contained within the CBA.

I'm fairly confident that the NFLPA will file their lawsuit, our guys and Harrison will play until the courts decide and then they will abide with the decision handed down. Tar and feather me if I'm wrong, but I don't see any way that these guys actually get suspended. These are just two bears huffing and bluff charging. Slightly frightening but also a little comical from a distance.

Rational thought. What a novel concept.

 

[El Guapo]

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[XPack]

Kinda agree with Mondio's post. NFL sure needs to provide something more than verbal claim by somebody or other before they start scheduling interviews.

Not sure if posted before, but read Steelers LB Harrison's (one of the accused) version and it does makes sense.

http://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Steelers-LB-Harrison-speaks-about-PED-probe-9145723.php

 

[Mondio]

It's not ugly yet, but if they don't do the interviews, which I don't think they will, they will be suspended. They will appeal, like you said. Someone will win and someone will lose. and then they'll appeal again, and someone will win or lose, and they'll appeal again, until they can't anymore or they run out of time. lets say the players in the first round, then they lose the 2nd and it's playoff time and can't get a court date till 3 weeks after their next game? Things could get ugly. The NFL isn't backing down and the players can't.

 

[Poppa San]

MODS, please, either open this up or cut it off. Too much good stuff on which to pass.

I can move the entire thread to the Asylum or you can start a new one there and reference it by quoting to posts here.

 

[Packerlifer]

http://www.packersnews.com/story/sp...l-overstepping-boundaries-ped-probe/88833888/

 

[Mark Andrew Hooley]

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm so sick of year after year us not having our best players on the field. Usually it's through injuries, but this year was setting up nicely, and now this! We absolutely need a bye ahead of Arizona if we want to go back to the Super Bowl. This could be costly. Just do the interviews as Manning did and get back on the field.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

That's not good on Neals part, but shouldn't something as blatantly obvious as that have come up in due dilligence by the league? And why would the "ommision' of something so obvious be such a big deal?

The NFL knew about Neal having been suspended in 2012 but took offense at Neal for not mentioning it in the affidavit though.

Just do the interviews as Manning did and get back on the field.

It was way easier for Manning to cooperate with the league as he's retired and not part of the NFLPA anymore.

I understand the players stance of not wanting to be interviewed by the league because of an intern in a clinic accusing them of using PEDs, something he has since withdrawn. As far as we know the NFL doesn't have any evidence to support this claim.

What's next??? The league suspending players because of someone posting rumors on a forum like this???

 

[Mondio]

The NFL knew about Neal having been suspended in 2012 but took offense at Neal for not mentioning it in the affidavit though.



It was way easier for Manning to cooperate with the league as he's retired and not part of the NFLPA anymore.

I understand the players stance of not wanting to be interviewed by the league because of an intern in a clinic accusing them of using PEDs, something he has since withdrawn. As far as we know the NFL doesn't have any evidence to support this claim.

What's next??? The league suspending players because of someone posting rumors on a forum like this???

Don't get me wrong, I'd be floored if most of these guys in the NFL, matthews included have never used a PED in their lives. I'm not a fan of PED use, but I'm even less of a fan of unlimited power in the hands of one guy and it is used in cases like this.

This could be nothing more than a guy trying to sound more important than he really was to someone he was trying to impress. I've ran into so many people like that in my life, I automatically think people are full of **** when they start dropping names and telling stories until I can prove otherwise.

Or it could mean he really did supply them, in which case, the NFL needs to get their evidence. In the meantime, the players have all denied it. We don't live in a world where a "rumor" subjects you to interrogation and having to comply with all requests or be treated as guilty and neither should the players in the NFL. If your boss thinks you took a stapler, they don't get to do anymore than ask you if you took it. They can't make you sit with investigators, turn over computers, cell phones, search your home, car or person without cause and that cause has to be more than a hunch or unsubstantiated rumor.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Don't get me wrong, I'd be floored if most of these guys in the NFL, matthews included have never used a PED in their lives. I'm not a fan of PED use, but I'm even less of a fan of unlimited power in the hands of one guy and it is used in cases like this.

I'm quite sure as well that a high percentage of NFL players have taken some kind of performance enhancing drug at some point during their career. In my opinion the league needs evidence for it to compel them being interviewed about that matter though.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I doubt it will get so ugly that we will have a repeat of the 1987 NFL Player strike season when fans were "treated" to 3 games played by "the replacement players". But if it does, my Sundays will be free until the return of real NFL football. If something like that does happen (along with all the other crap these Millionaire owners and players constantly fight over), I would be tempted to do what I did with MLB in 1994 and just turn it off forever. But being the Die Hard Packer fan that I am, I like most fans, will probably suck it up and keep watching.

 

[sschind]

T

What's next??? The league suspending players because of someone posting rumors on a forum like this???

So what are you saying captain? That all the members of the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Panthers used PEDs

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

So what are you saying captain? That all the members of the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Panthers used PEDs

I don't think it was all their players, just the starters. Same rumors coming out of Minnesota.

 

[JK64]

Matthews and Peppers should just go in and do the interview. If your boss wanted to talk to you about something that was said, wouldn't you want to go in and clear things up.

Goodell is not going to back down on this, (see Brady). It won't be about PED's anymore, it will be about not cooperating and the players union can't fight that, see Brady.