2017 NFL Season Thread

[Maxx]

3 hours ago, Pooker said:

And the Elliott appeal is going into it's third day of debating.

Well there's a whole lot of bullshit to sort through between the accuser's lies and the NFL's fucked up handling of things.  Based on what's come out, the previous Brady ruling may do nothing to help the league considering they've shit all over and ignored large parts of what they agreed to do in the CBA when it comes to appeals.

[punky]

17 hours ago, Lint said:

Sign yet another big name CB who will probably be another disappointment?  Hard pass on that one

I'd rather them try Haden than go with Patrick Robinson or Jalen Mills.

[Maxx]

According to Josina Anderson, neither Goodell nor any of the 5 people on the NFL's independent investigation panel have actually spoken to Zeke's accuser.  So, the panel that recommended action didn't interview her, the commissioner that carried out action didn't interview her, and the person running the appeals process won't allow Zeke's side to interview her.  And this is a person who has admitted to lying to investigators and has changed her story.  But for the purposes of the investigation review, the punishment phase and the appeals, they're going off the interview she did during the investigation, and nothing else? 

They've wiped their ass with the CBA on this one, apparently they took the Brady ruling to mean they no longer need to allow for a fair appeal of suspensions and can just arbitrarily handicap players who are appealing.  

[DFF]

What does the CBA say about appealing suspensions? You keep mentioning that its ignoring it (or worse), but what is the actual agreement? (Not being argumentative, just inquisitive ). 

[Maxx]

There's a few underhanded things going on.  You could start with Harold Henderson, who they could claim isn't independent, given his lengthy relationship with the NFL.  Beyond that, his decisions have severely impacted Elliot's ability to have a fair appeal, something that is required under the CBA.  Henderson ruled that Tiffany Thompson wouldn't be allowed to be interviewed during the appeal, and that her testimony to NFL investigators could not be used.  So the key witness in the accusation against Elliot will have never been placed under oath, and her credibility will never have been scrutinized by the investigative panel, Goodell or Henderson.  They've essentially decided that what Tiffany Thompson told the NFL investigator, while not under oath, is unquestionably true.  There was no follow up interview during any other part of the investigation/suspension/appeal and there will not be one.  That's a ridiculous stance to take in any investigation with any witness, let alone one where the witness has admitted to lying, has changed her story and is documented trying to get others to lie for her.

They also haven't released all of their findings, and it doesn't appear like they are going to.  There's no process of discovery here, its the NFL saying "We have evidence, but we are only releasing a little of it.  To successfully appeal this, you'll need to dispute and disprove all of it, even if you don't know what the rest of it is."   Compare it to the Brady decision,  they were forthcoming with all of their evidence, it was published in The Wells Report.  With Elliot,  the NFL has detailed alleged incidents, but has not released the evidence that supports those allegations, and this is after investigating the incident for nearly a year.  

It's a complete joke. It's a violation Elliot's right to due process and fair treatment, which the NFL cannot do.   The CBA gave them wide latitude in handing out punishments, but it also calls for a fair process to appeal those punishments.  That's not what is happening here.

[Lineker]

JJ Watt has reached his $10m target for fundraising for Hurricane Harvey relief. Awesome.

[Meacon Keaton]

17 minutes ago, Lineker said:

JJ Watt has reached his $10m target for fundraising for Hurricane Harvey relief. Awesome.

Handsome AND generous. 

[VerbalPuke]

Lions trade former first rounder Laken Tomlinson for a 2019 5th rounder to San Fran. 

He was probably going to be cut so good to get something.

[livid]

13 minutes ago, VerBlood Drive said:

Lions trade former first rounder Laken Tomlinson for a 2019 5th rounder to San Fran. 

He was probably going to be cut so good to get something.

And the 49ers needed a G with Joshua Garnett being out for the first month of the season.

[VerbalPuke]

Good luck with him, he just never figured it out here. He flashed here and there but never consistently. I think what may have hurt him was that he was a RG in college but we put him at left because we had Warford. 

Probably Mayhew wanted to give him another shot.

[The Buscher]

DeAndre Hopkins will be signing a 5-year extension with the Texans that will include the largest amount of guaranteed money for any WR in the NFL.

Whatever the guaranteed money ends up being - it'll be the number that OBJ, Jarvis Landry, and Mike Evans use in their own extension talks.

[Lineker]

9 minutes ago, Busch Strowman said:

DeAndre Hopkins will be signing a 5-year extension with the Texans that will include the largest amount of guaranteed money for any WR in the NFL.

Whatever the guaranteed money ends up being - it'll be the number that OBJ, Jarvis Landry, and Mike Evans use in their own extension talks.

New contract for CJ Fiedorowitz too.

[Taxation is Theft]

Cleveland Browns. 2017 NFL Preseason champions.

[Cactus Drags]

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the league conducting its own investigations into off field stuff like this. Why is it the league's job to investigate a domestic violence incident? That's what the police are for. If he's arrested or charged or whatever, fine suspend him. I just don't see that the NFL has the proper ability or impartiality to be conducting investigations like this. 

[livid]

It does reek of self-importance but they're a little overzealous because they tried being passive about this shit before and it got them in a lot of trouble with the Ray Rice stuff so they're just doubling down on avoiding that PR nightmare again. 

[Adam]

Brock Osweiler has been cut. 

[gunnar hendershow]

1 hour ago, livid said:

It does reek of self-importance but they're a little overzealous because they tried being passive about this shit before and it got them in a lot of trouble with the Ray Rice stuff so they're just doubling down on avoiding that PR nightmare again. 

And it, in turn, is becoming a PR nightmare for them.

[Meacon Keaton]

1 hour ago, Dwight K. Schrute said:

Brock Osweiler has been cut. 

Couple months later than most of us expected. He just keeps defying the odds!

[gunnar hendershow]

9 minutes ago, Meacon said:

Couple months later than most of us expected. He just keeps defying the odds!

They still get to keep the pick which is hilarious. Can't believe there wasn't some provision that if Cleveland cut him Houston would instead send like a 5th rounder or something. They wanted to get rid of him that badly.

[Lineker]

Sheldon Richardson to Seattle. Kearse goes the other way to the Jets.