Where does the NFLPA stand on all this?

NFLPA Appeals Ray Rice’s Indefinite NFL Suspension

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/09/16/ ... -ray-rice/

“The union has an obligation to defend the rights of its members, and we not only take that obligation seriously, but when we look at facts and reach a determination that there are appropriate grounds to appeal any decision – any disciplinary decision – that is the role of the union. That is the duty of the union,” Smith said. “And we really don’t shy away from that role at all.

http://kansascity.legalexaminer.com/hea ... -violence/

Will NFL & NFLPA Admit Concussion Link to Domestic Violence?

"In 2013, the Toronto Sun reported that athletes who experienced repeated head injuries have an increased risk of becoming angry and violent. 73% of the young men studied were described as “explosive”; 64% were described as “out of control”; and 68% were described as physically violent."

I think they are in the right to defend Rice for being punished twice. Just because it puts Goodell in a bad light. The NFL screwed up, they don't get a pass for bending the rules.

What is funny is Gooell launched his new "DV Policy." You know, 6 games AFTER a conviction, and ban for 2nd conviction.

And now, teams are completely ignoring iit lol. They are just winging it as they go. Crazy times.

The CBA has a clause to prevent double jeopardy.

huskylawyer":3l06y9lb said:

What is funny is Gooell launched his new "DV Policy." You know, 6 games AFTER a conviction, and ban for 2nd conviction.

And now, teams are completely ignoring iit lol. They are just winging it as they go. Crazy times.

Click to expand...

Fans have never given a flying crap about DV punishment for players before. Just sayin'.

RolandDeschain":3fz4803h said:

huskylawyer":3fz4803h said:

What is funny is Gooell launched his new "DV Policy." You know, 6 games AFTER a conviction, and ban for 2nd conviction.

And now, teams are completely ignoring iit lol. They are just winging it as they go. Crazy times.

Click to expand...

Fans have never given a flying crap about DV punishment for players before. Just sayin'.

Click to expand...

The NFL and Goodell enacted the policy LAST WEEK lol.

And it is already being ignored.

huskylawyer":1ey8d5h1 said:

The NFL and Goodell enacted the policy LAST WEEK lol.

And it is already being ignored.

Click to expand...

So as a fan, you want the NFL to just stick to its guns and say "screw you guys", doing whatever they had on record as punishment for stuff? In other words, do what they did INITIALLY with Ray Rice, awarding him a two-game ban?

Make up your mind.

If we're going to go with the legal process as the NFL's standard, then Ray Rice should never have been suspended. Charges were dropped.

People are looking for consistency here, right?

RolandDeschain":1byxyit7 said:

huskylawyer":1byxyit7 said:

The NFL and Goodell enacted the policy LAST WEEK lol.

And it is already being ignored.

Click to expand...

So as a fan, you want the NFL to just stick to its guns and say "screw you guys", doing whatever they had on record as punishment for stuff? In other words, do what they did INITIALLY with Ray Rice, awarding him a two-game ban?

Make up your mind.

Click to expand...

No, I'm saying, "if you enact a rule, STICK WITH IT."

Last week the NFL proudly announced, "We have new rules! 6 games on a conviction! Blah...blah...blah." That flew out the window within one week, and now its, "We don't know what the @$#@$ we are doing. Sorry."

And Roger Gooell is apparently in the FBI Witness Protection Program, so I have no idea who is running the show.

Probably the worst crisis management I've ever seen from a legit corporate entity.

huskylawyer":3vqhgk0r said:

No, I'm saying, "if you enact a rule, STICK WITH IT."

Click to expand...

They did with the first Rice suspension and everybody wanted that changed.

Look, I know that it seems I'm trolling you, but I'm seriously not. I'm simply trying to point out that fans are outraged and not being levelheaded about this at all, and with each new piece of information that comes out about someone's transgressions such as A.P. and now Dwyer, the demands of said fans seem to be changing.

We also don't even know what kind of background pressure sponsors such as Nike and Anheuser-Busch are putting on the NFL behind the scenes. I think people need to step back and give this thing some time to play out.

RolandDeschain":19duxwqe said:

huskylawyer":19duxwqe said:

No, I'm saying, "if you enact a rule, STICK WITH IT."

Click to expand...

They did with the first Rice suspension and everybody wanted that changed.

Look, I know that it seems I'm trolling you, but I'm seriously not. I'm simply trying to point out that fans are outraged and not being levelheaded about this at all, and with each new piece of information that comes out about someone's transgressions such as A.P. and now Dwyer, the demands of said fans seem to be changing.

We also don't even know what kind of background pressure sponsors such as Nike and Anheuser-Busch are putting on the NFL behind the scenes. I think people need to step back and give this thing some time to play out.

Click to expand...

Ummm...I agree with you lol.

I've been saying from Day 1 that fans are not being level headed, and that the NFL is basically just "winging it" and allowing social media outrage decide its policies (which change on a weekly basis). It is incredibly stupid and shocking.

But you also just ragged on 'em for changing their policy again so quickly, lol.

Alright though, I feel ya.

The NFL may have to remove the ban on Rice, but that doesn't mean any team has to play/hire him. He's toxic right now and no team would touch him for a bit.

huskylawyer":3napuo3c said:

I've been saying from Day 1 that fans are not being level headed, and that the NFL is basically just "winging it" and allowing social media outrage decide its policies (which change on a weekly basis). It is incredibly stupid and shocking.

Click to expand...

Doing the right thing is stupid and shocking?

Sgt. Largent":37ty87vn said:

huskylawyer":37ty87vn said:

I've been saying from Day 1 that fans are not being level headed, and that the NFL is basically just "winging it" and allowing social media outrage decide its policies (which change on a weekly basis). It is incredibly stupid and shocking.

Click to expand...

Doing the right thing is stupid and shocking?

Click to expand...

I believe his position is not that the punishment itself is stupid and shocking, but how it was executed/implemented (or lack thereof). Doing the right thing is not an issue, but how you do it can be.

I don't think many will argue that 2 games was sufficient (unless there is some kind of rule that requires NFL punishment to mirror that of the legal system, which there isn't). I would say an indefinite ban is closer to the mark.

The issue is exactly what huskylawyer has pointed out above. It appears that the NFL is acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner. They had rules in place that were insufficient. As a result, they changed the rules. After having changed the rules, a video came out with regard to a past case. Based upon this video (and public outrage), they banned the player indefinitely, without tying that decision to the new rules (this is not to say that this is impossible, I can't say as I haven't seen them in their entirety).

This forced the hand of the NFLPA, which has a duty to protect the players from improper action. Because the NFL did not adhere to their own rules and procedures, the punishment issued upon Ray Rice is in jeopardy of being overturned. That is a problem, as now the "right thing" can be undone.

Tupps":2afkse58 said:

Sgt. Largent":2afkse58 said:

huskylawyer":2afkse58 said:

I've been saying from Day 1 that fans are not being level headed, and that the NFL is basically just "winging it" and allowing social media outrage decide its policies (which change on a weekly basis). It is incredibly stupid and shocking.

Click to expand...

Doing the right thing is stupid and shocking?

Click to expand...

I believe his position is not that the punishment itself is stupid and shocking, but how it was executed/implemented (or lack thereof). Doing the right thing is not an issue, but how you do it can be.
.

Click to expand...

Of course it was executed horribly.

Huskylawyer's point is that the NFL is succumbing to the public outcry, or as he calls it "the Twitter mob." Like it's a negative thing.

The truth is the public is right, no Twitter mob should have been needed if the league would have done the right thing in the first place. That's the problem with huge money making corporations, the bottom line always comes first. It takes the public backlash to force them to do the right thing.

The NFLPA can squawk all the want, but none of these players is going to be allowed back on the field anytime soon. You don't make a contractual stand to protect a few idiots and jeopardize the other 1,700 players.

Yikes....

....can open....worms everywhere.....

It's the job the NFLPA to advocate for its members, regardless of if what they do is objectionable or not.

It's why some (many?) people question the structure of having the final decider ALSO represent the owners, regardless of if what they do is objectionable or not. Rather than Goodell being the representative of the owners and the final decider it would be more equitable to have an NFLPA head rep, and owner's head rep, and the commissioner as an independent body that runs the NFL as a non-profit (LOL) and adjudicates between the owners and players. That's never going to happen, but it's part of the problem and also one of the major reasons why the players ended up getting screwed in the new CBA, and why the players get screwed in the dolling out of off-field punishments.

As for the NFLPA, we have to remember what their job is and what role they serve. Think of the ACLU representing Neo-Nazis, or Exxon's in-house council representing Exxon when they have an oil spill due to shirking government regulations and knowingly keeping an alcoholic captain on the waters.

Sgt. Largent":x2pzw2ty said:

Tupps":x2pzw2ty said:

Sgt. Largent":x2pzw2ty said:

huskylawyer":x2pzw2ty said:

I've been saying from Day 1 that fans are not being level headed, and that the NFL is basically just "winging it" and allowing social media outrage decide its policies (which change on a weekly basis). It is incredibly stupid and shocking.

Click to expand...

Doing the right thing is stupid and shocking?

Click to expand...

I believe his position is not that the punishment itself is stupid and shocking, but how it was executed/implemented (or lack thereof). Doing the right thing is not an issue, but how you do it can be.
.

Click to expand...

The truth is the public is right, no Twitter mob should have been needed if the league would have done the right thing in the first place. That's the problem with huge money making corporations, the bottom line always comes first. It takes the public backlash to force them to do the right thing.

Click to expand...

I would agree with this. An unfortunate reality, but a reality all the same.

The NFL should absolutely cave to the public pressure, from a social and a business perspective. The issue I think is how they have gone about caving.

The players, fans and general public need to have faith in the system that is implemented. If chaos reigns, many will lose faith in the system and feel as if the NFL is merely reacting without careful consideration of the facts or basis for the punishment. They lost credibility by handing down a two-game suspension when clearly more was warranted. I believe too much of that decision was discretionary. In an attempt to save face, they issued new rules, which were potentially not adhered to in handing down the ban, thereby overstepping their bounds.

Clearly, they are not equipped to handle these types of situations, they have to much of a stake in the product and will only act to address "the bottom line." They really do need some kind of entity divorced from the NFL itself to be handling punishment.

As for the NFLPA, they really don't have any discretion here from what I understand. If the rules clearly aren't adhered to they are required to appeal. For example, I can't refuse to defend my client merely because he tells me he is guilty halfway through a trial. I have a professional obligation to continue that representation, and it is extremely difficult to get out of that obligation.

huskylawyer":2e5zv96o said:

What is funny is Gooell launched his new "DV Policy." You know, 6 games AFTER a conviction, and ban for 2nd conviction.

And now, teams are completely ignoring iit lol. They are just winging it as they go. Crazy times.

Click to expand...

There is a caveat to the 6 games. From the policy

A first offense will be subject to a suspension of six weeks without pay. Mitigating circumstances will be considered, and more severe discipline will be imposed if there are aggravating circumstances such as the presence or use of a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when the act is committed against a pregnant woman or in the presence of a child

While none of those examples applies you could argue that he not only hit her but he knocked her out in a confined environment where significant damage or even death could have been the outcome. In addition to this his behavior of beating his wife in public reflects poorly on the league so he gets additional games simply for hitting her in public.

I do doubt the last sentence would be part of the press release