John Clayton says Browner could win his appeal

[c_hawkbob]

Listening to The Scorpions greatest hits as I am typing. Sorry for being distracted..

Now that's a hell of a CD.

Saw them in concert back in 1991. great times with Mr Big and Great White I drove. I was a seahawk fan at that time too...(just to make it about seahawks. LOL)

:thirishdrinkers:

Scorps, Iron Maiden and Girls School 1983, 5th row center \m/

 

[Atradees]

Scorps, Iron Maiden and Girls School 1983, 5th row center \m/

Never did get to the Scorpions; have their best of.

Iron Maiden i think it was 1987 w Blue Oyster Cult-was supposed to be Metalica but they had that tragedy.

Ears rang far a week. Loudest concert in memorial coliseum history. Bout the forth row in front of a giant wall of Horns. We were doing what Browner is accused of.

 

[PlinytheCenter]

Would love to see Browner abusing Graham Monday night...Isn't going to happen but if Browner is available in the playoffs it would no doubt help. Browner is a guy that has made a direct impact. That down against Carolina last year where Browner ripped the ball out of the running backs hands comes to mind. Hawks would not have won that game without Browner manning up and demonstrating he wont lose to this crap team. I like Browner, didn't think we would resign him but hoped his Cinderella career would come full circle and reward him for staying with it.

Listening to The Scorpions greatest hits as I am typing. Sorry for being distracted..

Browner may get his chance as it's likely we'll meet the Saints somewhere down the line this year.

 

[keatonisballin]

Man i really hope we see this whole suspension bs get dropped and have him for the playoffs. Its ridiculous that all of this even leaked in the first place. Ive seen alot of people throwing him under the bus and saying he needs to be cut. I was very upset at first too but we dont even know the full story and i really hope all those judgmental people have to eat their words.

 

[Largent80]

I hope BB can come back, get another chance and play for the Hawks again.

Forgiveness is the first step to a higher level.

 

[Rocket]

Just remember, campers, that BB failed a recent drug test.

"According to Clayton, Browner isn't challenging his latest failed test but rather where he stood in the league's substance-abuse program" - from the base post article.

So he was still bad... for those who were ready to man the firing squad yesterday.

We still have a hell of a perception problem as a team.

 

[Sac]

Just remember, campers, that BB failed a recent drug test.

Not necessarily. He could have just been late for one, which counts as a failure.

 

[Rocket]

True, anythings possible.
I was assuming Clayton was right - dangerous assumption.

Then again, I was going by BB's tweet, which told me a lot.

 

[DavidSeven]

Florio says Browner could file a potent defamation lawsuit against the NFL:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... t-the-nfl/

 

[CANHawk]

Florio says Browner could file a potent defamation lawsuit against the NFL:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... t-the-nfl/

BB immediately jumping on Twitter to vehimently refute the claims of PED use seem to make a whole lot more sense now, don't they..? They knew what they were doing. Mrs. Browner didn't raise no fool.

 

[ChiefHawk]

I'm beginning to think BB should sue the NFL no matter the outcome of the appeal.

 

[gargantual]

Florio says Browner could file a potent defamation lawsuit against the NFL:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... t-the-nfl/

Sherm should jump in on that....hell, just make it a class action suit and have everyone included that's been screwed by this type of shady crap!

Hey and thanks NYCoug. You encapsulated my feelings on this whole situation perfectly, both my aversion to the quick rush to PRE-judgement and my personal experience of family members with dependency issues. Eloquent writing m'man!

 

[gargantual]

Regardless of the results of Browner's appeal, it seems more and more that the NFL having it's own in-house media arm is a serious conflict of interest with all kinds of potential future problems....perhaps leading up to legal liabilities. I'm no lawyer (...or doctor.....or..... ), but I also wonder if the whole conflict of interest aspect of this situation falls into the realm of monopoly violation.

Just a quick off-the-top-of-my-head thought. Perhaps someone with a formal legal background could weigh in on this?

 

[Passepartout]

Hopefully the truth will come out. That is where I will leave it at!

 

[gargantual]

Florio says Browner could file a potent defamation lawsuit against the NFL:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... t-the-nfl/

Someone made some great points in the comments after that ^ article:

"daegudave says:
Nov 28, 2013 11:58 AM
None of us know anything about what is really going on. Speculation is running rampant, and you hear everything from “Browner failed his third substance abuse test” to “he may have never even failed ONE test.” There is a lot to clear up about this, and before anyone gets on their high horse to pontificate about what Brandon Browner (or anyone in the NFL) has done, let’s just let the process work itself out. I do agree there should be some ramifications to Mr. Silver and the NFL for falsely posting that the offense was due to PED’s, as that immediately put in everyone’s mind a certain stereotype–and sometimes the headline of an article is all that people read."

Some people out there are STILL thinking that he tested positive for a PED. Just dismissing this whole sh*tstorm as a "mistake" by the aforementioned Mr. Silver doesn't cut it in my estimation. This is affecting not just Browner's rep but the entire Seahawks organization. No one yet knows what will ultimately happen, but this could all end up being dismissed like Sherm's case was last year....and you can remove the nail, but the hole in the wall remains.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Florio says Browner could file a potent defamation lawsuit against the NFL:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... t-the-nfl/

Would love to see the Rog and his league get the bejesus sued out of them. :th2thumbs:
FWIW, I'm not letting Browner off the hook for his failed drug test either. Just think the NFL and the slime that is Roger Goodell need to be taken down a notch or three!

 

[Happypuppy]

I suspect there is a lot of negotiating going on behind the curtain. I could see Browner's Counsel , NFLPA and league lawyers trying to cut a deal. A lawsuit does not help anyone, but I suspect Browner will go that way if he is forced to do so. I could see him as agreeing on a 2 game suspension ( paid) or similar solution.

He has been dragged through the mud and his value and name injured by the media from twitter to television. The agreement with the players and league was this was to remain private. He has been linked to PEDs as well as other illegal drugs under federal laws. This IMO is really unfair to him.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

Florio says Browner could file a potent defamation lawsuit against the NFL:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... t-the-nfl/

Would love to see the Rog and his league get the bejesus sued out of them. :th2thumbs:
FWIW, I'm not letting Browner off the hook for his failed drug test either. Just think the NFL and the slime that is Roger Goodell need to be taken down a notch or three!

Oh yeah, no problem with Browner getting a punishment commensurate with the violation, but the league's behavior should be held in check as well.

They are handling this in a very NCAA-like fashon thus far. In view of that, I suppose the attemps at a one-year suspension are a blessing in disguise, as it sets the stage for an appeal and further action. Browner doesn't have to drop his appeal to be back for the playoffs, ala Thurmond. Actually the reverse is true if his health will even permit it.

 

[NFSeahawks]

This whole thing has been really disappointing.

Browner is one of my favorite Seahawks, certainly in my top 15 of all Seahawks I have ever followed. Right below Eugene Robinson.

His contributions constantly get disregarded, but he has absolutely made the difference between a win and loss in several games. The Carolina game was already pointed to, we already remember the Giants game where he went off, and I think I watched YouTube replays 172 times in one summer showing that Patriots game where he just leveled Welker.

I cannot be unbiased about the guy.

But that said, he clearly worked really hard and has been a huge contributor to our success. It really sucks that either a moment of weakness, a careless mistake or just a terribly stupid choice can wipe away all that he has brought to the table for so long. If he wins his appeal I still hope we can find a way to keep him, if we can get some way of assuring he would fly straight.

I also question the timing on this one, we just ripped through a stretch of games where we were Goliath and we were at no risk from any Davids. 4 games in that stretch without a starting corner would have been easier to shrug off. This one where we had a CB that matched up perfectly against Graham, only to lose him, that is brutal. Of course he was injured anyway, but it just smells funny.

I still have my fingers crossed we see Browner as a Seahawk, still hoping he either learned his lesson or it was a terrible mistake. Then again, I am realistic enough to know it might just be what it seems and we cannot - but I don't understand the absolute disdain and rush to throw him onto the trashheap by part of our fan base looking to get rid of him for any reason (considering all he has contributed over the past few years and the absolute bargain his contract has been). There are a lot of so-called fans that are ready to rush him out the door without even stopping to understand the circumstances or show any loyalty at all.

If the guy left, I would probably end up following his career, rooting for him except when he played the Seahawks. But I really have my fingers crossed we can somehow someway find a way to keep him if all this turns out to be a minor issue blown up by the league.

Nice post, except for the bolded part. I have yet to see a fan "looking to get rid of him for any reason." Most fans I know are like myself and love BB's story, how he's made it back to the NFL after suffering injury and setbacks. And we love what Browner has done for this organization, like Beast Mode, Brandon has added a level of toughness to the team.

But he knows the rules and he knew what the repercussions would be. It cost this team last year when he got suspended and Sherman may have won his appeal but there was a lot of distraction coming up to the most important part of the season.

But hey, they got all of that out of the way and everything was cool, right? I mean after Pete Carroll brought his team in and reminded them of how they are members of a family and what they do hurts their family so we shouldn't see anymore of this right? Wrong, Bruce Irvin gets busted after being in the league for less than a year.

After coming from a troubled background and telling everyone that he was going to prove the doubters wrong, he gets busted. To his credit, Bruce got up in front of his team mates and took responsibility, apologizing for hurting the team. So Michael Robinson and the team hold a players only meeting and after Bruce's mea culpa, everything should be cool right? EVERY player now knows that the team has been hurt by selfishness and this needs to stop.

Well, it didn't stop. It happened again, to the same player that was suspended last year for PEDs. Brandon knew the rules and knew how it would hurt the team if he got caught, but he did it anyway. On Wyman Mike and Moore one of the guys tried to say "it's not a selfish act, it's just a lapse of judgment." To which I say, BS.

If it were to happen on a team that hadn't recently had half a dozen suspensions for players putting banned substances in their bodies, and a team that hadn't had multiple player apologies to the team and a team that had not held a players only meeting to address the subject, then I could see it being a lapse of judgment. But in this case the subject matter couldn't have been more obvious, and the choice to take a chance on getting popped by the NFL was a selfish one.

So nothing Pete Carroll or the rest of the team does seems to be working and now we have this HUGE distraction at a time when we least need it.

There are a lot of long suffering fans, former players and current players that have waited a long time for the Seahawks to get to this point, and if we lose to the Saints, it's going to be hard to live with. Especially if the loss can be linked in any way whatsoever to being without Walter Thurmond' services. And you know BB, even though he's out with an injury, fairly or unfairly will be lumped in there.

I love Brandon Browner, but I'm desperate for a Lombardi trophy for my favorite team. But if this once in a lifetime season comes crashing down, it's going to be hard for me to forgive him for his transgressions. His, and Thurmond's blatant disregard for the situation, the rules, and their team is a huge negative in my book and a lot of how this is eventually viewed will come down to whether or not we win the Superbowl.

And add to all this that Pete Carroll is now taking a lot of heat that he shouldn't have to deal with, not with HFA and the playoffs coming up. He doesn't need the added distraction. And I think he was hurt by the actions of Browner and Thurmond. Pete actually cares for his players, it's kind of like they are his children, and that's not the way to repay a man that gives back so much to his team and his community.

So this all leaves me wondering, when will the next shoe drop? What can Pete possibly do now that he hasn't already done to convince his players to NOT hurt the team or their team mates anymore? Should he take the drastic measure of cutting someone like Browner? A lot of teams would have already done that, especially after last year's debacle. But not Pete, instead he rewarded Browner with a pay increase this fall. So how did Brandon repay him?

Personally, I think cutting Browner is a viable option as it would certainly get the attention of the rest of the team. It would send a message, "It doesn't matter how valuable you may appear to a team, or what you have contributed in the past, if you repeatedly hurt the team, you are out."

Now we all know there are extenuating circumstances here, and the whole story isn't out just yet, so it's impossible to know if cutting Brandon is a reasonable action to take. But considering the history of violations, and the fact that no matter what the team does, the violations keep recurring, it should be an option.

And please, don't compare this case to Bowe, Rapistburger and Aldon Smith! Those cases are either ongoing (innocent until proven guilty) or there wasn't a conviction. The NFL has no legal standing to impose penalties for instances where there hasn't been a conviction. Fortunately Goodell (who everyone seems to blame/hate) was able to suspend Pig Pen under the CBA rules. But those cases are in no way comparable to this one.

What I would really like to see happen though, is for the NFLPA to go to bat for Brandon on this issue and for the NFL to penalize Brandon based only on actual failed tests, and not on some misguided rules that probably have zero support for the player from either the NFLPA or the NFL.

What I mean by support is that either institution should have notified Browner about the requirements (the Broncos should have done so if they didn't) and made sure that they had a means of contacting him. The NFLPA, NFL and the Broncos could have easily done something like given him a call in number (like they do for juries) that he could check once a week to find out if he were required to pee in a cup. Then they could also accommodate a player by flying the tester in to wherever the player is.

The NFLPA, NFL and the Broncos could also have negotiated follow up with the CFL for if/when a player in the NFL program were to join a CFL team. I'm sure the CFL has their own drug policies and while Brandon was playing for them they could have implemented it in lieu of the NFL policy.

Ultimately, it is up to the player to make sure they follow all of the rules in the CBA, but they should get a lot more support from the entities (NFLPA, NFL and teams) that make money off of their blood, sweat and tears. Said entities have the resources to do this for the players, but I don't think any of them actually care. IMHO, the NFLPA and NFL are more concerned about their bottom line than they are about Brandon Browner. I certainly hope he has gotten a lot more support from his agent than he has gotten from either of those outfits.

Edit: Just read the Hawkblogger article and he says that a team can not cut an injured player. I remember seeing players getting an "injury settlement" and while it may not be "cutting' a player by CBA definition, it is terminating a player's time with a team. I'm sure there is some way that they can dismiss a player who has violated NFL rules, injured or not.

The Browner suspension thread was full of posters overreacting and going insane over something that didn't even have all the facts put together, it was kinda retarded to be honest, I understand it would have hurt long term but come on.

 

[c_hawkbob]

A guy could choke on all the sanctimony in this thread ...