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RB Ezekiel Elliott, LAC (1 Viewer)

It's already Thursday, Elliot is eligible, if it goes the NFL's way they will start next week.
Except this is not true.  If it were, Elliot wouldn't have been able to play last week. 

The court's stay didn't come down until Friday.  As of Thursday, he wasn't eligible, so using this logic, he wouldn't have been able to play last week.

It's a commonly posted, previously debunked, belief that the NFL must make suspensions before a certain point in the week.  There is no "deadline" as such specified in the NFL rule book, policy handbook, or CBA.  Theoretically, if the court issued a denial of Zeke's request for an injunction at 12:58 on Sunday, the NFL could suspend him, effective at 12:59.

 
Jerry is threatening to sue the league if Goodell's contract is extended. It's blatantly obvious why he is doing it.

If Elliott's suspension is reduced, I guarantee that Jerry will drop the lawsuit.

 
Its either an NFL rule, or unspoken one. Plus is Goodell really going to throw more gasoline on the fire know as Jerry Jones?
It's true the NFL gives teams time to prepare for their next game by notifying teams and players of suspensions early in the week.

Here, they issued Elliott's suspension months ago.  The Cowboys have had more than sufficient notification.

And moreover, as a courtesy the league granted Elliott permission to play week 1 regardless of the pending court decision at that time, and it blew up in their faces.  That action became evidence for Elliott's side supporting their irreparable harm argument.

The NFL is going to hold Elliott out of games the millisecond the courts clear them to do so.

 
Jerry is threatening to sue the league if Goodell's contract is extended. It's blatantly obvious why he is doing it.

If Elliott's suspension is reduced, I guarantee that Jerry will drop the lawsuit.
Jerry is acting the way you might expect a billionaire that isn't getting his way to act.

Goodell isn't going to reduce Elliott's suspension.  What's blatantly obvious is that the line in the sand has been drawn, and neither side is backing down.

 
Its either an NFL rule, or unspoken one. Plus is Goodell really going to throw more gasoline on the fire know as Jerry Jones?
It's an unspoken courtesy.  It's a WRITTEN NFL rule that players who get suspended can appeal their case 1 time to the commissioner, and that's the end of the process.  If Zeke doesn't think he has to abide by the WRITTEN rule in the CBA, why should the NFL feel beholden to honor the unspoken courtesy of not enforcing suspension after an unofficial "deadline" in a given week?

 
Jerry is acting the way you might expect a billionaire that isn't getting his way to act.

Goodell isn't going to reduce Elliott's suspension.  What's blatantly obvious is that the line in the sand has been drawn, and neither side is backing down.
You're probably correct, but why do you think Goodell won't reduce to end this charade?  Didn't Brady get reduced?

 
You're probably correct, but why do you think Goodell won't reduce to end this charade?  Didn't Brady get reduced?
My understanding is that a reduced suspension isn't on the table because the NFL wants to show they are tough on domestic abuse. This stance is a by product of how they dropped the ball in the Ray Rice and Greg Hardy situations. 

 
You're probably correct, but why do you think Goodell won't reduce to end this charade?  Didn't Brady get reduced?
My understanding is the 6 game suspension for DV is specified in an amendment the league made to the CBA.  Many folks think Goodell just pulled this number out of thin air, but the reality is it was specified by the league's updated DV policy before this case arose.  In the Brady case, Goodell came up with the number himself.

Beyond that, Elliott's side might not agree to accept a reduced suspension.  The NFLPA seems hell bent on seeing this through.  Reducing isn't their end game.  Taking the teeth out of the Commissioner's unilateral power to mete out punishment seems to be their end game.

 
My understanding is that a reduced suspension isn't on the table because the NFL wants to show they are tough on domestic abuse. This stance is a by product of how they dropped the ball in the Ray Rice and Greg Hardy situations. 
This, plus what I just mentioned about the NFLPA's motives.  A reduction serves neither side's goals.

 
My understanding is that a reduced suspension isn't on the table because the NFL wants to show they are tough on domestic abuse
except Elliot hasn't been convicted anywhere of domestic abuse, he's as innocent as Roger Goodell is 

 
The disingenuous thing I find here is that let's say Zeke had a serious high-ankle sprain that forced him to sit out games... would anyone be surprised if he suddenly dropped the case against him to serve the suspension while hurt (aka MLB strategy)? Or does the NFL rule state the suspension starts once you are designated healthy to play?

 
The disingenuous thing I find here is that let's say Zeke had a serious high-ankle sprain that forced him to sit out games... would anyone be surprised if he suddenly dropped the case against him to serve the suspension while hurt (aka MLB strategy)? Or does the NFL rule state the suspension starts once you are designated healthy to play?
If he gets hurt, drops the appeal, and serves the suspension while rehabbing, there would be nothing preventing that from happening.  That would be the truest test of Zeke's "it's my reputation" claim.  If he continued with the appeal, while hurt, you'd have to believe that he truly believes that he did nothign wrong.

 
The disingenuous thing I find here is that let's say Zeke had a serious high-ankle sprain that forced him to sit out games... would anyone be surprised if he suddenly dropped the case against him to serve the suspension while hurt (aka MLB strategy)? Or does the NFL rule state the suspension starts once you are designated healthy to play?
It's not his choice to make, is it? This is the NFLPA fighting.

 
The disingenuous thing I find here is that let's say Zeke had a serious high-ankle sprain that forced him to sit out games... would anyone be surprised if he suddenly dropped the case against him to serve the suspension while hurt (aka MLB strategy)? Or does the NFL rule state the suspension starts once you are designated healthy to play?
Pretty sure injury status isn’t considered. Healthy or not the suspension would be applied. To my recollection l, if a player is hurt they’ve never waitied for them to get healthy in order to suspend them.

As for MLB, MLB suspensions are kind of a joke - when they suspend a starting pitcher for “4 games”, that’s 1 start. :doh:  

 
If he gets hurt, drops the appeal, and serves the suspension while rehabbing, there would be nothing preventing that from happening.  That would be the truest test of Zeke's "it's my reputation" claim.  If he continued with the appeal, while hurt, you'd have to believe that he truly believes that he did nothign wrong.


It's not his choice to make, is it? This is the NFLPA fighting.
Yeah i guess what I'm getting at is the NFLPA represents the players' desire. If he gets hurt and Jerry Jones/Zeke go to the head of the NFLPA and say "drop this ASAP"... what are they going to do? They would have to listen, no?

 
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At times, when reading through this thread, I seriously wonder what kind of professional workplace environment some folks are familiar with...in the professional world, it is entirely reasonable for your employer to punish you for putting yourself in a bad/inappropriate situation under the auspices of personal conduct policy.  You don't have to actually do anything wrong to be punished - merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time is grounds enough for discipline, and in the professional arena that's an acceptable standard that I'm OK with. You look bad, you in any way make your employer look bad, out comes the hammer. Why do people have a difficult time accepting that? It's been that way forever.

 
I have to admit, I'm not really understanding Jones' lawsuit threat.  Isn't there an owner's committee that determines whether or not Goodell's contract is renewed? What possible grounds would Jones have to sue?  Because Goodell was a meanie to his running back?

 
At times, when reading through this thread, I seriously wonder what kind of professional workplace environment some folks are familiar with...in the professional world, it is entirely reasonable for your employer to punish you for putting yourself in a bad/inappropriate situation under the auspices of personal conduct policy.  You don't have to actually do anything wrong to be punished - merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time is grounds enough for discipline, and in the professional arena that's an acceptable standard that I'm OK with. You look bad, you in any way make your employer look bad, out comes the hammer. Why do people have a difficult time accepting that? It's been that way forever.
People keep trying to argue it's a criminal law case when it's not... it covers everything outlined in the NFL CBA Personal Conduct Policy with an actual precedent to boot (Brady). 

 
Yeah i guess what I'm getting at is the NFLPA represents the players' desire. If he gets hurt and Jerry Jones/Zeke go to the head of the NFLPA and say "drop this ASAP"... what are they going to do? They would have to listen, no?
I don't really know, but my guess is they would keep fighting, viewing it as a fight for player rights.

 
At times, when reading through this thread, I seriously wonder what kind of professional workplace environment some folks are familiar with...in the professional world, it is entirely reasonable for your employer to punish you for putting yourself in a bad/inappropriate situation under the auspices of personal conduct policy.  You don't have to actually do anything wrong to be punished - merely being in the wrong place at the wrong time is grounds enough for discipline, and in the professional arena that's an acceptable standard that I'm OK with. You look bad, you in any way make your employer look bad, out comes the hammer. Why do people have a difficult time accepting that? It's been that way forever.
Hey, I didn't save all those Participation Trophies for nothing!  Just showing up should be good enough.

 
The disingenuous thing I find here is that let's say Zeke had a serious high-ankle sprain that forced him to sit out games... would anyone be surprised if he suddenly dropped the case against him to serve the suspension while hurt (aka MLB strategy)? Or does the NFL rule state the suspension starts once you are designated healthy to play?
To exact scenario was one of the more legitimate arguments I heard coming from the NFL lawyers as to why this case should be ruled upon immediately and not dragged out in appeals.

 
This is not about the merits of the actual case...its about the injunction.

NFL did not appeal the injunction with Brady, the NFL did not oppose him.

This is new territory.

 
I wonder if we'd be here today if the NFL would have just given him 4 games for code of conduct instead of 6 games DV/code of conduct.

 
Neither was rice or hardyNeither was rice or hardy
Exactly. And in Hardy's case, the beaten woman didn't show up at the retrial. Despite being beaten so bad her entire rib cage area and both arms were purple with bruising. She was 'convinced' not to pursue it any farther.  Elliot's accuser decided not to pursue it any further also. 

 
Judge Droney asked NFL reps to concede Elliott would suffer more harm now 8 games in & w/ playoffs nearing than at start of season.

Judges asked NFLPA what difference it would have made to have Elliott's accuser testify at arbitration hearing.

Judges: what was sinister about Goodell meeting with 1 investigator & not the other? (Friel instead of Roberts).

NFLPA contends the four independent advisors never knew investigator Kia Roberts' doubts about credibility if accuser.

 
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Sorry for blowing this thread up, but I figured I'd post as much information as I can find on the subject. I'll keep posting what I find unless someone wants me to cool it.

 
I wonder if we'd be here today if the NFL would have just given him 4 games for code of conduct instead of 6 games DV/code of conduct.
Probably not.  He might have appealed via the NFL, but likely would have just served whatever suspension they gave.

Obviously in retrospect that would have been a better path for Goodell. But he prefers to shoot first, ask questions later.

 
Serious question : if it were to be discovered/publicized that one of these judges had Zeke on his/her fantasy football team, would that judge need to be recused?

 
Sorry for blowing this thread up, but I figured I'd post as much information as I can find on the subject. I'll keep posting what I find unless someone wants me to cool it.
All good.  I'm doing the same. Whatever the judges asked in the courtroom is interesting to me.

 
Amy Dash‏Verified account @AmyDashTV 1m1 minute ago

Judge made smart point. If evidence of accuser's credibility in question, how did RG suspend based on credible evidence(no video/witnesses)

 
Remember it was NFL's initial decision to let Elliott play in first Giants game, fatal error. Judge mentioned it undercut urgency argument - Amy Dash

 

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