(08-01-2022, 08:31 PM)jason Wrote: Cool 5 year old article...

Yes but all true...your point?

(08-01-2022, 01:29 PM)Vambo Wrote: The ruling has "rubbed" you the wrong way, you should seek therapy maybe they can give you a hand in recovery...

Says Vambo.. giggling quietly while looking over his shoulder to make sure his mom didn't see what he typed.

(08-01-2022, 10:16 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The NFL gave them the easiest schedule for games 1-6. Now a 6 game suspension. Think that's a coincidence?

Where's the ninja?

You're kidding, right?

(08-01-2022, 10:57 AM)JS-Steelerfan Wrote: The schedule is too complicated of a process to rig.  There are literally thousands of variables that go into making the league schedule work.  

Besides, there’s no guarantee that it would work even if they tried to do it.  The “strength of schedule” stat is based on each team’s performance from the previous year, but between the draft, free agency and various other transactions, every single team has a different roster than it did at the end of last season.  Some teams will improve, and others will decline.  So, saying “they have the easiest schedule” isn’t the sure bet that you think it is. 

Finally, I don’t really get what incentive the NFL would have to rig things in the Browns’ favor in the first place.  Why would their success be better for the NFL than any other team’s?

Nah. You just start with the Browns and give them the easiest games for those first 6, then base everything else off that. 



I literally can't even begin to fathom how anyone, Browns fan or foe, would even beging to believe there is even a shred of truth or possibility to that. I mean...we're talking about the Browns. 

The                                                                               Browns. 

(08-01-2022, 10:32 PM)Vambo Wrote: Yes but all true...your point?

Yeah... An 18 year old showed extremely bad judgement, and had what appeared to be the worst moment of his life caught on video. Luckily you or I did not.

Just came out today that the Browns were interested in trading for Big Ben after his lil suspension for being all sexual assault-ish... Oh, and they employ a guy a guy who committed felonious assault on the field, then lied about a racial slur. Let's not forget they let Watson write his own contract as well. Low self esteem trash organization.

(08-02-2022, 12:22 PM)jason Wrote: Yeah... An 18 year old showed extremely bad judgement, and had what appeared to be the worst moment of his life caught on video. Luckily you or I did not.

Just came out today that the Browns were interested in trading for Big Ben after his lil suspension for being all sexual assault-ish... Oh, and they employ a guy a guy who committed felonious assault on the field, then lied about a racial slur. Let's not forget they let Watson write his own contract as well. Low self esteem trash organization.

While the Bengals employed and employ women beaters...Glass houses dude get over yourself.

(08-02-2022, 01:34 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Nah. You just start with the Browns and give them the easiest games for those first 6, then base everything else off that. 



I literally can't even begin to fathom how anyone, Browns fan or foe, would even beging to believe there is even a shred of truth or possibility to that. I mean...we're talking about the Browns. 

The                                                                               Browns. 

Now the NFL is appealing, so even they know it's a joke.

What I don't get is why the NFL would want to keep Watson from playing because wouldn't that mean less competitive football and therefore less money for the NFL?

I guess I like that they're finally taking a stand, but why now?

(08-03-2022, 06:04 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Now the NFL is appealing, so even they know it's a joke.

What I don't get is why the NFL would want to keep Watson from playing because wouldn't that mean less competitive football and therefore less money for the NFL?

I guess I like that they're finally taking a stand, but why now?

The league was always going to take a stand.  21% of the NFL fanbase are women.  Polls after Monday's ruling had a large % of women contemplating not watching the NFL any more.  The Browns in regard to the Watson asinine contract and Watson himself are a complete embarrassment to the league.  All of this coupled with the league even before this being accused of not caring about women's issues meant they were always going to bring the hammer, as I have been predicting since day 1.

Also, Watson has shown no remorse and even as late as today stated publicly he "had no remorse" and "Did nothing wrong".  This further embarrasses the league and purports a "boys will be boys attitude" by the players is just fine.  The league CANNOT have Watson continuously standing up and saying these things, and they do nothing (essentially).  It is a horrible look for the NFL when anyone with a modicum of sense knows he is a sexual predator and deviant.  By doing almost nothing, the league would be saying they are alright with all of this.  The NFl is not alright with it, thus the appeal.

The league went through this process because the independent arbiter was negotiated during the last CBA.  The appeals process goes through Goodell himself.  So the Goodell essentially appealed the ruling to himself.

Finally you suggested that the NFL would want one of it's best players out there making money.  Please.  It's the Browns.  The only QB in the league that would put more eyes in Cleveland would be Tom Brady.  Watson on the Browns will not increase ratings or put more eyes on the TV.  It's the Browns!  Only the dogs want to watch them and the stadium is sold out regardless.  There's only one game this seasom where Watson would have up'd the ratings....and that's - Week 11:  Cleveland at Houston Dec 4th.

Here is how I see it playing out:
- League Appeals by Friday
- Goodell presides over the appeal:  Watson receives an indefinite suspension and a heavy fine
- Watson's suspension is engineered by the league to bypass his contract and eat into the the meat of his salary (apparently from what I was hearing on the drive home on Houston Sports Radio that the league can do this)
- Watson will sue in Federal Court and ask for an injunction on the NFL suspension
- If he gets the injunction, I believe Goodell will put Watson on the exempt list until the Court proceeding are settled and then serve his suspension when the NFL eventually wins

I don't think Watson will see the field until 2024 at the earliest and he's going to cost himself MILLIONS in lawyer fees in Federal Court.

On a Side Note:  Houston Texans fans are dancing.  The Texans control the Browns First Round picks for the next two years and they are going to have high high value with no Watson playing.  LOL  Stains will be Stains.

She could have given him 12 games. With Goddell now having all the power he was always going to be gone for the season. Only way he wouldn't have received a year is if judge said he did nothing wrong which wasnt going to happen

(08-03-2022, 08:21 PM)Bengalfan4life27c Wrote: She could have given him 12 games. With Goddell now having all the power he was always going to be gone for the season. Only way he wouldn't have received a year is if judge said he did nothing wrong which wasnt going to happen

The league walked away from the negotiating table when Watson wouldn't accept 14 games, thus it went to the arbiter.  By the time Goodell is done with him and Browns, they are all going to be wishing he took 14 games.

(08-03-2022, 06:04 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Now the NFL is appealing, so even they know it's a joke.

What I don't get is why the NFL would want to keep Watson from playing because wouldn't that mean less competitive football and therefore less money for the NFL?

I guess I like that they're finally taking a stand, but why now?

I'd say after the arbitrator made her decision, the league sat back and watched social media to see how it was being accepted. It did not go over very well, so they appealed. It's a very bad look for the NFLPA to be defending his actions.

(08-04-2022, 04:15 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I'd say after the arbitrator made her decision, the league sat back and watched social media to see how it was being accepted. It did not go over very well, so they appealed. It's a very bad look for the NFLPA to be defending his actions.

It's the NFLPA's job to defend him. The really bad look is that Watson is gonna be on the field week 1 now with the appeal.

(08-04-2022, 04:15 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I'd say after the arbitrator made her decision, the league sat back and watched social media to see how it was being accepted. It did not go over very well, so they appealed. It's a very bad look for the NFLPA to be defending his actions.

No.  The league knew exactly what they were going to do.  it isn't like the social media reaction was a surprise.  They planned this from Day 1.

(08-04-2022, 08:22 PM)jason Wrote: It's the NFLPA's job to defend him. The really bad look is that Watson is gonna be on the field week 1 now with the appeal.

No and I'll tell you why below.

So as you all know I live in Houston and there is an inordinate amount of interest in the DW situation because the worse the Browns are the better the draft picks the Texans get.  So I was listening to local sports radio on the way home and there are some interesting tidbits about this whole situation in the CBA that you all need to know.

#1 - The Arbiter found that DW HAD in fact violated the leagues personal conduct policy.  Period.  This is exceedingly important and differnet than previous cases.
#2 - FACT:  The Appeal process is not for the facts, but for the punishment.  The 6 game suspension is officially no more, according to this process.  The league now has the 100% right, as negotiated by the CBA, to appeal and met out it's own punishment.  They have appointed the guy who was one of three people on the panel that handed Zeke Elliot his 6 game suspension.
#3 - NFLPA suing in federal court - FACT:  This situation is entirely different than Zeke Elliot's and Brady Deflate Gate.  With NFLPA saying they will stand by the Artier's ruling, they are essentially admitting guilt.  This is entirely different than Zeke and Brady who were fighting for their innocence.  This is the process the NFLPA negotiated, they already have said they will abide by the arbiters ruling who ruled DW guilty.  They are going no where in Federal Court and will likely not get a TRO.
#4 - It has been reported by Yahoo sports - that the league will not back off the suspension of at least 12 games because they absolutely DO NOT want a spectacle week 12 when the Browns visit the Texans.  They want DW no where near that game.  They do not want the publicity.  They do not want 100 news outlets harassing the women who filed suit for interviews and having it all dug up again.  Whatever the league can do, DW will not be on the field week 12 in Houston.  So barring at least 12 game suspension coming from the Arbiter, they were always going to appeal.

My prediction:
NFLPA goes to Federal Court - Admits it accept the Arbiters Ruling - League Shows via the CBA they had the right to appeal and met out their own punishment - NFLPA complains that it isn't right - Federal Judge says "You accepted guilt, the league exercised their rights that you both negotiated and it's right here in writing".......GTFO here.

2nd Prediction:  If for some reason the NFLPA actually gets their TRO, I believe DW is going to the exempt list.  The NFL does not want him on the field this year and will do whatever they can to make that happen.

"egregious"
"predatory"

-Roger Goodell on the actions alleged in the Deshaun Watson case.

(08-10-2022, 09:00 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: "egregious"
"predatory"

-Roger Goodell on the actions alleged in the Deshaun Watson case.

Don't forget that he also quoted several times that the judge found him guilty of these violations.  Her punishment ruling was only softened for two reasons:
#1 - Lack of Violence (though she also concluded that the women felt physically threatened)
#2 - Lack of Precedent for a longer fine (Zeke Elliot got 6 games)

This the judge acted within the confines of her mission as arbitrator - She found him guilty & followed precedent with the punishment.  

The NFL simply and clearly wants to reset the precedent.

(08-04-2022, 08:22 PM)jason Wrote: It's the NFLPA's job to defend him. The really bad look is that Watson is gonna be on the field week 1 now with the appeal.

It's the NFLPA's job to defend players from a working relationship standpoint.  The Association would be dumb as rocks to try and downplay this, especially in the current era and how big of an issue this is across every industry.  I could see them trying to say the arbiter used past precedent and a bigger punishment is over the top, but that seems a terrible position to put themselves in.  

(08-10-2022, 03:34 PM)Stewy Wrote: Don't forget that he also quoted several times that the judge found him guilty of these violations.  Her punishment ruling was only softened for two reasons:
#1 - Lack of Violence (though she also concluded that the women felt physically threatened)
#2 - Lack of Precedent for a longer fine (Zeke Elliot got 6 games)

This the judge acted within the confines of her mission as arbitrator - She found him guilty & followed precedent with the punishment.  

The NFL simply and clearly wants to reset the precedent.

As they should.  Make an example and put that extra thought in someone's head before they make poor choices.  Sucks to be the person used to make an example for others, but it also sucked for those women to be put in the position they were put in. 

Watson's done for the year and Hunt wants a trade.... Browns gonna Brown.

(08-10-2022, 03:34 PM)Stewy Wrote: Don't forget that he also quoted several times that the judge found him guilty of these violations.  Her punishment ruling was only softened for two reasons:
#1 - Lack of Violence (though she also concluded that the women felt physically threatened)
#2 - Lack of Precedent for a longer fine (Zeke Elliot got 6 games)

This the judge acted within the confines of her mission as arbitrator - She found him guilty & followed precedent with the punishment.  

The NFL simply and clearly wants to reset the precedent.

I have an idea that the NFL wants for Cleveland to have to pay Watson that big money to not play this season, for their role in enabling him to pay off those civil suits.