Goodell believes in due process, but...

[Mr. Scot]

...still wants the ability to go around it.

 

Goodell noted that players who are accused of crimes are entitled to due process in a court of law, but he said the NFL’s owners want the ability to take players accused of crimes (like Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy) off the field while a criminal case is ongoing.

“They obviously understand the balance between due process and protecting the integrity of the game, and sometimes that puts you in a difficult position,” Goodell said. “When there is strong evidence to the fact that a violation occurred, the question is whether there should be some type of interim step, like a paid leave.”

 

(link)

 

Essentially, the League and its owners want to be able to put someone on paid leave based solely on the accusation, provided they find the accuser's story credible.  Given where Greg Hardy is now, I guess they considered that particular accusation believable enough to act upon.

 

Not so sure about this idea.

[CPF4LIFE]

I think its pretty clear this clown has no idea what he is doing anymore.

[hepcat]

Hardy was found guilty by a judge and is appealing his ruling.  He was found guilty, so it's not like his case has yet to be heard and it's merely an accusation.  Albeit, the guilty ruling was a bit suspicious based on what I've heard from the testimony.  

 

Since Hardy is appealing he might still end up found innocent.  I always thought he should serve a 6 game suspension (new amount set by the league for crimes like this) for being found guilty and be able to return afterward.  If he's found innocent at his jury trial, great.  If he's found guilty again, he already served his suspension.  I think putting him on an indefinite paid leave was a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction and it made the Panthers look foolish.

[CRA]

I think its pretty clear this clown has no idea what he is doing anymore.

He has an idea.... His idea is too cater to the media outrage.

[megadeth078]

Quick, someone accuse A.J. Green of domestic abuse.  

[FugginPoo]

Its a political, public relations thing.

Hardy would be better off to plead guilty and serve the six games.

What I wonder is if the Panthers are paying Greg, does the league in some way compensate for these cases. Seems to me the Panthers are paying to screw themselves

[Mr. Scot]

Hardy was found guilty by a judge and is appealing his ruling.  He was found guilty, so it's not like his case has yet to be heard and it's merely an accusation.  Albeit, the guilty ruling was a bit suspicious based on what I've heard from the testimony.  

 

Since Hardy is appealing he might still end up found innocent.  I always thought he should serve a 6 game suspension (new amount set by the league for crimes like this) for being found guilty and be able to return afterward.  If he's found innocent at his jury trial, great.  If he's found guilty again, he already served his suspension.  I think putting him on an indefinite paid leave was a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction and it made the Panthers look foolish.

 

It wasn't the Panthers' idea.  Gettleman said suspension was never on the table for them.

 

The NFL has an image crisis and they wanted Hardy to go away.

 

[hepcat]

It wasn't the Panthers' idea.  Gettleman said suspension was never on the table for them.

 

The NFL has an image crisis and they wanted Hardy to go away.

 

 

I know it wasn't the Panthers idea.  It still made them look foolish for allowing it to happen.  Goodell should be fired for not suspending Ray Rice and hiding the video of him in the elevator.  Only when there's a massive public outcry does he do anything productive about anything.  He's a total reactionary commissioner, not a leader.  He should be gone.  The Rice situation, Hardy, Peterson...all botched.  Peterson hasn't even had a day in court yet and he's on the sideline.  What happened until "innocent until proven guilty".  Big different than what happened with Hardy...which is why I said he should have just been issued the standard 6 game suspension and be done with it.

[Mr. Scot]

I know it wasn't the Panthers idea.  It still made them look foolish for allowing it to happen.  Goodell should be fired for not suspending Ray Rice and hiding the video of him in the elevator.  Only when there's a massive public outcry does he do anything productive about anything.  He's a total reactionary commissioner, not a leader.  He should be gone.  The Rice situation, Hardy, Peterson...all botched.  Peterson hasn't even had a day in court yet and he's on the sideline.  What happened until "innocent until proven guilty".  Big different than what happened with Hardy...which is why I said he should have just been issued the standard 6 game suspension and be done with it.

 

What could they do?  Fight the league?  How?

 

I agree all of this has been horribly botched.

 

 

[hepcat]

What could they do?  Fight the league?  How?

 

I agree all of this has been horribly botched.

 

Hardy had to agree to go on the commissioners "exempt" list.  The Panthers could have advised him not to, and to fight to get the standard 6 game suspension so he could play later in the year.  It would have satisfied the leagues punishment policy for his guilty verdict and shut everyone up in the media.  

[tondi]

You can't put the league in a position to pick and choose which accusations are "credible". Either you suspend everyone when charges are filed or you don't. It would turn into a poo storm pretty quick if Judge Goodell started deciding which guys got to stay and which ones didn't based on his clairvoyant ability to discern the truthfulness of dozens of different types of accusations, most of which will have exactly zero witnesses.

Talk about opening a can of worms.

[SmokinwithWilly]

Guess this only applies to players. Owners are exempt.

 

“They obviously understand the balance between due process and protecting the integrity of the game, and sometimes that puts you in a difficult position,” Goodell said. “When there is strong evidence to the fact that a violation occurred, the question is whether there should be some type of interim step, like a paid leave.”

[PhillyB]

goodell is right

[blackcat]

If Hardy didn't appeal, he'd be playing this season.....