Saints******' Suspensions may be overturned (reduced)...UPDATE* League refutes reports.

[carolinarolls]

spin control 101

leak a story (a complete f-cking lie) that in some way suggests the punishing authority may have made a mistake if one gets caught by the punishing authority with one's hand in the cookie jar. This is pretty much a last ditch effort to save some face on some slight level.

protocol: Punishing authority releases press that denies any all alleged offers of leniency or repeal.

[carolinarolls]

i could give 2 fugs about the Saints** but i hope Roger gets exposed.

this would be pretty cool...the aints slime would save some face but I don;'t like goodell anyway

burn the whole gotdamn thing to the ground. I love it.

[rayzor]

No I did not miss it. There are multiple outlets saying the league has dropped the hint and there is the NFL owned media source saying it was not offered.

However, non of them say it is a request on Vilma's side to admit quilt for a reduced suspension. The NFL network is not going to be an impartial source of anything in this. The lawsuit clearly has some legs and it has Goodell and the NFL on the ropes. If the suit continues and a judge rules in a way favorable to Vilma it could spell trouble for all of the actions that the NFL took in this bounty situation.

The NFL is scared.

i seriously doubt that. as much of a media storm as this is, it's really just a blip. the only group that will ever look bad in this whole situation and the only group that will feel any real effects is the Saints*.

nfl doesn't have an reason to fear anything. they would have if they had swept it under the rug, but in smacking down the Saints*, they did more to protect their name and the NFL itself from future real lawsuits.

[SevenSixes]

It seems pretty obvious to me that this story was started by Vilma's lawyers.

The CBA is the law of the land and no judge will want to open that can of worms because of all the other issues that would then be taken directly to federal court instead of adjudicated through the CBA. The only thing I could see that would cause a judge to open it up would be "bad faith" during the negotiations (this is what the NFLPA is basically asserting with the "collusion" lawsuit).

So you're defamation lawsuit is not worth the paper you filled it on and you can't get a call back from the NFL so you can begin negotiations (because you have no leverage). What to do? Negotiate through the press! Put your "half a loaf" offer out through some ESPN mouthpieces and try to get public leverage to bring Rodger to the table..

But you're not going to get Goodell to budge on this because the smoke storm is going to fizzle out in 48 hours except on the Saints* message boards..

[carolinarolls]

Saints*** apologists, fans and their ilk will have us believe that the Saints***, recently the recipient of some of the biggest sanctions ever handed out in the history of the NFL has the NFL by the balls, on the ropes, or in an other than comfortable position.

This is not possible. Saints*** hold no cards and NFL is working with stacked deck, autonomy in the game, and no burden of proof to prove anything. There is no reason we should believe the governing body has any reasonable motive to throw one of its cash cows, media darlings, Super Bowl sites, etc under the bus for no reason. Any reasonable person who takes a rational look at the entire situation with objectivity and honesty can come to no other conclusion than the NFL took a very long and hard look at something they disapproved of before being forced to act and make a move. A move that gave them a black eye as well as the Saints*** and condemned the overall image of the league into a shameful state. An image that Goodell has been known to strive to keep clean since he took office in every instance necessary and without bias.

The Saints*** are whining. Again.

[SCMunnerlyn1]

Am I the only one that cheered last night every time a Saints*** player looked hurt or got hit in a bad spot? My friends and I (Lions,Falcons,Chiefs fans) that were at my house watching the game with me all felt they deserved every little bit of anything that happens this year. We felt like this year only at least, we hoped they all got hurt just to see how it feels.

[rayzor]

i will feel no sympathy for any Saints* player getting hurt this year.

[Nine_Lives]

I don't know what reality you live in but outside of this message board he is disliked and pretty much across the board. I suggest you open your eyes and ears to things beyond Carolina Huddle.

This^^ plus the rule changes that is turning the NFL into the National Flag Football League. No Sr Mr Scot many. many peaople around the NFL dislike the commish and for a number of reasons.

[rayzor]

they also dislike the Saints* now so they are more likely to give goodell slack in this regard.

Saints* are pretty universally considered the bad guys in this whole situation.

[bauss]

what the fuck.ʞɔnɟ ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʍ

[Panthercougar68]

I don't know what reality you live in but outside of this message board he is disliked and pretty much across the board. I suggest you open your eyes and ears to things beyond Carolina Huddle.

Just because you are against the Saints* doesn't mean you are pro Goodell. There are many NFL fans in this country that don't like Goodell or the Saints* but believe he handled the situation.

[Mr. Scot]

I don't know what reality you live in but outside of this message board he is disliked and pretty much across the board. I suggest you open your eyes and ears to things beyond Carolina Huddle.

I live in a reality where reading comprehension matters.

Show me where in the post I said Goodell was universally loved.

(Hint: I didn't)

What I did say was that people agree with how he has handled this particular issue. If you need evidence of that, look pretty much anywhere outside of Saints* Report.

[Ivan The Awesome]

I don't agree with his handling of the situation. He should have been a lot harder on them.

[TheRed]

I don't agree with his handling of the situation. He should have been a lot harder on them.

I agree. If I were commish, I would have moved the Saints** to the CFL.