NFL: ***Official Week 11 Thread***

[Mr Janny]

Might as well start this week off with a bang.

Zeke is dropping his appeal and will serve his full suspension. This was always the way that it was going to go down. He could only put it off for so long.
This will definitely be something that comes up during the next CBA negotiations. But it might not be as big of a bargaining chip for the league as it might have been in the past. With the Brady and Zeke cases, the league has shown that the owners might not be quite as big of fans of the commish's power to discipline as they used be. Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft certainly aren't.
If the union is smart, they'll use that to their advantage, knowing that the owners likely want to change the power structure as much as the players do. It will be interesting to see it unfold.

 

[jbindm]

Might as well start this week off with a bang.

Zeke is dropping his appeal and will serve his full suspension. This was always the way that it was going to go down. He could only put it off for so long.
This will definitely be something that comes up during the next CBA negotiations. But it might not be as big of a bargaining chip for the league as it might have been in the past. With the Brady and Zeke cases, the league has shown that the owners might not be quite as big of fans of the commish's power to discipline as they used be. Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft certainly aren't.
If the union is smart, they'll use that to their advantage, knowing that the owners likely want to change the power structure as much as the players do. It will be interesting to see it unfold.

The thing with Goodell's power to discipline is that in order to get any major changes, the Players Association would probably have to give something up in exchange. And when you consider what a miniscule percentage of players are actually affected by the issue, they might decide it isn't worth that battle. We'll see. I still think we're headed toward a long work stoppage when the current deal expires.

 

[Mr Janny]

The funny thing is, the Cowboys went 3-3 during the first 6 games of the season, when Zeke would have been gone, had he served his suspension initially. You can make a case that they would have had the same record had he not been there. They beat the Giants. 49ers, and Cardinals. Not a stretch to think that they might have won those without Zeke. Now, they lost him when they were playing really well, and we saw how they played against Atlanta.
Fighting the suspension potentially hurt the team, this season.

 

[Mr Janny]

The thing with Goodell's power to discipline is that in order to get any major changes, the Players Association would probably have to give something up in exchange. And when you consider what a miniscule percentage of players are actually affected by the issue, they might decide it isn't worth that battle. We'll see. I still think we're headed toward a long work stoppage when the current deal expires.

This. If the union is smart, they'll push this line with their members. They're going to want to take it away as a bargaining chip, or lessen its value, if they can.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

The PA needs to push for a disciplinary committee that actually has rules and precedents to back up their actions. As it is now that idiot Goodell just jumps from knee jerk reaction to knee jerk reaction.

There is an owners war brewing and Jerry Jones is right in the middle of it. As far as I am concerned he is pushing to put himself in charge of the league. He already seems to have more clout than the other owners, I can't imagine they are happy about that.

When it comes to games there are some big ones this weekend.
Vikings and Rams - Both teams looking to make a push into the playoffs
Eagles and Cowboys - Eagles looking to get a stranglehold on the NFC East
Saints and Redskins - Can the Saints push their winning streak to 8? They really seem to be picking up more momentum each week.
Chiefs and Giants - With the Raiders playing the Patriots the Chiefs are looking to get a nice lead in the AFC West against the completely discombobulated Giants

 

[Mr Janny]

The PA needs to push for a disciplinary committee that actually has rules and precedents to back up their actions. As it is now that idiot Goodell just jumps from knee jerk reaction to knee jerk reaction.

There is an owners war brewing and Jerry Jones is right in the middle of it. As far as I am concerned he is pushing to put himself in charge of the league. He already seems to have more clout than the other owners, I can't imagine they are happy about that.

When it comes to games there are some big ones this weekend.
Vikings and Rams - Both teams looking to make a push into the playoffs
Eagles and Cowboys - Eagles looking to get a stranglehold on the NFC East
Saints and Redskins - Can the Saints push their winning streak to 8? They really seem to be picking up more momentum each week.
Chiefs and Giants - With the Raiders playing the Patriots the Chiefs are looking to get a nice lead in the AFC West against the completely discombobulated Giants

That is the natural thought, based on how hard they've fought against Goodell in these disciplinary cases, but as jbindm was saying, those disciplinary cases only affect a small number of players. If they can sell their membership on that idea, they can take away the power of that bargaining chip, because the owners now want the power of the commish changed/limited, possibly as much as the players do. The union should do its best not to give up anything for that.

 

[jbindm]

That is the natural thought, based on how hard they've fought against Goodell in these disciplinary cases, but as jbindm was saying, those disciplinary cases only affect a small number of players. If they can sell their membership on that idea, they can take away the power of that bargaining chip, because the owners now want the power of the commish changed/limited, possibly as much as the players do. The union should do its best not to give up anything for that.

Right. The union's chief goals for the next CBA should be to help the majority of players, not the half dozen or fewer idiots who can't stay out of trouble in the offseason. I'd be pushing for things like long term benefits for retired players, the elimination of the franchise tag, and the elimination of Thursday Night football. Player health, safety and benefits is what they should be after. The commissioner's discipline powers are a headline grabber, but in reality it just doesn't affect the overwhelming majority of the union members.

I don't think it's something that can be negotiated in the CBA, but I also believe that players and their agents are going to start pushing more and more for shorter contracts and more fully guaranteed money. Look at a guy like Leonard Fournette. As a first round pick, the Jags have full control of him for five years on a relatively cheap rookie contract. And then instead of committing to him long term at the end of the rookie deal, they can franchise him for one or even two years. That's seven years. By then he'll be 29 years old (virtually a death sentence for NFL running backs) with a ton of mileage, probably somewhere in the range of 2000 career touches. So he could conceivably play through his prime and never have a chance to hit the open market and cash in.

The way it's structured now the owners have way too much leverage in releasing and retaining players.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

Chiefs have looked listless through this entire game so far against the hapless Giants. Hopefully the 38 yard completion to Hill gives them a spark. Losing this one would be embarrassing.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

In the office so I am just checking on the Vikings Rams game. Seems like a dogfight with the Vikings holding a slim 7 point lead. I guess they missed two field goals. Those 6 points could loom large.

 

[stormchaser2014]

When's the last time we were shutout at home?

 

[stormchaser2014]

When's the last time we were shutout at home?

11 years to the day vs NE.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

And Alex Smith throws a pick that ends up at the KC 23 yard line with only 2 minutes left in the game. This one is essentially over now in favor of the Giants. Brutally bad game today.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I was wondering where to post this yesterday - this seems like a good place.

http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/...w-coming-led-dallas-cowboys-owner-jerry-jones

First, I will make absolutely clear I hate the Cowboys and loathe Jerry Jones, especially since he's trying to (I know these words aren't the right words, but I'm struggling coming up with the right ons) wrest control of the league away from the other 31 owners, making himself defact NFL dictator (perhaps those are the right words). All that said, Zeke absolutely did not deserve to be suspended - not when authorities in two different states decided there was nothing there worth charging him, not to mention the league offices themselves couldn't come up with anything "legitimate". In short, Zeke is being punished because the League is still trying to make up for not coming down on Ray Rice hard enough, the innocence or guilt of Zeke be damned. This is what happens when the Union allows the commisioner to become judge, jury, and executioner of player discipline, and it's hard to blame Goodell because he's only using the authority invested in him. What makes me lose whatever microscopic amount of respect I may have had for Jones is he condoned this behavior out of Goodell - until it came back and bit him in the ass and one of his own was disciplined. Now Goodell must be removed as commisioner and he's threatening to sue however many "fellow" owners it takes to ensure Goodell is removed.

With stuff like this, it's no wonder the League is hemorrhaging viewership.

 

[Rabbuk]

Connor Barth is trash

 

[jdoggivjc]

Connor Barth is trash

Matt Prater, meanwhile, is not.

 

[Acylum]

Really impressive showing by the Vikes.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I was wondering where to post this yesterday - this seems like a good place.

http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/...w-coming-led-dallas-cowboys-owner-jerry-jones

First, I will make absolutely clear I hate the Cowboys and loathe Jerry Jones, especially since he's trying to (I know these words aren't the right words, but I'm struggling coming up with the right ons) wrest control of the league away from the other 31 owners, making himself defact NFL dictator (perhaps those are the right words). All that said, Zeke absolutely did not deserve to be suspended - not when authorities in two different states decided there was nothing there worth charging him, not to mention the league offices themselves couldn't come up with anything "legitimate". In short, Zeke is being punished because the League is still trying to make up for not coming down on Ray Rice hard enough, the innocence or guilt of Zeke be damned. This is what happens when the Union allows the commisioner to become judge, jury, and executioner of player discipline, and it's hard to blame Goodell because he's only using the authority invested in him. What makes me lose whatever microscopic amount of respect I may have had for Jones is he condoned this behavior out of Goodell - until it came back and bit him in the ass and one of his own was disciplined. Now Goodell must be removed as commisioner and he's threatening to sue however many "fellow" owners it takes to ensure Goodell is removed.

With stuff like this, it's no wonder the League is hemorrhaging viewership.

As much as I despise the Cowboys the Elliot suspension was that idiot Goodell once again pulling some arbitrary number out of his butt.
I agree the Jerry Jones is trying to put himself in charge of the entire league.

 

[CyArob]

The Chiefs need some real receivers

 

[jdoggivjc]

As much as I despise the Cowboys the Elliot suspension was that idiot Goodell once again pulling some arbitrary number out of his butt.
I agree the Jerry Jones is trying to put himself in charge of the entire league.

It's not an arbitrary rule, though - the owners (Jones in particular) gave Goodell exclusive, unquestioned, and unchecked power to be judge, jury, and executioner of NFL player discipline, and the Union didn't do anything (or, at the very least, didn't do anywhere nearly enough) to stop it. Goodell doesn't need a solid reason to suspend anyone he chooses - he has the power to suspend whomever he wants whenever he wants for however long he wants, and it's essentially unchallengeable in courts (well, at least higher courts refuse to hear it) because it's a part of the labor agreement. Which is why Zeke can get suspended by Goodell when two different states decided it wasn't worth pursuing. Goodell doesn't care about evidence or arbitrary rules - he wields the discipline hammer and not only isn't afraid to use it, but he takes pleasure in using it.

 

[MNCYWX]

Skol!

That is all.