The Steelers didn't, which, IMO, is the reason for this kind of treatment from Goodell. Yes, I do think he's a vindictive asshat who keeps score.Originally Posted by DesertSteel
The Steelers didn't, which, IMO, is the reason for this kind of treatment from Goodell. Yes, I do think he's a vindictive asshat who keeps score.
That and he is still butthurt over the way Harrison called him out which has led to some personal resentment for the entire team
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I don't think it's ONLY about being a jerk. Yes Roger is being a jerk, but the agreement gives him the right to personalize/customize each player's reinstatement requirements.
4.The Player will agree in a meeting with the Commissioner or his representative(s) to
comply with the conditions imposed by the Commissioner for his reinstatement to the
status of an active Player.
This says to me he could ask Bryant for all kinds of things. Asking for a personal PLAN from Bryant so this doesn't happen a third time seems fair.
but again do it at the onset in written form so a year later you can be sure you have checked all the boxes before filing reinstatement papers
While I completely agree that if this is something that helps Bryant I am all for it, but the point you seem to be missing is that Go-To-Hell is purposely trying to screw with the Steelers by dragging his feet on this. This is simply a way for Go-To-Hell to screw with our draft plans nothing more. As Fansince'76 stated he is a vindictive asshat. The only reason this has anything to do Bryant what-so-ever is because he is a Steeler.
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Which is why someone needs to kick him in the nuts!
In other words, the agreement gives Commissioner Asshat the power to be a jerk
This outcome for Bryant is of very little importance to the Steelers' success this season. The Steelers have more than enough offense/talent to hold their own until Bryant returns. We need only look at last season for confirmation of this. Bryant was out for the entire season yet Pittsburgh made it the AFCCG only losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion, NE Patriots.
The Steelers are actually well ahead of where their were last year as the likelihood Bryant will miss this entire 2017 season is remote. Bryant did not fail a test. The league simply stipulated that he create a support program to decrease the chance of a relapse. This is a perfectly reasonable request. I am sure Bryant and his agents/adivisors can put together such a program to the league's satisfaction.
My concern is that the Steelers will panic and neglect the defense in the first and second rounds in order to fix this "problem". IMHO the first two rounds should be used to draft BPA on the defensive end (preferably OLB and CB). If they then use ONE of the third pick on offense that is fine, although, I would prefer they draft a TE instead of a WR.
What I don't get is why all of a sudden, for this one case, they are now concerned with a "relapse prevention plan."
Dozens of other guys have been through this, and the procedure is that once your time is up, you're un-suspended unless you fucked up again in the meantime (which plenty of these guys do). Then your next hurdle is finding a team willing to give you a chance, since you usually lost your job or you're in very hot water with your own team. The relapse prevention program is that if you fuck up one more time, your career is over. That's what's been done for literally every player ever to go through the substance abuse program, to the best of my knowledge.
So why is Goodell suddenly concerned about relapses? The league will look bad because of Bryant? No, the league already looks as bad as it's going to look from that; the only one who will look bad if Bryant relapses is Bryant.
So, basically just a big load of bullshit passing for the real logic behind the decision "I don't like you, and/or I don't like your team."
See you Space Cowboy ...
It's not about what his committee (not Go-To-Hell himself) asked for it's the timing of everything. 2 weeks before the draft is a way to send a message to the Steelers organization that he can and will continue to screw with us on a regular basis. He is more concerned with screwing with Bryant because he is a Steeler nothing more and nothing less.
I would argue that backup RB is our most pressing Offensive need.
I also call BS on the league office, what do they really care......if he relapses and tests positive he's out of football. After that the NFL will wash their hands of him. Why not have him get a "relapse plan" six months ago.
This whole line about Goodell being "out" to get the Steelers is a bad take. Do you really think he's out to get one of his largest cash cow teams? Roger is about the $$ money plain and simple. I don't think it's about him go after the Steelers. I think it's more about Bryant being a waste of his time. The guy acted a fool (Bryant). Fools don't eat!!! So quit boo-hooing. Y'all sound like a bunch of cry babies!
That actually makes no sense to me. If it's such a waste of his time, why bother coming up with this "relapse plan". Why not just reinstate him or throw him out of the league?
I would not really argue with you. I would be satisfied with RB, especially if it is Joe Mixon. However, concussions are a tricky business - they "feed" on themselves. That is the more concussions you have the easier and easier it is to get another. As we know Ladarius Green has had quite a few making the likelihood of having one this season fairly high.
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Because the NFL main office is about PR and literally nothing else. The Steelers are a consistently competitive high profile team. Bryant, when he was last on the field, was a guy that the league and the TV networks were hyping as the next "guy". You know, "Next on NBC - watch Big Ben and Bryant take on Dalton and Green in our Sunday game of the week..."
Then Bryant got suspended and missed/failed a BUNCH of tests. To keep selling their product to all the non-Steeler, non-pot doesn't matter folks out there -- they have to appear that they are doing two things:
1. Forcing Bryant to face serious consequences and demonstrate remorse for his actions. Folks love a second chance, but only after people pay a price and say they are super-duper sorry.
2. Then the league has to demonstrate that they are "helping" Bryant to succeed both on and off the field. So, Bryant claimed it was mental health related that he was smoking dope in the first place. Therefore, if the league forces a "relapse prevention plan" then they can be held blameless if something negative happens in the future. That basically covers their ass ranging from Bryant becoming a star, to being banned for life, to taking his own life. No matter what happens, the NFL offices can either take credit for it or shift blame.
Like everything else with the NFL and most things in life - follow the money to your answers. The league doesn't have it out specifically for the Steelers or any one player -- it just is willing to screw anyone and everyone over in its efforts to keep the average football fan paying.
Waste of time = not a pressing matter of business
At this point Bryant is like a banished citizen begging to be let back in the Great Walled City. He's a fool at the mercy of the king. Kings don't hurry for anyone especially ill behaved peasants.
Then why do they wait until there are only 2 weeks before the draft to make this announcement? They could have implemented this a couple weeks back and let the dust settle well before the draft, but rather than do that they wait until the midnight hour and come up with something out of left field. Again my point is timing and that alone is the reason I call this a complete B.S. situation and one that reeks of trying to hamstring the Steelers in the upcoming draft.
Ok imho this is the league way overstepping their bounds and i would go to the players union. Its pretty cut and dried...dont miss or fail any tests...why in the fuck does the league care about a relapse prevention...this is a blatant finger to the chest from goodell and you see now why we were the only team that voted against the cba
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Oh yeah thats right...cant go to the players union because this was part of thé cba..roger gotohell has unlimited power
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I'm not missing the point I'm just not too worried in April. Training camp is no time soon.
Yeah but I am not talking about training camp rather the draft which is 2 weeks away and we may end up getting a WR when we really need someone on Defense. The league is hamstringing us on the timing.
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I don't think it affects their draft one iota. They already know they can't depend on a kid who is one strike away from being banned. They're gonna draft a wideout who can stretch the field, either way.
I'm not worried about the draft at all, Colbert and co know what their doing. I think the steelers have moved on from Bryant with what they're trying to do... If he comes back and stays clean they hit the lottery, if not they just move on with who they have.
Exactly. I've never been one for conspiracy theories, but I'm wondering what more does Goodell have to do to prove that he isn't impartial?
This is not an attempt to defend the NFL here. Goodell is a clown and the worst commisar in pro sports. But the league year started on March 9. So no need to do anything before then. Then it was the owners meetings that took up league office time. This period is the first "down time" in their schedule that they were ever going to deal with this - http://operations.nfl.com/football-o...ant-nfl-dates/
Is it the best way to handle things? Absolutely not. Why can't they inform the player of these things prior to some BS meeting - because the NFLPA gave away almost everything that wasn't nailed down in the last CBA and the league can just make shit up as it goes.
Like others have said, if the Steelers were drafting based on the Bryant situation, then they are really really bad at planning. Either way, why is anyone surprised that when the NFL can screw something up that they do? It is what they do in every situation lately. Look at what went down with Blandino. They sold the new review policy to the owners only to have the guy that was going to make it work bolt for TV.
I think Goodell is an asshole, or incompetent. Probably both. That's not what you want in a commissioner.
See you Space Cowboy ...
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Nope.
The person who does nothing but isolate himself for a year physically in order to stay clean and get reinstated while not doing anything else is absolutely nothing like the person who goes to counseling, spends time in 12-step, sets up his own accountability structure, and reduces his circle of friends to those who choose a clean life like him. You assume (from what I read in your statement) the purpose of the suspension is to punish for a violation. IMO, you assume wrong as the policy appendix quoted below (step 4 specifically) looks as though the purpose is to prevent further substance use. In other words, the substance abuse policy is meant not to be punitive for past violations, but to restore a player to a substance-free life. You absolutely cannot treat two people the exact same way in that case.
On the other hand, my problem is that Goodel (as far as I know) has absolutely no background in substance abuse prevention, counseling, or restoration. So unless he's sitting in a room with several professionals or consulting them after the meeting, he's taking a role upon himself in which he is wholly ill-equipped to act.
the last statement seems to be the case ...
but I still contend that all expectations of the league need to be made clear at the time of suspension as the path back to the league , I contend it should be done in writing and with copies to remain in league office , with Player , Agent and a 4th with the team in which he was/is a member so when it comes time to reapply everyone is on the exact same page as to what the expectations where and what transpired on behalf of the player in order to get his affairs in order and back within league graces and if he falls short letters should go out outlining where he failed to meet the agreement as everyone mentioned has a stake in that players future
I do not believe that is an unrealistic expectation for a multi billion dollar league to have in place as a standard
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