Ezekiel Elliott suspended 6 games.

[BlackAndGold]

Of course he'll appeal.

[polamalubeast]

Big challenge for Dark in the first 6 games....

[BlackAndGold]

Big challenge for Dark in the first 6 games....

Cowboys first 6 games.

Giants, @ Denver, @ Cardinals, Rams, Packers, @ 49ers

[polamalubeast]

Cowboys first 6 games.

Giants, @ Denver, @ Cardinals, Rams, Packers, @ 49ers

Expect for the 49ers this is not easy.

The rams, not a good team, but their defense has potential, especially with Wade Phillips as DC....

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[polamalubeast]

[tube517]

Skeletor is pissed

[AtlantaDan]

Expect for the 49ers this is not easy.

The rams, not a good team, but their defense has potential, especially with Wade Phillips as DC....

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So now Goodell has pissed off Jones after Kraft was already mad about Goodell suspending Brady

Those are two powerful owners to have as foes - it might not be for the right reasons but maybe the owners will decide it is time for Goodell to go

FWIW Elliott has been out of control off the field for matters unrelated to the domestic violence allegations that got him suspended, probably due to drinking

This from an article written about Super Bowl week in which Elliott makes a guest appearance

Ezekiel Elliott, who had come down to the bar and, only feet away, asked the bartender for a “quadruple Patrón on the rocks.” Twenty-one-year-olds are the absolute worst

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer...uper-bowl.html

Suspension might straighten him out or maybe not - it turned Ben around but the initial suspensions did not take for Bell and Bryant

[DesertSteel]

So now Goodell has pissed off Jones after Kraft was already mad about Goodell suspending Brady

Those are two powerful owners to have as foes - it might not be for the right reasons but maybe the owners will decide it is time for Goodell to go

Honestly, this is the main reason I like Goodell. Whether you like him or not, he has huevos.

[86WARD]

6 games is a joke...but I think it was pretty much plain and simple. I believe it was in the bylaws as a rule but again, correct me if I am wrong, there was nothing proven.

[AtlantaDan]

6 games is a joke...but I think it was pretty much plain and simple. I believe it was in the bylaws as a rule but again, correct me if I am wrong, there was nothing proven.

Prosecutors decided there was not enough to bring criminal charges, which requires proof behind a reasonable doubt, but there may very well be a lot of information (which might not be admissible in a trial under the applicable rules of evidence) supporting the allegations. Even if the ex-girlfriend has issues it appears there is medical information and lots of texting that was recovered.

In a letter to Elliott, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, explaining the suspension, NFL special counsel for conduct Todd Jones said the league reviewed “thousands” of text messages, other electronic communication and photographs....

Todd Jones said the league consulted two medical experts about “the causation and aging of certain injuries” to the victim, a former girlfriend of Elliott's. That’s an important point, given Elliott had tried to claim her bruises and cuts were the result of her conduct, not his.

Commissioner Roger Goodell also consulted with four outside advisers, two of whom are former federal prosecutors. He also talked to the prosecuting attorney in Columbus, Ohio, where the abuse occurred. Though no charges were filed, Todd Jones wrote that the prosecutor had said, “we generally believed her for all of the incidents.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...2adeebd6bec3be

Of course after the 2nd Circuit reversed the District Court and upheld Goodell's authority to suspend Brady there is very little required in terms of proof for Goodell taking an action that will not be tossed on appeal

[polamalubeast]

[86WARD]

Prosecutors decided there was not enough to bring criminal charges, which requires proof behind a reasonable doubt, but there may very well be a lot of information (which might not be admissible in a trial under the applicable rules of evidence) supporting the allegations. Even if the ex-girlfriend has issues it appears there is medical information and lots of texting that was recovered.

In a letter to Elliott, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, explaining the suspension, NFL special counsel for conduct Todd Jones said the league reviewed “thousands” of text messages, other electronic communication and photographs....

Todd Jones said the league consulted two medical experts about “the causation and aging of certain injuries” to the victim, a former girlfriend of Elliott's. That’s an important point, given Elliott had tried to claim her bruises and cuts were the result of her conduct, not his.

Commissioner Roger Goodell also consulted with four outside advisers, two of whom are former federal prosecutors. He also talked to the prosecuting attorney in Columbus, Ohio, where the abuse occurred. Though no charges were filed, Todd Jones wrote that the prosecutor had said, “we generally believed her for all of the incidents.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...2adeebd6bec3be

Of course after the 2nd Circuit reversed the District Court and upheld Goodell's authority to suspend Brady there is very little required in terms of proof for Goodell taking an action that will not be tossed on appeal

There was no proof and the injuries the girl said she had were deemed to be inadmissible as evidence because it was decided that the injuries occurred before the week they were speaking of. In my opinion without proof this is Spenton should not be six games. I think for games would be fair but six is a bit much.

[polamalubeast]

[AtlantaDan]

There was no proof and the injuries the girl said she had were deemed to be inadmissible as evidence because it was decided that the injuries occurred before the week they were speaking of. In my opinion without proof this is Spenton should not be six games. I think for games would be fair but six is a bit much.

FWIW six games apparently is the new standard for domestic violence suspensions after Goodell was roasted when Ray Rice got two games - we will be hearing why did the Giants kicker then get one game

As far as the proof goes I guess we will find out - I am always amused when defendants say a decision not to bring criminal charges means they have been vindicated and have been determined not to have done it

[86WARD]

FWIW six games apparently is the new standard for domestic violence suspensions after Goodell was roasted when Ray Rice got two games - we will be hearing why did the Giants kicker then get one game

As far as the proof goes I guess we will find out - I am always amused when defendants say a decision not to bring criminal charges means they have been vindicated and have been determined not to have done it

I think 6 games is good if he was proven guilty. Hell, I think it should be more. But I guess I'm still bitter that Ben got railroaded and don't look kindly at Goodell throwing his weight around like a judge and jury.

[AtlantaDan]

I think 6 games is good if he was proven guilty. Hell, I think it should be more. But I guess I'm still bitter that Ben got railroaded and don't look kindly at Goodell throwing his weight around like a judge and jury.

LOL - Ben paid off the Milledgeville girl (aka entered into a confidential civil settlement) and then she quit cooperating with the local DA. Ben was very lucky his stupidity did not end his career that night.

As far as Goodell goes, thank the NFLPA for giving Goodell that power- as many have posted here, Steelers were only team to vote down the 2011 CBA.

[polamalubeast]

LOL

[BostonBlackie]

LOL

I love it.

[Craic]

I think 6 games is good if he was proven guilty. Hell, I think it should be more. But I guess I'm still bitter that Ben got railroaded and don't look kindly at Goodell throwing his weight around like a judge and jury.

The problem with depending the courts to "prove guilt" is that it is only in the court system that a person is literally considered innocent until the DA or ADA can remove all reasonable doubt. The NFL is not the justice system. If anything, the Brady case and the way the investigator determined guilt showed the league depends more on something akin to civil court where there only has to be 50.01 percent likelihood fault falls to the person being investigated.

[BlackAndGold]

Well Matt Miller, obviously, the punishment for DV is starting to change.

[BurghBoy412]

Ol ewok

[AtlantaDan]

Several folks are wondering if Goodell suspending Elliott ultimately may result in Goodell going down since both Jones and Kraft are now upset

Whatever happens next, the NFL commissioner has now pissed off two of the most powerful people in the league over the past two years. While the ramifications pale in comparison with allegations of what the two women at the core of these incidents experienced, Goodell is about to enter the most politically murky stretch of his career.

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/8...dallas-cowboys

This from Peter King

This story can go so many ways … but the first thing I thought of when I heard about the Elliott ban was the future of Roger Goodell. In his first 11 years as commissioner, Goodell has had—in my estimation—five major influential owners as the cornerstones of his power base: Pittsburgh’s Dan Rooney, Carolina’s Jerry Richardson, Jerry Jones of Dallas, Robert Kraft of New England, and the Giants’ John Mara. Rooney died this year. Richardson, 81, has declining influence. Jones, as Adam Schefter reports, is furious with the commissioner for the Elliott suspension, and as I believe, thinks the commissioner is too suspension-happy. Kraft is still wounded over the Brady suspension and verdict. Mara’s still in Goodell’s corner—rock-solid, I believe.

That’s quite a change in the Goodell power base. How much will that factor into Goodell’s long-term future? We’ll see.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/08/14/ta...draft-bust-nfl

Jones/Kraft v. Goodell will be like watching a Pats-Ravens AFC championship game - root for the meteor

[salamander]

I feel no sympathy for the Cowboys or their fans. As we've said many times on this board, the Steelers are the only ones who have any right to bitch about the commissioner since they were the only team to vote against the current CBA which essentially gave Goodell this power.

[steelreserve]

I really don't understand why the NFL feels it should be in the business of operating its own extrajudicial court system and private detective agency for common street crime. I'm no fan of the Cowboys or Elliott specifically, but this has gotten beyond ridiculous. Police and courts are there to handle criminal cases, and I trust their process and standards of evidence a lot more than whatever some clown commissioner and his PR team come up with.

As far as the "image of the league," standards to maintain," and whatever other bullshit they throw out in the name of PC - the hell with that. I don't know these guys, I don't hang out with them, I watch them play a game on TV and that is the extent of my relationship with them or the league in general, and I don't really give a rat's ass what kind of people they are off the field. Put together a team of all heroin addicts, drunk drivers, and ex-felons; I don't care, as long as it's the most entertaining team you can assemble.

Very few people, even children, are stupid enough to see a professional athlete get arrested for domestic violence and then go "hey, since this guy is involved, beating your girlfriend is fine, no biggie!" Or "Hey, since this guy smokes dope, I should do it too!" You are not "promoting" it, "tacitly condoning" it, "encouraging" it, or any of that other bullshit. You are running a TV show using athletes instead of actors, that's IT. People have no problem separating the character from the real-life person when it's TV or movie stars; why would they suddenly be so gullible and stupid just because it's sports?

You ask me, the standard for being suspended for off-field conduct should be: "Was it bad enough that you are in jail anyway?" If so, that's your suspension. The league needs to stick to investigating and punishing people for cheating in the game itself. Steroids, deflated footballs, things that affect what happens on the field. Period, end of discussion. Anything beyond that is just more Lawyerball and more stupidity, and another reason why the league is way ahead of the rest in clearing its own path to irrelevance.

[Nadroj 20]

I really don't understand why the NFL feels it should be in the business of operating its own extrajudicial court system and private detective agency for common street crime. I'm no fan of the Cowboys or Elliott specifically, but this has gotten beyond ridiculous. Police and courts are there to handle criminal cases, and I trust their process and standards of evidence a lot more than whatever some clown commissioner and his PR team come up with.

As far as the "image of the league," standards to maintain," and whatever other bullshit they throw out in the name of PC - the hell with that. I don't know these guys, I don't hang out with them, I watch them play a game on TV and that is the extent of my relationship with them or the league in general, and I don't really give a rat's ass what kind of people they are off the field. Put together a team of all heroin addicts, drunk drivers, and ex-felons; I don't care, as long as it's the most entertaining team you can assemble.

Very few people, even children, are stupid enough to see a professional athlete get arrested for domestic violence and then go "hey, since this guy is involved, beating your girlfriend is fine, no biggie!" Or "Hey, since this guy smokes dope, I should do it too!" You are not "promoting" it, "tacitly condoning" it, "encouraging" it, or any of that other bullshit. You are running a TV show using athletes instead of actors, that's IT. People have no problem separating the character from the real-life person when it's TV or movie stars; why would they suddenly be so gullible and stupid just because it's sports?

You ask me, the standard for being suspended for off-field conduct should be: "Was it bad enough that you are in jail anyway?" If so, that's your suspension. The league needs to stick to investigating and punishing people for cheating in the game itself. Steroids, deflated footballs, things that affect what happens on the field. Period, end of discussion. Anything beyond that is just more Lawyerball and more stupidity, and another reason why the league is way ahead of the rest in clearing its own path to irrelevance.

You make many good points. I think a part of it has to do with some other off the field incidents that lead to this suspension which isn't right. The St. Patrick Day incident was a bad look for Elliott, but that doesn't mean he was guilty of this incident they say the suspension is for.

And he was never charged with anything yet he gets 6 games? Makes me wonder if they are saying well he HAS done some other things so he PROBABLY did this. Let's hit him hard with 6 games and look really good to people who really don't know whats going on.

Keep in mind I have zero tolerance for anyone that would hit their wife/girlfriend/child or random stranger for that matter. And it's possible he did something wrong. But the lack of evidence lead to police deciding not to charge him with anything, so how does the NFL have evidence to suspend him 6 games?

[Butch]

I really don't understand why the NFL feels it should be in the business of operating its own extrajudicial court system and private detective agency for common street crime. I'm no fan of the Cowboys or Elliott specifically, but this has gotten beyond ridiculous. Police and courts are there to handle criminal cases, and I trust their process and standards of evidence a lot more than whatever some clown commissioner and his PR team come up with.

As far as the "image of the league," standards to maintain," and whatever other bullshit they throw out in the name of PC - the hell with that. I don't know these guys, I don't hang out with them, I watch them play a game on TV and that is the extent of my relationship with them or the league in general, and I don't really give a rat's ass what kind of people they are off the field. Put together a team of all heroin addicts, drunk drivers, and ex-felons; I don't care, as long as it's the most entertaining team you can assemble.

Very few people, even children, are stupid enough to see a professional athlete get arrested for domestic violence and then go "hey, since this guy is involved, beating your girlfriend is fine, no biggie!" Or "Hey, since this guy smokes dope, I should do it too!" You are not "promoting" it, "tacitly condoning" it, "encouraging" it, or any of that other bullshit. You are running a TV show using athletes instead of actors, that's IT. People have no problem separating the character from the real-life person when it's TV or movie stars; why would they suddenly be so gullible and stupid just because it's sports?

You ask me, the standard for being suspended for off-field conduct should be: "Was it bad enough that you are in jail anyway?" If so, that's your suspension. The league needs to stick to investigating and punishing people for cheating in the game itself. Steroids, deflated footballs, things that affect what happens on the field. Period, end of discussion. Anything beyond that is just more Lawyerball and more stupidity, and another reason why the league is way ahead of the rest in clearing its own path to irrelevance.

This

The Music industry is a classic example of the drug culture gone wild. I grew up with groups like the Stones, Beatles hell even Willie Nelson. All are known for dealings with drugs yet I still listen to their music and still love it. I know tons who do and that doesn't mean they endorse drugs rather they like the music.

As was stated earlier the NFL is not a justice system, and as such it needs to stop acting like it has a better grasp on what should be punished and what should not. People are not going to stop watching the sport just because the players are not squeaky clean. Let the courts be judge and jury and let the players play the game.

[steelreserve]

You make many good points. I think a part of it has to do with some other off the field incidents that lead to this suspension which isn't right. The St. Patrick Day incident was a bad look for Elliott, but that doesn't mean he was guilty of this incident they say the suspension is for.

And he was never charged with anything yet he gets 6 games? Makes me wonder if they are saying well he HAS done some other things so he PROBABLY did this. Let's hit him hard with 6 games and look really good to people who really don't know whats going on.

Keep in mind I have zero tolerance for anyone that would hit their wife/girlfriend/child or random stranger for that matter. And it's possible he did something wrong. But the lack of evidence lead to police deciding not to charge him with anything, so how does the NFL have evidence to suspend him 6 games?

See, that's the thing that really makes me smack my forehead. If the league hadn't stepped in and suspended Elliott, how likely is the average fan to hear about something like this or think it is a serious black eye to the league? Now how likely are both of those if they DO suspend him? Now everyone knows about it for sure, and since you suspended the guy, you're making a pretty strong statement that people should assume the worst. Even from a PR standpoint, it's stupid as hell.

What's even worse is that a lot of fans have become so caught up in this that they just accept it as normal without questioning it. They say "Well, so-and-so got suspended for 4 games, so THIS guy should be suspended for even longer!" Instead of "That's bullshit, neither guy should have been suspended."

Or "They called us for a helmet-to-helmet penalty, they need to call more helmet-to-helmet penalties on other teams too!" Instead of "They shouldn't be calling those kinds of penalties at all except for real cheap shots." Reinforcing Lawyerball both on and off the field.

[polamalubeast]

[polamalubeast]

[polamalubeast]