“Hmmm, didn’t see that one coming.”
As I’m typing this, I bet Roger Goodell is slapping skinny interns around his office. Meanwhile, NFLPA reps are busy posting LOLcat pictures all over the Commish’s Facebook page. With the player-related Bounty Gate suspensions overturned (albeit temporarily), Goodell’s gotten the first big rebuke of his tenure as the Boss. Obviously, this is great news for the Saints as well as the Browns (and a massive victory for the NFLPA). Anthony Hargrove is probably pissed considering that had the Packers known he’d be available for week one, they might not have cut him and he might not have spent the last two weeks on his couch crying into giant bowls of Lucky Charms.
To be brief about what went down, today a three-judge panel ruled not that Goodell was out of order by suspending players in the first place, but that he did not have the right as Commissioner to hear and rule on the their appeals. In short, he bit off more than he could chew and he was called out on it. It will be interesting to see how Goodell reacts after being shown up in front of the entire league and its fan base. Judging by his track record, he’ll probably just turn into even more of a hard-ass. Tomorrow morning he’ll be on the phone with Pacman Jones, telling him he’s suspended for the remainder of the year on suspicions of Thoughtcrime.
Chris Dorsey
Nate Raby
Joseph Kyle Schmidt
Ben Van Iten
