Goodell believes in due process, but...

[Sasquatch]

IMO,Roger Goodell should have let the court make their decision before taking any course of action.

But the media started a shite storm by reporting about the "bench trial" finding him guilty.

[CPcavedweller]

Its a political, public relations thing.

Hardy would be better off to plead guilty and serve the six games.

What I wonder is if the Panthers are paying Greg, does the league in some way compensate for these cases. Seems to me the Panthers are paying to screw themselves

He was already found guilty, therefor he should've been suspended while he waits for his appeal. After the suspension is up, he is cleared regardless of what happens.

[thunderraiden]

Hardy is losing money every game he doesn't play. His contract value next year has probably already dropped by fifty percent.

 

You're right. But we would all be crazy if we don't think Hardy isn't lawyer'ing up with the NFLPA and suing the NFL for treble damages the second his innocent verdict comes in.

[Paa Langfart]

goodell is an ass hat.

[Sasquatch]

He was already found guilty, therefor he should've been suspended while he waits for his appeal. After the suspension is up, he is cleared regardless of what happens.

You're not familiar with NC courts, only listening to the media's version.

[CPcavedweller]

You're not familiar with NC courts, only listening to the media's version.

I am VERY familiar with NC courts. I may not have spoken clearly. In the best interest of Hardy and the Panthers, he should have taken a suspension. If he is suspended 6 games while appealing, then once that is up he is free to play regardless of the outcome of the jury trial. Instead, he's not playing, and technically not on suspension so when the time comes for his trial and it does not go in his favor, he is subject to ANOTHER suspension.

[rainwater]

If Hardy didn't appeal, he'd be playing this season.....

But he would be missing out on over 4 million dollars.  The franchise tagged forced him to push off the trial so he could get his game checks as long as possible.  

[DanTheMan]

If they want to keep them off the field and still let them get paid then I say let the NFL pay them and not the team be on the hook.

[KendrickPanther]

I propose we have Greg Hardy day. Let him poke his head out the tunnel and if the climate is Sunny he can start playing. If the climate is cloudy then we have 6 more weeks of wasted cap space.

[MHS831]

Can't completely agree.

It was pretty obvious from the first tape that something quite violent had happened. A penalty of only two games in light of that was a complete joke.

The tragedy is that it took the second tape to get the NFL going. That's Goodell's biggest screw up, and it's the reason why we are where we are now.

I do agree that if he, or anyone in the NFL, actually did see the tape and they're lying to save face now, he needs to step down.

 

The way I see it--The details mattered only after the 2-game joke suspension was harshly criticized.  I do not see how the second tape did anything to make his crime worse--I think dragging an unconscious, limp, female off the elevator was enough. If he lied to them, then I see the ban, but I understand that he told them he hit her.  I have not kept up with it like some others, so if I am missing something I apologize.

 

[Mr. Scot]

The way I see it--The details mattered only after the 2-game joke suspension was harshly criticized.  I do not see how the second tape did anything to make his crime worse--I think dragging an unconscious, limp, female off the elevator was enough. If he lied to them, then I see the ban, but I understand that he told them he hit her.  I have not kept up with it like some others, so if I am missing something I apologize.

 

 

See that's the thing.  It didn't make what he did worse.  It just put a harsh spotlight on how utterly idiotic the initial penalty was.

 

[Mr. Scot]

League might be taking another PR hit if this can be backed up.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/10/angelo-claims-domestic-violence-incidents-were-covered-up/

Former Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo tells Josh Peter of USA Today that NFL teams did not impose discipline after “hundreds and hundreds” of domestic violence incidents.

“I made a mistake,” Angelo said. “I was human. I was part of it. I’m not proud of it.”

A mistake would be one cover up. Multiple cover ups reflect a pattern of deliberate wrongdoing. Angelo admits he engaged in that behavior. He contends other teams did, too.

Angelo also explained the approach that the Bears used when a player was accused of domestic violence. It consisted of one basic inquiry.

“OK, is everybody OK?” Angelo said. “Yeah. How are they doing? Good. And then we’d just move on. We’d move on."

“We knew it was wrong,” Angelo added. “For whatever reason, it just kind of got glossed over. I’m no psychiatrist, so I can’t really get into what that part of it is. I’m just telling you how I was. I’ve got to look at myself first. And I was part of that, but I didn’t stand alone.”

[Sasquatch]

I am VERY familiar with NC courts. I may not have spoken clearly. In the best interest of Hardy and the Panthers, he should have taken a suspension. If he is suspended 6 games while appealing, then once that is up he is free to play regardless of the outcome of the jury trial. Instead, he's not playing, and technically not on suspension so when the time comes for his trial and it does not go in his favor, he is subject to ANOTHER suspension.

 

Your earlier statement was that he had been found guilty so should be suspended which would deny him his 6th amendment right to a trial by jury. Had the NFL and/or the Panthers suspended him based on that alone, Charlotte probably would have been overrun with AFLCIO and NFLPA lawyers suing for denying him that right. The only reason that NC can get away with the bench trial process is because, even though they require this bench trial, it is not binding for the defendant. He simply can reject the outcome as he has in this case.

 

As for being in Hardy's best interest to take the suspension, you won't convince him that taking a suspension and the associated fine that amounts to more than he has earned in his 4 year career thus far is in his best interest. I don't buy it either. There are a lot speculating that his future contract will be impacted in a major way but I doubt it. 

[CatMan72]

If he really believed in due process and he understood NC laws, Hardy would be playing.