NFL states they will 'no longer rely on the legal system'

[Mr. Scot]

Greg Hardy managed to avoid any criminal penalties in connection with the domestic violence accusations leveled against him last year. But the NFL’s own investigation concluded that Hardy did commit an act of investigation and was dishonest when asked directly about it.

Jeff Pash, the NFL’s executive vice president and general counsel, said on Outside the Lines that the NFL (which was burned by the Ray Rice case) will no longer rely on the legal system. Instead, the NFL conducts its own investigations, and Pash said the league’s investigation found that Hardy committed “a significant act of violence.”

“This suspension was imposed after a lengthy and detailed independent investigation of the kind we really hadn’t done before,” Pash said. “We did an independent investigation, we didn’t rely simply on the record here.”

Pash also said Hardy and his representatives were given ample opportunity to give his side of the story, and that the NFL found Hardy had engaged in “a failure to be candid in the context of the investigation.”

“His explanations of the events that happened last May simply could not be reconciled with the testimony of other witnesses, with other objective evidence, or with, frankly, some of the variations in testimony over time from Mr. Hardy,” Pash said.

NFL investigation found Hardy's explanations not credible

So basically, for anyone with character issues (whether it be drugs, domestic violence or whatever) the road to suspension no longer has to pass any legal roadblocks.

If the league concludes that you did it, you're suspended.

[hepcat]

This is not news, but more explicitly stating what we already know.

[PandaPancake]

I see they're going with the UCMJ style

[Moorgan]

Sweet. More lawyer jobs in the NFL. I was worried that lawyers might go hungry but now that the NFL will conduct it's own investigation into everything that some idiot players do, the lawyers will be able to feed their families. So they got that going for them...which is nice.

 

 

 

Seriously though, with a multi-billion dollar enterprise...this is how they should do it. If for no other reason than to protect their bottom line. To be sure though, a case will come up in the future that will challenge this structure and people will be up in arms about it (on both sides). They are too big to actually avoid controversy.

[O-Ther]

So the NFL is going to act like every company I've worked for and hold employees to a series of corporate policies that the employees had to abide by to stay employed. Shocking.

[Mr. Scot]

So the NFL is going to act like every company I've worked for and hold employees to a series of corporate policies that the employees had to abide by to stay employed. Shocking.

Pretty much, yeah.

[Montsta]

Any lawyer worth his salt that is representing a player will tell that player not to say anything to anybody, including his employer, during any pending legal matters. After, they'll say don't say anything because of potential civil suits after the criminal matter is over. Then, the NFL will suspend the player above and beyond the six game mandate because the player wasn't honest and forthright in the NFL investigation.

I sure love me some Panthers but I wouldn't be mad if the NFL got knocked down a few pegs to be honest.

[LUUUUUKE]

A bold statement like that will surely get Hardy's suspension cut in 1/2 if not lifted in its entirety. The legal system doesn't like when a person or organization thinks it's above the law.

The NFL will regret that statement

[Mr. Scot]

Seriously though, with a multi-billion dollar enterprise...this is how they should do it. If for no other reason than to protect their bottom line. To be sure though, a case will come up in the future that will challenge this structure and people will be up in arms about it (on both sides). They are too big to actually avoid controversy.

I suspect there will be a strong correlation between who a player plays for and which fans are 'up in arms'.

Drew Brees gets arrested, "Throw the book at him!!!"

Luke Kuechly gets arrested, "This is WRONG!!!"

[Moorgan]

I see they're going with the UCMJ style

Even the NFL doesn't have firing squad kind of power but I like where your head's at. It is very much a set of rules that if you want to be a part of that organization you must abide by. The UCMJ has things like Commander discretion meaning he/she decides the severity of punishment in most cases. In the NFL it does seem a bit more centralized around the Emperor...er....ummm...I mean Comissioner but I've heard they are changing that too. And while the NFLPA was in a tough spot with the work stoppage and all, they agreed to this steaming pile of nonsense that is the all powerful Palpatine...or whatever.

[PanthersUnited]

.

[Mr. Scot]

A bold statement like that will surely get Hardy's suspension cut in 1/2 if not lifted in its entirety. The legal system doesn't like when a person or organization thinks it's above the law.

The NFL will regret that statement

If you or I got caught breaking the law, do you think the courts would keep an employer from firing us?

If no, what makes you think they can stop the NFL from imposing discipline on players according to the rules they set?

[Nick_81]

Well, that's fine and all, but I'm wondering how they'll go about this.  I mean, is everyone still going to be all, "let the legal process run it's course" now?  Are the players going to have to go through the legal process completely, and then the NFL does it's "own" investigation, further lengthening the process, as in Hardy's case?  

[Moorgan]

I suspect there will be a strong correlation between who a player plays for and which fans are 'up in arms'.

Drew Brees gets arrested, "Throw the book at him!!!"

Luke Kuechly gets arrested, "This is WRONG!!!"

Absolutely right. I listen to local Charlotte radio here in Baltimore AND national shows on tv and the radio. Literally, the ONLY place I've heard arguments that, in ANY way, put Hardy in even a somewhat favorable light...Charlotte. There's a lot involved with that and I think Charlotte actually has it right. The national media is seemingly too scared to even entertain the idea or discussion of whether or not he did it. Charlotte will at least question it.

 

But you're right. Fans will be fanatical...by defintion. But if Luke gets arrested it actually must be wrong...seriously. He's our starting MLB and a HOFer. That cop should be arrested. Wait. What were we talking about?