The disagreement between the NFL and NFLPA regarding the punishments in the New Orleans Saints bounty program doesn't seem to be going anywhere for a while. The NFLPA filed a grievance against the NFL claiming that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who levied the suspensions, didn't have the authority to do so. And the NFLPA also argues that the NFL agreed to release the players of pre-CBA conduct.
NFL Predicts NFLPA Won’t Succeed In Bounty Case
As expected, the NFL disagrees and predicts their position will be upheld. The NFL’s statement says that the NFLPA does “not challenge the underlying facts” or the “reasonableness” of the Commissioner’s discipline on the four former or current Saints players. From the NFL’s statement:
In one proceeding, the union seeks immunity for the four suspended players, a position it never advanced during months of discussion on this matter. In the other, the union argues that someone other than the commissioner should have imposed the discipline.
We expect that the arbitrators will 1) reject the union’s efforts to protect players from accountability for prohibited and dangerous conduct directed against other players and 2) uphold the disciplinary process that was so carefully negotiated in the Collective Bargaining less than a year ago.
The NFL makes a good point about the NFLPA’s interpretation of the CBA -- you’d think the NFLPA would push that argument in previous discussions if it were a position they held. With that said, that they didn’t advance that argument doesn’t make it an invalid argument.
I think we can reasonably assume this story won’t be going away for a while.
Which side do you have in the disagreement? Check out the NFLPA’s side here.
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