League files appeal of Elliott’s injunction
LOS ANGELES: The National Football League filed a notice of appeal on Monday in an effort to reverse a US judge’s injunction that blocks a six-game suspension of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The league filed an appeal of the Fifth Circuit Court injunction of Elliott’s ban that permitted him to take the field on Sunday in the Cowboys’ season opening regular season game.
The running back was found to be in violation of the personal conduct policy by the NFL and his appeal through league arbitration channels was denied.
But just over 48 hours before the start of Sunday’s contest against the New York Giants, Elliott and the players’ union scored a victory when a Texas judge granted a temporary injunction.
The NFL quickly indicated it would review all legal options, and officially filed the appeal.
Elliott said on Sunday night that he hopes the matter gets resolved quickly and in a fair manner.
“Just relieved for the fact that I finally get a fair trial,” Elliott said.
“I finally get a chance to prove my innocence and just happy that I’ll get to be with the guys for as long as permitted and not miss time and not having to be away from them.
“It’s definitely been a tough last 14 months. At times it’s gotten so hard you start to lose faith.”
Elliott has been appealing against the Aug 11 sanction issued by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell following a probe which alleged the player assaulted former girlfriend Tiffany Thompson in 2016.
However, the appeal hearing revealed that the NFL’s lead investigator in the case had written a memo raising questions about Thompson’s credibility and had later recommended no sanction be issued.
The investigator’s memo and recommendation of no punishment were later ignored as Elliott was slapped with a sixgame ban.
The investigator who wrote the memo — the only NFL official to interview Thompson in the case — later revealed she had not been asked to attend a meeting between the league’s vice president of investigations Lisa Friel and Goodell.