Goodell turns to Tagliabue in bounty matter
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THE SEPARATION of judge and jury in the NFL was made clearer Friday when commissioner Roger Goodell recused himself from the ongoing appeals process in the case of four players who were suspended in the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal.
In his place, Goodell appointed former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Goodell’s predecessor and for mer boss, to r u le. T he appeals are scheduled to be heard Oct. 30.
Goodell maintained that he hopes Tagliabue, who was commissioner from 1989-2006, will help “bring the matter to a prompt and fair conclusion .” Goodell served as the league’s general counsel for part of Tagliabue’s tenure.
In the initial dealings, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the 2012 season, and Will Smith was banned four games for his role i n the program, i n which players allegedly offered teammates payments for big hits. Scott Fujita, now with the Browns, was barred three games, since reduced to one. Anthony Hargrove, a free agent, had his suspension reduced from eight games to seven.
“To be clear, I have not consulted with Paul Tagliabue at any point about the Saints matter, nor has he been any part of the process,” Goodell said. “Furthermore, under our process, the hearing officer has full authority and complete independence to decide the appeal and determine any procedural issues regarding the hearings.”
The four players and the NFL Players Association had requested Goodell’s recusal previously, asserting that he could not fairly render a decision as the original punisher. “It is only a neutral (arbitrator) of unquestioned integrity who can restore public confidence i n this process and mitigate the damage which the NFL’s handling of ‘BountyGate’ has inflicted upon the game,” the union said in a recent court filing.
Vilma still has cont i nued to pursue a defamation lawsuit against Goodell.
Goodell drew fire on another front in t he case Friday. Jimmy Kennedy, the former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle, again denied being the whistleblower in the case. The league has said that Kennedy was told about the bounties by Hargrove.
“That is a lie,” Kennedy said in a statement. “I had no knowledge of any such alleged bounty.”
Kennedy concluded with the accusation that Goodell’s punishments were far reaching and false.
“I am not one of the players who has been officially disciplined by the NFL as part of this sham,” Kennedy said, “but I now know that I too have been damaged by the NFL’s complete disregard for truth and integrity.”