Steelers warned of Goodell’s dominion long before Brady rift
To Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (and the rest of the NFL for that matter): The Steelers told you so.
In summer 2011, when there was a rush to approve the newly negotiated collective bargaining agreement during training camps so the preseason games could take place, Steelers players took a stand.
The Steelers were the only one of the 32 teams to vote against the CBA. They felt the new deal continued to give NFL commissioner Roger Goodell too much leeway as judge, jury and executioner over the player conduct policy.
The Steelers had experienced that unchecked power when Mr. Goodell unilaterally suspended Ben Roethlisberger for four games to start the 2010 season, even though he was never charged with a crime. Also fresh in their minds were the $150,000 in fines the NFL issued to linebacker James Harrison in 2010, although those were for actions on the field, not off.
The Patriots and Mr. Brady
believe Mr. Goodell should not have had the power to both suspend the quarterback and to hear and deny his appeal. But under the 2011 CBA, he does.
“I think a lot of it stems back to the last CBA and how strong the players who were on this team felt at that time about the commissioner and the personal conduct policy,’’ said Charlie Batch, a Steelers backup quarterback and member of the NFLPA executive committee in 2011.
“At that time, we were one of the only teams going through it as it related to James Harrison and Ben. Players voted against it because they were more or less unhappy with the way the personal conduct policy worked.
“That’s what’s happening here. That’s what we would always say, the players on that Steelers team who voted ‘no’ were players who could talk about the CBA without being hypocritical.”
Guard Ramon Foster also was on that team in 2011, and now he’s the union player representative for the Steelers. The NFLPA filed suit Wednesday against the league for its decision on Mr. Brady in federal court in Minnesota, something Mr. Foster and Mr. Batch said they must do.
“We represent everybody,’’ Mr. Foster said of his union. “You want a fair case, fair judgment on everything. The best thing to do is just get all the information and let us help him [present] his stuff and see what happens.”
As Mr. Batch noted, the NFLPA fought for its members in the New Orleans bountygate scandal and in the suspension of Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson; they had to do the same for Mr. Brady.
“The thing we’re dealing with now is time,’’ Mr. Foster said. “The season is right around the corner and I don’t think they can recoup it after the four games [of Brady’s suspension] are over.”
Aside from the stance the union must take, Mr. Foster probably summed up many of his teammates’ feelings about Mr. Goodell upholding Mr. Brady’s suspension — with a virtual shrug of the shoulders.
“It’s unfortunate for him it was upheld but as some people might say about a bunch of problems, either you’re glad they have them or you don’t want to hear about them.
“You don’t [tick] off the juror,’’ Mr. Foster said, referring to Mr. Goodell. “In that case there were a lot of things I understand that went on that they could have been upfront about but kind of let it be, and it was upheld.”
By the union going to court, it would seek an injunction that would allow Mr. Brady to play in the Sept. 10 opener against the Steelers while its case is heard. That takes away a slight advantage the Steelers have in training camp. All teams prepare somewhat for their regular-season opponent during camp and throughout the preseason.
The Steelers know their opponent. They do not know who will quarterback the Patriots – Mr. Brady or backup Jimmy Garoppolo, who attempted 27 passes as a rookie last season. New England also signed veteran quarterback Matt Flynn, 30, this year.
Pass rushers watch tape not only of the tackles they will go against but also the quarterbacks in order to discover tendencies.
“We’ll know who we’re going against when that time comes,’’ said linebacker Jarvis Jones. “That game is a couple weeks away from now, and I’m sure when we get around there, it will be something I’ll focus on and something I’ll get ready for.”
Cornerbacks such as Cortez Allen also look for quarterback tendencies. He could roll the dice and spend time studying Mr. Brady only to later discover it was wasted because Mr. Garoppolo will play, not that there’s much video available of him in the NFL.
“You still watch concepts,’’ Mr. Allen said. “Teams still have identities, teams still have things that they like to do with the personnel that they have. I mean, Tom Brady is who he is.”