Thanks Todd and Peter for the interesting views on Goodell hearing the appeal.
I wasn't aware of the motion for reconsideration. Somehow the news about cases always misses that. Unless it's not common. But from what I've read here it seems like a motion for reconsideration isn't unusual? In the news it always seems to be case/appeal/bigger appeal/ and eventually maybe the supreme court if it's important enough or someone being out of options if it isn't (Or if they're just plain wrong )
That part of the process makes sense the way Todd has explained it.
I wasn't really concerned much about it to begin with although it seemed wrong. But now I'm thinking it's ok. One of the things that struck me during the lead in to the appeal was that the NFLPA apparently could ask for an arbitrator and did but Goodell rejected that request. I'm sure there was some behind the scenes stuff we may never know.
And yes, for sure the backlash would have been enormous.
What do you think about not using the existing rule and penalty? It seems to me that without the public outcry, it would have been the required 25K fine, maybe for each ball and that would be the end of it. (Probably another example of the laymans understanding of legal stuff being incomplete at best - I hear fairly often that someones prior record can't be used. Maybe at sentencing it can but not earlier? )
Steve B
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