2021-2022 NFL Season

[JWags85]

QB in question was not Watson.

Had to be Brady right?  Which also makes Flores' actions all the more interesting.

[Uncle Rico]

Had to be Brady right?  Which also makes Flores' actions all the more interesting.

That was the rumor in Miami

[Pakuni]

Zero.  It's open the league or teams to other lawsuits and potential criminal charges if found to be actively throwing games.  It's akin to point shaving

It's not akin to point shaving. If Flores' allegation is 100% true, it's not akin to point shaving. And you'd have to get through a lot of steps to go from Flores' allegation to the league facing criminal charges .. chief among them, evidence that Flores intentionally lost at Ross' request, something he denies.

[Dish]

Had to be Brady right?  Which also makes Flores' actions all the more interesting.

I think it has to be Brady. The Watson timeline obviously doesn't make sense.

[Uncle Rico]

It's not akin to point shaving. If Flores' allegation is 100% true, it's not akin to point shaving. And you'd have to get through a lot of steps to go from Flores' allegation to the league facing criminal charges .. chief among them, evidence that Flores intentionally lost at Ross' request, something he denies.

Owners offering coaches money to lose is what then?

It isn't strictly about the Flores and Ross situation, it calls in the legitimacy of the league.  This isn't just a one time issue.  Anytime there is talk of tanking, once you involve gambling with your league, you've opened a can of worms.  Just because Flores played to win doesn't mean another coach hasn't or won't.

The league is going to be forced to confront the allegations against Ross to stem this.  They already have the federal government sticking their nose into the WTF "investigation".  This is a perfect opportunity for grandstanding.

[Pakuni]

Had to be Brady right?  Which also makes Flores' actions all the more interesting.

So, the tampering allegation is that he was asked to reach out to a pending free agent with whom he had a longstanding relationship?
Might cost the Phins a mid-round draft pick, but that kind of thing isn't exactly unheard of the NFL. And it just proves Ross is a bad owner, something that comes as a surprise to absolutely no one.

[Uncle Rico]

Some interesting thoughts out there.  Being a class-action suit, other defendants may join the lawsuit.  This thing may broaden out quit a bit beyond Brian Flores.

[Pakuni]

Owners offering coaches money to lose is what then?

It isn't strictly about the Flores and Ross situation, it calls in the legitimacy of the league.  This isn't just a one time issue.  Anytime there is talk of tanking, once you involve gambling with your league, you've opened a can of worms.  Just because Flores played to win doesn't mean another coach hasn't or won't.

Actually, it is exactly a onetime issue, unless you're aware of other coaches claiming their team owners offered them bribes to lose.
If your argument is "it happened with Ross, so it could happen with every other owner" ... well, yeah, but that's a specious argument that you could have made before today. That Ross may or may not have done this says zero about any other owner.

And if the mere spector of tanking delegitimizes the NFL, wait until you learn about the NBA, NHL and MLB. I mean, "Tank for Tua" was a thing in Miami that season.

I don't mean to sound cynical, but this affects the NFL exactly as much as the Ray Rice video, the Jon Gruden emails, Spygate, Deflategate and the WFT sex harassment case ... which is to say, it's a fly on an elephant's rear.

[Herman Cain]

Hard to believe that Tom Brady is retiring. He has set an incredible standard of excellence for so long. I was not an early adopter on The Brady Bandwagon, as I was anti Patriots and everything that went with that.

However, Brady's sheer talent and doing it for so long brought me into his camp. Saw him at a couple of Super Bowls and was so impressed with how he controlled the game. As the years went by it was liking watching an artist paint a masterpiece. 

Brady is leaving while still at the pinnacle of the sport and relatively healthy. He is now in the same category as Jim Brown and Barry Sanders who left the NFL on their own terms.  I think that is a good thing. 

[nyg]

If his goal is to embarrass the league ... I'm not really sure that's possible.
If his goal is to walk away with a large settlement ... decent chance.
If his goal is to be an NFL head coach again ... not likely.

Honestly, is there anything new here?
Did anyone think the Rooney rule has been effective?
Did anyone believe there weren't sham interviews to comply with the rule?
Did anyone think Stephen Ross was a good owner (or person)?
Is anyone shocked Ross may have tampered with Deshaun Watson?

FWIW, going to bat for Eric Bienemy probably doesn't help him much. Bienemy's lack of HC opportunities involves more than his race.

Bienemy was mentioned in the affidavit and his interview totals were stated. Yet, he has never been offered.  He is always the discussion of the media talking heads, past players, etc. of being the black assistant who deserves the job the most.

Bienemy has been arrested four times, had his drivers license suspended and was basically kicked out of the University of Colorado as an assistant coach on allegations of luring recruits with sex and drugs.  There have been rumors that he just bombs the interview every time. 

[JWags85]

Brady is leaving while still at the pinnacle of the sport and relatively healthy. He is now in the same category as Jim Brown and Barry Sanders who left the NFL on their own terms.  I think that is a good thing.

Brown retired at 29 and Sanders at 30.  Brady would be 45 by the start of next season, let's not get out of pocket with that comparison.

Brady is playing well...in a perfect handpicked system in a favorable climate in a situation where he's largely been prevented from being touched for the last 4-5 years.  That's not at his peak or pinnacle like someone a decade plus younger.  He's had an amazing enough career without excessive lauding and plaudits for something like that

[Billy Hoyle]

I think there are very valid questions to ask about the Rooney Rule and the plight of African American head coaches in the league.  Do I think Brian Flores got completely and utterly shafted in Miami?  1000%.  However, I think Ross is probably the worst owner in the league (in terms of actually managing an organization, Snyder close second) and this feels like far less racism, and way more utter incompetency, meddling, and being a dunce.

The Daboll stuff is interesting.  Is it racism?  Or is it just abuse of the Rooney Rule?  Is it one in the same?  I don't know the answer.  This would have been way more meaty if it had happened along with the disastrous Joe Judge hiring.

The Belichick texts are just breathtaking.  Like legitimately how dense can one be

my thought exactly.  It isn't "racism" to say "this is the guy we want," target him, and then hire him (though we'd have to check with what the definition of "racism" is today since it's pretty fluid). Were there other minority candidates already interviewed? That will be an interesting angle if so.

Bienemy was mentioned in the affidavit and his interview totals were stated. Yet, he has never been offered.  He is always the discussion of the media talking heads, past players, etc. of being the black assistant who deserves the job the most.

Bienemy has been arrested four times, had his drivers license suspended and was basically kicked out of the University of Colorado as an assistant coach on allegations of luring recruits with sex and drugs.  There have been rumors that he just bombs the interview every time. 

Bienemy was banned from CU, his alma mater, for harassment an assault of a parking attendant on campus. Granted, much of this was a long time ago so one had to determine what the statute of limitations are for owners to hire someone with such a background. Vance Johnson had some red flags and was hired by Denver, so maybe there is meat to the interview comments. That was the word when MU didn't hire Cuonzo it was because he bombed the interview, whereas Wojo dazzled with his PowerPoint.

[JWags85]

Bienemy was mentioned in the affidavit and his interview totals were stated. Yet, he has never been offered.  He is always the discussion of the media talking heads, past players, etc. of being the black assistant who deserves the job the most.

Bienemy has been arrested four times, had his drivers license suspended and was basically kicked out of the University of Colorado as an assistant coach on allegations of luring recruits with sex and drugs.  There have been rumors that he just bombs the interview every time.

SAS was just ranting about it the other day.  Add to all that the fact that there is a bit of a reputation developing around OCs under Reid who aren't the primary play caller and there you go. It's far different than someone like Flores.

[MU82]

Incredible story and interesting discussion. Thanks guys.

[Dish]

They were always going to zig when everyone else zagged, and now Jim Harbaugh is your new Vikings head coach.

[Herman Cain]

Brown retired at 29 and Sanders at 30.  Brady would be 45 by the start of next season, let's not get out of pocket with that comparison.

Brady is playing well...in a perfect handpicked system in a favorable climate in a situation where he's largely been prevented from being touched for the last 4-5 years.  That's not at his peak or pinnacle like someone a decade plus younger.  He's had an amazing enough career without excessive lauding and plaudits for something like that

Brady led the League in 5 passing categories this year . That is textbook definition of pinnacle performance . It was certainly among the top 3 years in his career .

[Pakuni]

Brady is playing well...in a perfect handpicked system in a favorable climate in a situation where he's largely been prevented from being touched for the last 4-5 years.  That's not at his peak or pinnacle like someone a decade plus younger.  He's had an amazing enough career without excessive lauding and plaudits for something like that

Tom Brady, System Quarterback.

[MU82]

I'm not impressed with Brady. I bet there's less than 25% chance he wins another Super Bowl.

[JWags85]

Tom Brady, System Quarterback.

Tell me with a straight face that this current Brady would be putting up the same numbers with the team in NE the last 2 years. Or in Denver or Philly.

I never said he was a system quarterback. Don't be dramatic just for another patented Pakuni gotcha.  There are a specific set of circumstances that allowed Brady to continue at a high level, that's just fact.  He had a great climate, great scheme and the best set of WRs and skill players in the league.

That's a far cry from a 29 year old Barry Sanders or Jim Brown who would have been more or less the best RB in the NFL no matter what team you dropped them on

[The Sultan]

The Washington Commanders is the most generic nickname.  And this logo?  Two years for this???

[4everwarriors]

I'm offended, hey?

[Uncle Rico]

I'm offended, hey?

Well, you've established yourself as a snowflake.  Personally, I'm offended, too.  That name is terrible.  Eat at Arby's

[JWags85]

The Washington Commanders is the most generic nickname.  And this logo?  Two years for this???

Insane.  I thought Red Wolves was the best option personally but my god this is bad.  They are basically a team name/logo from a 90s football video game that didn't get NFL licensing

[The Sultan]

Their intro video is so 90s too.  But this is also the league that hauled out the "let's get ready to rumble" guy for the NFC championship game kick off this weekend.  So maybe that's what they are trying for?

[tower912]

Changed their name from WFT to WTF.