“When it comes down to it, if it goes to a conduct detrimental, it leans into the hands of that crook, I mean, Roger Goodell, and he can do whatever he wants”, Harrison said after Thursday night’s game.
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After a seven-month investigation and threats of a suspension, Harrison acquiesced to the league’s demand to discuss his involvement in an Al Jazeera report in January that alleged his involvement with performance-enhancing drugs.
Harrison said he doesn’t want to be suspended, but he is prepared to take the situation as far as New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, who fought his four-game “Deflategate” suspension for 18 months – almost to the U.S. Supreme Court – before deciding to no longer proceed with the legal process.
Matthews said there was nothing more that he could tell the league than that the report about him is untrue. A revised statement was provided to correct that section. So the league claimed that Rice lied during his interview with the league, with Goodell and others contending that Rice said he had merely “slapped” his then-fiancee, who then “knocked herself out”. He suggested that the entire interview be televised. These reports both result from the two media sources obtaining a copy of a letter from the NFLPA to the league which in strong language agrees to the meeting but classifies the league’s handling of this situation as “public shaming” and “bullying”.
Buffalo defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and running back Karlos Williams weresuspended for the first four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Which at this point, also appears to be the plan for Matthews and Peppers. On each occasion, the NFLPA has communicated the players’ refusal to participate. Affidavits were sent by the NFLPA on behalf of the players to substitute for the interviews. The statements, however, are wholly devoid of any detail, and we were quickly able to determine that Mr. Neal’s statement includes an assertion that is demonstrably false. “You’d rather have those players than not”. “I’m just doing what I’m advised to do”. In that letter, you were expressly notified that continued noncooperation could result in discipline up to and including a suspension. Such a suspension would be separate from any possible future determination of violation of the steroid policy.
In any event, this sounds reasonably serious – if you think a suspension of star players next week is serious, anyway.
Harrison, who previously stated that he would be cooperate with league’s investigation because he didn’t use any PEDS.
We can not accept your unilateral assertion that the cursory, untested statements you have submitted satisfy the players obligation, Birch wrote. Accordingly, the Commissioner has directed that Messrs.
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Speaking in a radio interview on The Jim Rome Show Wednesday, Rodgers was asked by Rome whether Goodell has too much power in meting out punishment and being able to compel players like Matthews and Peppers to testify in a case Rodgers believes lacks the requisite credible evidence to move forward. He wants to limit the questions to the Al-Jazeera report, and also wants to meet with the NFL days after the league’s deadline.
