Failure to Cooperate: $50K

[biju]

Brett Favre was fined $50K, not because he sent dong pics out, but because he failed to cooperate with the NFL. To me, this is not only a slap on the wrist for someone making $10M this year but also a penalty with the wrong wording. The league obviously doesn't want Favre to have this lewd behavior on record before heading into the Hall of Fame.

Thoughts?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8 ... _headlines

[u_fig_eater]

Like I said in the original Favre-Sterger thread, it was impossible for the NFL to prove Favre did anything wrong. Goodell stepped into a minefield. They should have never investigated this incident in the first place, simply because there was no criminal investigation. They didn't fine him for sexual harassment because then it would open up the possibility of Favre and/or the NFLPA suing the NFL for defamation (since it was never proven, or even alleged, that sexual harassment occurred). The first rule of governance is to not make unenforceable laws. Why? Because it makes you look weak. If Goodell would have just said, "We'll wait for the court's decision," none of this would have come back and hit him in the face.

I have no idea how a player can be fined for "failing to cooperate" with an investigation performed by the commissioner. They are making up rules as they go, which is a trend this year. Is there a rule in the CBA saying that players must cooperate with the commissioner's investigations?

The only accusations Favre has faced came from media reports that started at Deadspin.com. Fair enough, but what happens when other media outlets start reporting other athletes for inappropriate conduct that isn’t challenged in some legal fashion?

If Goodell had punished Favre for this, he would have brought the bar even lower for what behavior should be punished. In the short time that the personal conduct policy has been in place, the bar has gone from repeated misconduct that included beaten strippers and shot-up bouncers to a media report about Favre supposedly sexting.

In other words, Goodell’s pet policy has been pushed and pulled to amoeba-like proportions.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=A ... fine122910

[Munboy]

Just read this....speechless....almost.

Seems that the league couldn't find that favre did anything wrong....Buuuuuutttttt they'll fine him anyways for not cooperating in an investigation that they couldn't find him guilty in. As a 12 girl would say.... O.M.G!!

It would seem that now when a team passes out checks, the league is standing behind the players with a hand in their pockets. This is getting out of control. I was a fan of His Majesty, Lord GODdell's attempts to clean up the league and keep the players out of the news for bad reasons, but this is...... out of control....

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

I hate you Roger Goodell.

[moochman]

Seems that the league couldn't find that favre did anything wrong....Buuuuuutttttt they'll fine him anyways for not cooperating in an investigation that they couldn't find him guilty in. As a 12 girl would say.... O.M.G!!

That caught my eye, too. As I understand it, They could find no wrong doing, but will fine the innocent party just the same because he didn't tell them nothing in a manner they liked. Goodell and the league have totally lost focus, having become engorged on their own success and arrogant pompocity and now seem incapable of making sound judgements.
To recap Goodell's law:
Finding insuffient evidence of wrong doing for showing pictures of your junk to a skank = $50K becuase you didn't cooperate.
Sorry, why again, would a player even give that boob the time of day? $50 K, send that and a very special Christmas card to RoGo cop and finish your season.