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SPORTS A19
Wednesday 9 September
Goodell unwilling to give up
final say in discipline process
NEW YORK (AP) -- NFL Com- There’s got to be a system you’re having litigation, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell leaves Federal court in New
missioner Roger Goodell is in there somewhere.’’ you lose in the initial phas- York, Monday, Aug. 31, 2015.
willing to lessen his role in Goodell said he spoke to es and you get to the right
the player discipline pro- union chief DeMaurice places when you have Associated Press
cess, but he’s still reluctant Smith before Brady’s de- that long-term view, which
to give up final say. cision came down about is what we do and there
Goodell told ESPN Radio making changes to the col- are many cases like that,’’
on Tuesday morning the lective bargaining agree- Goodell said.
league resists third-party ar- ment. But he also added: ‘’You
bitration. The players union ‘’We want to get to a better also have to understand
wants disciplinary power discipline system,’’ Goodell you’re not going to win
now held by Goodell to be said. ‘’We’ve had several them all.’’q
handled by a neutral arbi- discussions with the union
trator. about how to do that. We
Goodell said he’s ‘’very have done that on the
open’’ to changing his role field over the last several
and called it ‘’extremely years and I think we’ve
time consuming,’’ adding got a better system. We’ve
he has discussed this mat- done that in our drug and
ter with several owners the steroid program and I think
past couple years. After a we have a better system
federal judge overturned- than we did before those
Tom Brady’s four-game changes.
suspension in the ‘’De- ‘’And I believe we can do
flategate’’ scandal last that here where we can
week, Atlanta Falconsown- come with changes wheth-
er Arthur Blank suggested it er they’re designated dis-
may be time to revisit the cipline officer, whether
system that makes Goodell they’re panels. Those things
the sole arbiter of cases. can help us get to a better
But Goodell indicated any place and ultimately bet-
change would come with- ter decisions. Courts are
in the initial discipline pro- not where we should be
cess, not with the way ap- having these discussions at
peals are handled. the table.’’
‘’We believe that the stan- As for losing another high-
dards of the NFL are impor- profile case against the
tant to uphold,’’ Goodell NFLPA, Goodell isn’t con-
told the network. ‘’We ceding yet. He cited the
believe that you don’t league’s victory in an ap-
delegate that responsibil- peal ruling in Maurice
ity or those standards. We Clarett’s eligibility case a
think that somebody with decade ago. After U.S. Dis-
a deep knowledge of the trict Judge Richard Berman
game, our policies and our erased Brady’s suspension,
rules are important particu- the NFL promptly appealed
larly when it relates to com- to the U.S. Circuit Court of
petitive violations. Those Appeals.
are important to have. ‘’Success sometimes when
