NFL: Saints Bounty Thread

[AsylumGuido]

(12-12-2012 05:59 PM)UCSBDirtyBird Wrote:  Guido, you can post all of the articles you can find that spin this in a positive light, but this defamation suit is complete garbage. What Ginsberg isn't mentioning is just how he intends to show that Goodell made the allegedly false statements WITH MALICE.

Even if the claims about Cerrullo are true, and he was totally discredited, Roger Goodell has a plausible defense that what he found during his investigation led him to form the opinion he came to when making the original statements. There were statements from witnesses, electronic documentation and complaints from other teams that referenced bounties. Maybe Cerrullo's claims to have seen Vilma holding cash were uncorroborated and thus dismissed by Tagliabue, but looking at all the evidence in context, any competent attorney can argue that a reasonable person could come to the conclusions that Goodell did. This suit by Vilma seems to have little chance to succeed and all the huffing and puffing by Ginsberg about the transcripts of the hearings or the unfairness of the process are utterly useless to show the key issue: Malice. Merely being incorrect about the statements doesn't make it defamation.

Sorry, but you obviously don't understand the reason for the suit. It has nothing to do with money. It really doesn't even have anything to do with winning. It has EVERYTHING to do with making every piece of the evidence and the damning of the supposed witnesses public domain. This will clear Vilma's name and that is all that he wants.

As I have discussed within this very thread with our resident attorney, Dave, there is no way to win the suit because I also believe Goodell believed the lies told by Cerullo so there was no malice. I have said that all along. But, until the public, and the corporations that were supporting Jon Vilma's Haiti Foundation see everything it hurts his ability to help his people and to have a successful life after football. That is what this is all about.

Jon Vilma is extremely intelligent and well respected across the league. He simply wants to clear his name. If Tagliabue were to release all transcripts from the hearings I would guarantee you that Vilma would drop the suit.