NFL: Saints Bounty Thread

[JDaveG]

(12-12-2012 09:46 PM)UCSBDirtyBird Wrote:  I must have missed your admission that the suit had no merit. My mistake, I should have read all 180 pages.

I fully expect to see the transcripts in whole at some point. There is too much interest in them to not see their release, legal or otherwise. Unlike you though, I don't see Vilma dropping his suit. There will likely be things in that transcript that will muddy the waters of Vilma's "I had no part in a bounty program" defense. Heck, you posted an article since my last post that shows that Williams wanted to shut down the bounty program (I don't know how you can split a hair so fine as to draw a distinction between pay for pain and bounty) but Vitt overruled him. That statement goes a long way toward showing that there was much more than a mere pay for performance program scheme going on. Whether or not Vilma held up money will not be the deciding factor in the general public's mind. To many, the main leader on a defense that was paid for injuring other players is going to take a credibility hit. His name won't be cleared no matter how hard he tries.

To clarify on my end, since Guido cited our conversation -- I don't think the suit has no merit. I just don't think it can be won.

A suit that has no merit, as I see it, is one where the person bringing the suit knows the facts and law do not support the argument being made. This suit is just one where Vilma cannot demonstrate what he claims, because it's too difficult to show that Goodell knew the statements to be false (which is an element of slander or libel). He could, theoretically, believe Goodell has slandered or libeled him. And he could have some facts to support that claim. But if he cannot prove one element, he loses. I don't think he can prove that element of his claim.

There are other problems with the claim as well. I think it is likely pre-empted by the CBA, and that (if true) gets closer to a truly frivolous claim. But that's an issue the Court will have to sort out.