I respect the time and the effort you've put into this. You wrote a lot, made salient points and clearly have an understanding of the law, but - and I mean this with the utmost respect because you're an excellent poster - you're smoking the hopium here in a big way. And giving other posters false hope about this process playing out in a positive way for Watson (and by extension the Browns) is borderline inappropriate IMO.
I think deep down, as well versed on these things as you clearly are, you're very aware that the odds of this going well for Watson is remarkably slim to the point of being negligible.
My post was not a judgement on where I think it will go nor have I expressed my own personal opinion on the matter.
It was to give people a clearer understanding of the legal aspect of the issue because there are a lot of opinions being thrown around as fact and talking heads acting like they are experts when they are not.
Moreover, it was to articulate why the position that there is a "negligible" chance of success for the NFLPA is
incredibly premature given we do not know the full facts of the situation.
The problem with concrete assumptions and pronouncements when it comes to legal matters is that most of the time it comes from a less than complete understanding of how the law is applied. And in this case, sports talking heads have a buck to earn pushing absolute narratives.
Moreover, people need to be more cautious. On the face arguments only succeed when the actual legal test cannot be met. And the test can only be satisfied by the merits, the evidence of the case.
First and foremost: This is a new CBA and there is no precedent for this within the current disciplinary structure. Prior cases with Brady, Zeke, etc., are of very little help.
Second, when it comes to the merits: We do not know how many games, if any, Goodell will add. We do not know if the NFLPA can demonstrate that Watson has been marked for punishment from the beginning. We do not know what else has been said behind closed doors. We do not know a lot of things.
Jumping to the conclusion one way or another right is a leap in the dark. You do not know what is going on anymore than Los, or anyone else. That is the simple fact of the situation as it stands today.
Also, I am not here to dictate what people can or cannot think. I think people on both sides of the issue need to perhaps tone down the declarative statements.
As I said on the very day the trade was announced: We are not here to police people's opinions.
