Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Zeke could very well skate

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Zeke could very well skate

    Report: NFL investigator recommended no suspension for Elliott
    Aug

    31
    8/31/2017 8:40:58 PM
    | More
    After more than 25 hours of discussion, including Ezekiel Elliott testifying in his own defense, the hearing to appeal a six-game suspension of the Dallas Cowboys star running back for violating the league’s personal conduct policy finally ended Thursday afternoon.

    Now the wait begins for NFL arbitrator Harold Henderson to issue a decision on whether to uphold the suspension, reduce it or vacate it.

    Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports Elliott’s hope of a reduction or of success in federal court were improved during the proceedings that began on Tuesday, according to a source.

    His camp promised controverting evidence to the league’s 13-month domestic violence investigation of Elliott, based on claims made by former girlfriend Tiffany Thompson. The possible bombshell evidence came in the form of Kia Roberts, director of investigations for the NFL.

    Roberts recommended no suspension for Elliott following her interviews with Thompson during the investigation _ a fact Roberts testified to during the appeals hearing with Henderson, according to a source.

    Roberts’ recommendation of no discipline is the main reason Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed so much confidence until the NFL announced the suspension on Aug. 11.

    Jones was told by a top NFL executive that there would be no suspension, according to a source.

    But Roberts’ recommendation never made it into the NFL’s final report or the official suspension letter on Aug. 11, which cited the league’s findings of three instances of domestic violence by Elliott against Thompson based on the victim’s testimony and photographic evidence.

    When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell conducted a meeting to discuss discipline for Elliott, it included Lisa Friel, the senior vice president for investigations, Jeff Pash, executive vice president and general counsel and Adolpho Birch, senior vice president of labor policy and government affairs, among others.

    But Roberts was not at the meeting as Friel recommended a six-game suspension to Goodell.

    It was testified during the appeal hearing that Friel barred Roberts from the meeting, per a source.

    It’s those failures of the process that Elliott and the NFLPA attacked during the appeal hearing and plan to exploit if they have to go to federal court to seek a temporary injunction.

    That Roberts’ recommendation didn’t make it into the report and Roberts not being involved in the decision making, even though she ran point on the fact finding with the accuser, are trap doors that could come back to haunt the NFL if this goes to federal court.

    Now the ball is in Henderson’s court.

    Don't forget to follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/theredzoneorg

    Like us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/Theredzone.org
    "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"
Working...
X