NFL commissioner Roger Goodell calls for defamation lawsuit dismissal - NFL News
On the backdrop of the bounty scandal player punishments handed down by National Football League (NFL) commissioner, Roger Goodell, there is a personal legal battle brewing between Goodell and New Orleans Saints defence captain, Jonathan Vilma.
Vilma had earlier filed a defamation lawsuit against Goodell seeking unspecified damages from the commissioner.
The linebacker’s suit claimed that Goodell’s public statements to the media about him had tarnished his reputation among fans and in the NFL.
Goodell on Thursday, made his first move in the courts as he filed a motion to have the defamation case dismissed.
The commissioner cited that Vilma’s complaints all stemmed from the bounty scandal punishments handed down to him and claimed that the lawsuit had been filed to go around the procedures written and agreed to by all players in the collective bargaining agreement
(CBA).
In his reply to the lawsuit which was filed in court Goodell said:
“[Vilma’s claims] relating to and emanating from Commissioner Goodell's imposition of discipline for conduct detrimental to the integrity of, or public confidence in, the game of professional football represent an improper attempt to circumvent the mandatory
and binding dispute resolution procedures required by the NFL CBA."
That was not the only legal wheeling dealing to take place on Thursday.
Soon after Goodell filed his answer, Vilma made his own move and changed his lawsuit against the commissioner by requesting the federal judge to overturn his season long suspension and put in place an injunction allowing the linebacker to continue working
until the court proceedings continued.
Vilma’s lawyer, Peter Ginsberg, said in an email, according to the official NFL website:
"We look forward to the time when the legal maneuverings end and we can finally address the merits of the Commissioner's public -- and erroneous -- accusations against Jonathan.”
It seems that both Goodell and Vilma are getting ready for a big showdown in federal court and it will be interesting to see how the proceedings turn out.
Vilma later tweeted on his official twitter account:
“And we’re off...”
The other three players suspended by Goodell have also filed their own lawsuits through the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) against the appeals rulings.
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