New Orleans Saints bounty scandal: Suspended players will have appeals heard on June 18th
National Football League (NFL) commissioner, Roger Goodell, has finally decided to hear the appeals of the four players he suspended for playing leadership roles in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal.
After announcing the suspensions in early March, Goodell has now decided to allow the players to appeal their sentences on June 18th according to sources close to the situation.
Reported by NFL.com, the commissioner, who has come under heavy fire from all quarters over the severe punishments he dealt to the Saints, will meet the players for the first time and hear their arguments against the suspensions.
The appeals come after two arbitrators heard grievances filed by the players union, National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) arguing that Goodell did not have the authority to rule on the bounties.
On Monday, arbitrator, Stephen Burbank who heard one of the two grievances filed by the NFLPA ruled that Goodell has the authority to lay down punishments on the bounty scandal.
Shyam Das the second arbitrator hearing another grievance against the commissioner has yet to reach a decision.
The appeals can result in a decrease in the suspensions handed down although a full pardon is unlikely since Goodell remains adamant that the evidence he has fully implicates the players of taking a leading role in the bounty scandal.
Four players were suspended by Goodell in May.
Saints linebacker and defence captain, Jonathan Vilma received the harshest penalty after he was suspended for the entirety of the 2012-13 campaign. His teammate defensive end, Will Smith, received a four-game suspension.
Former Saints players Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita who are now playing for other franchises also were suspended with Hargrove receiving an eight-game ban while Fujita was suspended for three.
The players have not received their punishments well and have claimed innocence in the face of all accusations.
Vilma has gone further than the rest after he sued commissioner, Roger Goodell for defamation through his lawyer, Peter Ginsberg who will also represent the linebacker during the appeals.
It will be interesting to see how the appeals go and the players are likely to ask the commissioner to show them the evidence he has gathered in relation to the bounty scandal.
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