Redskins/Cowboys file grievance against NFL

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:16 pm

http://blogs.nfl.com/2012/03/25/cowboys ... aking_news

JASON LA CANFORA
Cowboys, Redskins file joint grievance against NFL

By Jason La Canfora |
Published: March 25th, 2012 | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Salary cap, Washington Redskins

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins have formally objected to the salary cap penalties they faced.

It is called a system arbitration case (Article 15 of the CBA). It will be heard by Professor Stephen Burbank of the University of Pennsylvania, according to the league.

On Friday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that his team was planning to take action against the NFL after it docked the Cowboys $10 million in salary-cap space for manipulating contracts in the 2011 uncapped year.

The Washington Redskins lost $36 million for similar infractions. Both teams’ lost cap space can be spread through the next two seasons.

Jones indicated that he reached out to his longtime NFC East rivals about fighting the league’s ruling.

The NFL took away millions in salary cap space from both teams after the two NFC East clubs pushed spending into the uncapped year to save money under the cap in 2011 and ’12.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kilmer72 · Post by **Kilmer72** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:31 pm

This is nice. I am all for it. I just hope we do not see an increase in penalty flags as retaliation.

Deadskins · Post by **Deadskins** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:15 pm

JLC is reporting that the Redskins and Cowpies filed an official grievance against the league today for stripping them of cap space.
http://blogs.nfl.com/2012/03/25/cowboys ... line_stack

KazooSkinsFan · Post by **KazooSkinsFan** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:19 pm

Kilmer72 wrote:This is nice. I am all for it. I just hope we do not see an increase in penalty flags as retaliation.

That already happens. We often don't even get reviews that clearly show we were right.

I feel like there's something we don't know about this. Goodell slams us while admitting we broke no rules. I don't see how it was ever going to stand and when it's overturned he's going to have egg on his face.

Deadskins · Post by **Deadskins** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:24 pm

Scooped

Deadskins · Post by **Deadskins** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:27 pm

How did mine get added to the Who stays - Who goes thread?

1niksder · Post by **1niksder** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:34 pm

Deadskins wrote:How did mine get added to the Who stays - Who goes thread?

Fixed it for ya

1niksder · Post by **1niksder** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:39 pm

The case is expected to be heard by Stephen Burbank, the University of Pennsylvania law professor who is the sport's "system arbitrator."

A decision by Burbank could be appealed to an appeals panel. Bubank was known as the "special master" under the NFL's previous labor deal.

The CBA gives Burbank exclusive jurisdiction over certain articles of the CBA, including those governing the salary cap.

That's why the case always was likely to end up in front of Burbank, rather than being challenged via a lawsuit outside the NFL framework.

1niksder · Post by **1niksder** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:01 pm

John Mara: Redskins, Cowboys got off 'lucky'

John Mara, the owner of the New York Giants and the chairman of the NFL Management Committee, which imposed $46 million worth of salary-cap penalties on the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys for the way those teams structured contracts during the uncapped 2010 season, just walked through the lobby of The Breakers here on the day before the start of the NFL's annual meetings. Let's just say he's not having second thoughts.

"I thought the penalties imposed were proper," Mara said. "What they did was in violation of the spirit of the salary cap. They attempted to take advantage of a one-year loophole, and quite frankly, I think they're lucky they didn't lose draft picks."

The Redskins and Cowboys have filed a grievance against the NFL and the NFLPA over the matter, and Mara said he was aware of that. But he does not appear to be worried that the Redskins and Cowboys will prevail. While there was no salary cap in 2010 and no rule prohibited teams from spending whatever they wanted to spend that year, Mara said the issue "came up several times in our meetings," and that there was an agreement not to engage in the kind of behavior in which the Redskins and Cowboys behaved by dumping big cap hits into the uncapped year in order to save against the cap in future seasons.

"We all knew the cap would come back," Mara said. "We were not going to enter into any agreement with the NFLPA if there was not a salary cap in it."

Outside of the NFL, which has its own agreed-upon and collectively bargained rules regarding collusion, what the league did in 2010 would be regarded as collusive behavior -- all of he business owners in an industry conspiring and agreeing to limit the earnings of the workers in that industry. But Mara laughed off the word "collusion" when it was brought up this afternoon.

"This has nothing to do with collusion," he said. "It has to do with teams attempting to gain a competitive advantage through a loophole in the system. They attempted to take advantage of it knowing full well there would be consequences. There was nothing wrong with the individual contracts, but when you look at the overall scope of what they did, they were trying to take advantage and they were told not to."

This is clearly not the end of this argument. In fact, Jerry Jones checked into the hotel while Mara was talking to us, so I'm headed back to the lobby now to see if he's around and has anything to say about this. My guess is he'll disagree with what Mara thinks. Just a hunch.

jmooney · Post by **jmooney** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:45 pm

I dont know what the league will do to the Cowpies but, I'll bet they move full steam ahead with an "investigation" on the bounty program here in Washington now.

Its becoming pretty obvious that Mara was the driving force behind the whole thing and he may just have the commish in his pocket.

I actually think I hate that guy worse than Jerry Jones . Mara is a greedy so and so and was one of the main players behind the lockout last year. I'd like to see someone investigate his A$$. No way he's clean!

DarthMonk · Post by **DarthMonk** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:49 pm

1niksder wrote:John Mara: Redskins, Cowboys got off 'lucky'

John Mara, the owner of the New York Giants and the chairman of the NFL Management Committee, which imposed $46 million worth of salary-cap penalties on the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys for the way those teams structured contracts during the uncapped 2010 season, just walked through the lobby of The Breakers here on the day before the start of the NFL's annual meetings. Let's just say he's not having second thoughts.

"I thought the penalties imposed were proper," Mara said. "What they did was in violation of the spirit of the salary cap. They attempted to take advantage of a one-year loophole, and quite frankly, I think they're lucky they didn't lose draft picks."

The Redskins and Cowboys have filed a grievance against the NFL and the NFLPA over the matter, and Mara said he was aware of that. But he does not appear to be worried that the Redskins and Cowboys will prevail. While there was no salary cap in 2010 and no rule prohibited teams from spending whatever they wanted to spend that year, Mara said the issue "came up several times in our meetings," and that there was an agreement not to engage in the kind of behavior in which the Redskins and Cowboys behaved by dumping big cap hits into the uncapped year in order to save against the cap in future seasons.

"We all knew the cap would come back," Mara said. "We were not going to enter into any agreement with the NFLPA if there was not a salary cap in it."

Outside of the NFL, which has its own agreed-upon and collectively bargained rules regarding collusion, what the league did in 2010 would be regarded as collusive behavior -- all of he business owners in an industry conspiring and agreeing to limit the earnings of the workers in that industry. But Mara laughed off the word "collusion" when it was brought up this afternoon.

"This has nothing to do with collusion," he said. "It has to do with teams attempting to gain a competitive advantage through a loophole in the system. They attempted to take advantage of it knowing full well there would be consequences. There was nothing wrong with the individual contracts, but when you look at the overall scope of what they did, they were trying to take advantage and they were told not to."

This is clearly not the end of this argument. In fact, Jerry Jones checked into the hotel while Mara was talking to us, so I'm headed back to the lobby now to see if he's around and has anything to say about this. My guess is he'll disagree with what Mara thinks. Just a hunch.

Turns out 11 owners (including Mara) are either original owners, their children, or their grandchildren. I wonder how many of these 11 are on the NFL Management Council Executive Committee which made this "recommendation" to the commish. :-k

Funny how it seems impossible to find the list of members. :-k

DarthMonk

ferryrich · Post by **ferryrich** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 4:48 pm

loophole in the system? there was no system for a loophole to be in.

1niksder · Post by **1niksder** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 5:04 pm

ferryrich wrote:loophole in the system? there was no system for a loophole to be in.

If their were a system in place using a loophole would still be legal considering ALL contracts were approved. They're saying the total of the contracts were the problem but each contract in that total was.... wait.... wait.... wait on it.... APPROVED by the league

Countertrey · Post by **Countertrey** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:46 pm

jmooney wrote:I dont know what the league will do to the Cowpies but, I'll bet they move full steam ahead with an "investigation" on the bounty program here in Washington now.

Its becoming pretty obvious that Mara was the driving force behind the whole thing and he may just have the commish in his pocket.

I actually think I hate that guy worse than Jerry Jones . Mara is a greedy so and so and was one of the main players behind the lockout last year. I'd like to see someone investigate his A$$. No way he's clean!

While I wouldn't put anything past Mara and his butt buddy, "the commish", doing so would likely result in the Danny holding a gun to the head of the League, and pulling the pin of the Nuclear option. I suspect the league will find a self serving means of avoiding this...

Beyond that, they have already announced that they have cleared the Redskins in this... the same has not been said of either Buffalo or Tenn... so I suspect that means that the league has actually "cleared" the Redskins.

SkinsJock · Post by **SkinsJock** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:37 pm

jmooney wrote:I dont know what the league will do to the Cowpies but, I'll bet they move full steam ahead with an "investigation" on the bounty program here in Washington now.

Its becoming pretty obvious that Mara was the driving force behind the whole thing and he may just have the commish in his pocket.

I actually think I hate that guy worse than Jerry Jones . Mara is a greedy so and so and was one of the main players behind the lockout last year. I'd like to see someone investigate his A$$. No way he's clean!

I do not like Mara OR the giants one little bit

but

the post above is just not even close

that Mara may have helped push this thru is about the only thing close

this BS ruling needs to change, no question

jmooney · Post by **jmooney** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:01 pm

I'm just concerned that now that Snyder and Jones have filed this grievance. Some "phantom" new evidence into bounties here in DC will be discovered and the investigation will re-open.

Nothing would surprise me at this point, thats all Im saying

Countertrey · Post by **Countertrey** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:19 pm

jmooney wrote:I'm just concerned that now that Snyder and Jones have filed this grievance. Some "phantom" new evidence into bounties here in DC will be discovered and the investigation will re-open.

Nothing would surprise me at this point, thats all Im saying

And, as I suggested, it's likely that Snyder would then say, "screw the arbitration... I'll see you in court... you coming, Jerruh?". This would risks the NFL's antitrust exemption, and result in the salary cap disappearing. Who win's then?

The NFL will NOT permit this investigation to implicate the Redskins. It would be suicidal, especially considering how weak the league's case in the salary cap issue is going to be.

But, there's no point in worrying about it... the league is going to do what the league is going to do. The primary difference between the league screwing with Al Davis, and the league screwing with Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones is, the latter two have a WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY to throw at a court case.

jmooney · Post by **jmooney** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:23 pm

Hope youre right CT. I just want our cap space back and all this garbage to go away.

Countertrey · Post by **Countertrey** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:29 pm

I want our cap space back, and reparations for the damage done by our inability to negotiate for any number of now unavailable players... but, I suspect Snyder will be more like you... and love having a full 32 million additional to play with

Irn-Bru · Post by **Irn-Bru** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:33 pm

I want some justice now more than ever, with Mara doing that ridiculous posturing. He almost makes me hate the Giants just a little more than that team in TX . . . . almost. :lol:

jmooney · Post by **jmooney** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:52 pm

Well, they have certainly moved in front of Philthy for the next 2 years. In my book anyway

Deadskins · Post by **Deadskins** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:57 pm

Irn-Bru wrote:I want some justice now more than ever, with Mara doing that ridiculous posturing. He almost makes me hate the Giants just a little more than that team in TX . . . . almost.

+1

Countertrey · Post by **Countertrey** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:59 pm

The Meadowlands is the new Irving...

Deadskins · Post by **Deadskins** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:59 pm

jmooney wrote:Well, they have certainly moved in front of Philthy for the next 2 years. In my book anyway

They've always been ahead of the Smeagols for me. The Smeagols have never won anything, I used to live in NY, and I have several friends who are Smeagols fans, while I've never met a G-strings fan I want anything to do with.

jmooney · Post by **jmooney** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:03 pm

Eagles fans and the 'body bag game" have kept them in front of NY until now. Mara's actions have changed that and NYG fans are getting worse.

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Redskins/Cowboys file grievance against NFL

Redskins/Cowboys file grievance against NFL

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Redskins and Cowpies file official grievance

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