Michael J. Mooney:
So much of Bountygate boils down to evidence. This is the biggest scandal in the history of the NFL, and when the initial punishments came down—long suspensions for both players and coaches—they came with only vague notions of evidence. There were documents, the league said, that proved coaches up and down the ladder knew about serious rules violations and did nothing to stop them. There was talk of pre-game statements and a pool of dirty money and allegations of $10,000 bounties. The penalties were the most serious the league has ever handed down. There were lawsuits and overturned decisions and secret meetings.
Because the NFL is so focused on doing everything behind closed doors, on protecting the brand—”the shield”—no matter what, the public has seen little in the way of evidence. It was the reason a three-person appeals panel suspended commissioner Roger Goodell’s suspensions, saying he could only act if he finds evidence of behavior “detrimental to the league.”
Well, I was with Sean Pamphilon when he brought that very kind of evidence to NFL headquarters on a Wednesday morning in May. I was next to him as he walked into the lobby and right up to the front desk.
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