Redskins, Cowboys could go “nuclear” over cap mess

[Counter-Tre]

Posted by Mike Florio on March 17, 2012, 11:08 AM EDT
Five days after the NFL dropped a salary-cap bomb on the Redskins and the Cowboys, the teams could be retaliating with a bomb of their own.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that the Redskins and Cowboys could be going “nuclear” with the NFL as soon as Monday.
More specifically, the two teams are contemplating suing anyone and everyone connected to the sudden removal of $46 million in total cap space over the next two years, based on the contention that their treatment of the term “uncapped year” too literally somehow created a competitive disadvantage. Even though no rules or policies were violated.
The teams will spend the weekend examining every possible option. ”Who can I sue and how can I sued them?” will be the operative questions. (It’s unknown whether a “suance” is being considered.)
Adding to the teams’ frustration, we’re told, is that the deal to take away the cap money was brokered between NFLPA executive DeMaurice Smith and the NFL Management Council Executive Committee, without a full vote of NFLPA leadership or NFL ownership. The chairman of the CEC is Giants owner John Mara, whose team benefits directly from the removal of cap room from two of his chief division rivals.
It’s unknown whether the Redskins and Cowboys are bluffing in order to force a compromise, or whether they indeed truly intend to file suit. Reducing the allegations to writing necessarily will expose that the league was engaged in collusion in 2010, which could have all sorts of unintended consequences for the entire NFL, including the Redskins and the Cowboys.
And so the real question is whether the Redskins and Cowboys are angry/crazy enough to drop a grenade into a room they won’t be able to escape.
The answer very well could be yes.

[Counter-Tre]

Bring me the head of Roger Goodell!

[musicmaster45]

i don't care about gaining anything but getting rid of the fines.

[IRISHSKIN24]

sometimes you just got to make S#@$ go BOOM!

[Mechanix544]

hell yes. this is what needs to be done.

[NYCskinfan82]

I hope they open up a can of woop a#s.

[SFREDSKIN]

Rambo - I'm coming to get YOU! - YouTube

[TheMalcolmConnection]

If anything, remove any benefit to the rest of the league because apparently they get a "reward" for being good little soldiers. I'd be OK (not great) with that outcome.

[BuckSkin]

The NFL is a twisted, perverted experiment in socialism, spreading the wealth, in the name of "Revenue Sharing", of a couple multi-billionaires to lesser billionaires. It is without question, that the NFL is an organization hell bent on protecting the power and privilege of the....NFL.

[Lotus]

It would be surprising if things ever saw a courtroom. But our threatening is the right thing to do.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by BuckSkin

The NFL is a twisted, perverted experiment in socialism, spreading the wealth, in the name of "Revenue Sharing", of a couple multi-billionaires to lesser billionaires. It is without question, that the NFL is an organization hell bent on protecting the power and privilege of the....NFL.

Revenue sharing in and of itself is a great thing. Relatively true competitive balance and parity is something to be admired especially when you have sports like the NBA were the Lakers were in something like 8 out of the last 12 NBA Finals and the Yankees with 27 billion World Series titles.

No doubting though that the cap fines are a clear abuse of power on the part of Goodell and possibly Mara, especially considering that other teams that "abused" the uncapped year went unpunished.

This is the right thing to do without a doubt. For once the lawyers will be useful.

[BuckSkin]

Ah yes... John Mara, I have as much respect for him as I do Paris Hilton. They both owe their entire identity to who daddy is/was.

[JWsleep]

It is a question of leverage. Is there anything for us between bending over completely and the nuclear option?

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by JWsleep

It is a question of leverage. Is there anything for us between bending over completely and the nuclear option?

Yup. Significantly reduced penalties agreed upon at the next owner's meeting seems like an acceptable middle way out. Maybe other teams get their $1.6 mil cap bump but we get none.

[The Goat]

I think the Skins Boyz are definitely justified to handle it this way. It's absurd this penalty was levied w/ Mara running the proverbial show. I think the league would be wise to drop the penalties completely but they probably can't to save face.