# NFL Offseason thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 28, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347 "2019-02-28T18:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/162 "2019-06-24T17:14:29Z")
Dan Snyder gets a win from the Supreme Court, indirectly. > **[Supreme Court says law banning registration of 'scandalous' trademarks...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/24/politics/supreme-court-fuct-first-amendment/index.html)** > > The Supreme Court struck down Monday a provision of federal law that prohibits the registration of "immoral" or "scandalous" trademarks as a violation of the First Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/163 "2019-07-22T22:30:04Z")
Wow, Seahawks DT Jarran Reed gets a 6 game suspension over a 2 year old domestic abuse allegation with no charges ever filed. This seems extreme. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/164 "2019-07-22T22:41:27Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Wow, Seahawks DT Jarran Reed gets a 6 game suspension over a 2 year old domestic abuse allegation with no charges ever filed. This seems extreme. And Tyreek Hill got nothing… ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/165 "2019-07-22T22:43:32Z")
Roger Goodell has a big Wheel of Punishments he spins to determine these things. They should show it live on ESPN and make a few bucks from it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/166 "2019-07-22T23:53:30Z")
There’s got to be a reason. So far I’ve seen no details about what he supposedly did, or what evidence/injuries resulted. I’m a lifelong Hawks fan and I just saw the NFL pull the rug out of what was the biggest gap in the team already. Reed was the only star they had on a badly depleted defensive line. It’s tempting to call the NFL capricious and favoring a popular team like the Chiefs over a team often dismissed like Seattle. But I’m waiting to hear details before flying off the handle. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/167 "2019-07-23T04:44:26Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It’s tempting to call the NFL capricious and favoring a popular team like the Chiefs over a team often dismissed like Seattle. And by the Chiefs being “popular” you mean the 31st team out of 32 in fanbase size, right? (The Seahawks are 15th.) > **[Fanalytics with Mike Lewis Blog](https://www.fandomanalytics.com)** > > Emory University Business Professor Mike Lewis gives an academic perspective on sports marketing and sports analytics on the Fanalytics podcast. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/168 "2019-07-23T13:41:13Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > And by the Chiefs being “popular” you mean the 31st team out of 32 in fanbase size, right? (The Seahawks are 15th.) > > [https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/esma/2019/06/24/nfl-fandom-report-2019/](https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/esma/2019/06/24/nfl-fandom-report-2019/) Mahomes was the MVP last year. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/169 "2019-07-23T15:43:13Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Roger Goodell has a big Wheel of Punishments he spins to determine these things. They should show it live on ESPN and make a few bucks from it. From my brief reading, it seems simply a matter of proof. In Reed’s case the NFLhad the victim’s statement, the statements of 3rd party witnesses, and some physical corroboration. They had the 57 page police investigation, and, although charges weren’t filed, it seems pretty clear he did it. In Hill’s case, the DA refused to share investigative materials with the NFL, any accuser stopped talking, and the DA came out and said they couldnt prove who broke the child’s arm. That happens when two liars lie repeatedly. I think Hill is a very fast, very mean piece of human waste who preys on those weaker than him and knows how to get away with it. But I couldnt prove it with the evidence available. I think we could in Reed’s case. And that’s the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/170 "2019-07-23T16:29:55Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > From my brief reading, it seems simply a matter of proof. In Reed’s case the NFLhad the victim’s statement, the statements of 3rd party witnesses, and some physical corroboration. They had the 57 page police investigation, and, although charges weren’t filed, it seems pretty clear he did it. In Hill’s case, the DA refused to share investigative materials with the NFL, any accuser stopped talking, and the DA came out and said they couldnt prove who broke the child’s arm. That happens when two liars lie repeatedly. I think Hill is a very fast, very mean piece of human waste who preys on those weaker than him and knows how to get away with it. But I couldnt prove it with the evidence available. I think we could in Reed’s case. And that’s the difference. Now **this** is a fair reason for the uneven treatment of the cases, and why I held off before ranting. Of course I’m still not happy about what this might mean for the team I support, but if there’s overwhelming evidence he did it, the suspension is warranted. Hill clearly got away with something awful and is a scumbag, but just because one guy got away with it that doesn’t mean another guy should. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/171 "2019-07-23T20:04:21Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > There’s got to be a reason. So far I’ve seen no details about what he supposedly did, or what evidence/injuries resulted. > > I’m a lifelong Hawks fan and I just saw the NFL pull the rug out of what was the biggest gap in the team already. Reed was the only star they had on a badly depleted defensive line. It’s tempting to call the NFL capricious and favoring a popular team like the Chiefs over a team often dismissed like Seattle. But I’m waiting to hear details before flying off the handle. I see that you’ve gotten off your homerbox\* since this post, but did you really, honestly think that Goodell - or anyone else at NFL HQ - looked at these cases and said, “Well, we could suspend Hill for a year buuuuuuut Mahomes was the MVP, so we’d better go light” or “Reed is only on the Seahawks and no one really likes them much, so go ahead and throw the book at him”? Really? Deep in your heart, seriously? \*_Kinda like a soapbox, but for sports homers._ ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/172 "2019-07-23T20:43:52Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > I see that you’ve gotten off your homerbox\* since this post, but did you really, honestly think that Goodell - or anyone else at NFL HQ - looked at these cases and said, “Well, we could suspend Hill for a year buuuuuuut Mahomes was the MVP, so we’d better go light” or “Reed is only on the Seahawks and no one really likes them much, so go ahead and throw the book at him”? > > Really? Deep in your heart, seriously? > \*_Kinda like a soapbox, but for sports homers._ In all honesty I have no doubt that discussions like that are routine. It’s an entertainment business, what makes you think they wouldn’t be? They’d be idiots if they **didn’t** consider such things when making decisions. Hell, the only reason they have a conduct policy to begin with is for the NFL’s image. That’s not even speculation, they’re pretty open about it. The NFL’s job is not to punish players for breaking the law or otherwise being bad members of society, that’s the job of law enforcement and the courts. Their job is to protect their brand and make money. I’m not saying that popular teams and popular/well-known players always get a pass. It’s easy to prove that false. Look at Brady’s suspension a couple years ago. But you’re crazy if you think that’s never a consideration. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/173 "2019-07-24T12:25:28Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > From my brief reading, it seems simply a matter of proof. So? Goodell has proven himself to be willing to manufacture and misrepresent proof to avoid personal embarrassment. It has even worked on some people. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/174 "2019-07-24T14:04:40Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > In all honesty I have no doubt that discussions like that are routine. It’s an entertainment business, what makes you think they wouldn’t be? They’d be idiots if they **didn’t** consider such things when making decisions. > > Hell, the only reason they have a conduct policy to begin with is for the NFL’s image. That’s not even speculation, they’re pretty open about it. The NFL’s job is not to punish players for breaking the law or otherwise being bad members of society, that’s the job of law enforcement and the courts. Their job is to protect their brand and make money. > > I’m not saying that popular teams and popular/well-known players always get a pass. It’s easy to prove that false. Look at Brady’s suspension a couple years ago. But you’re crazy if you think that’s never a consideration. Sorry, friend, but I’m not the crazy one here. If you want to make an argument that individual _players_ might get treated differently depending on their personal star power, I’d be willing to listen. But the idea that players on certain teams get better/worse treatment based on the “popularity” of their team is ludicrous. Who determines which teams are the popular ones? How is it determined? You’ve already dismissed size of fanbase as a criteria. T-shirt sales? Come on, get real. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/175 "2019-07-24T14:52:50Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > So? Goodell has proven himself to be willing to manufacture and misrepresent proof to avoid personal embarrassment. It has even worked on some people. You really should see about getting an appointment at Orchids of Asia. Might relax you. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347/176 "2019-07-30T18:13:10Z")
The Washington Redskins have signed Donald Penn to a one year deal as Trent Williams continues his holdout. Good move, in my opinion. I assume Williams will eventually report but this gives the Skins some depth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-offseason-thread/830347.md?page=8)