NFLPA Files Collusion Lawsuit Against NFL, Owners

[SmootSmack]

Well I had heard a couple of days ago this might happen and now it has

Redskins-related

Cites Mara

https://www.nflplayers.com/Articles/...st-NFL-Owners/

[CRedskinsRule]

WOW, That brings all of SBXVII's arguments to the forefront. Doubt it helps us at all, but I hope Mara gets his words shoved back down his throat.

[JoeRedskin]

Yup. THIS is the nuclear option that so many were talking about. In light of Mara's comments, I think the NFL is going to have a tough row to hoe on this one. The NFL won't be getting a dismissal before discovery on this one methinks.

The key is that it is a new claim that was not settled by the omnibus settlement that was a precondition of the new CBA.

Danny and Jerry gotta be thinking "That's what you get assholes". For those who thought a bag of flaming dog poop on Mara's step was appropriate -- the NFLPA just delivered it for you.

At the same time, I'm with CRed - I don't think it ends up helping us at all.

[mbedner3420]

Does this mean we are going to get our money back?

[Monksdown]

http://www.realredskins.com/files/nflpa-suit.pdf

Here is the actual filing. Provided by Rich Tandler.

[JoeRedskin]

Also - and so long as it doesn't stop me from seeing RGIII light up the field - I hope the court hands the NFL owners their ass.

Just so you know, the suit doesn't exempt the Skins, Cowboys, Saints and Raiders from the collusion, it just asserts that those teams "did not fully abide by secret NFL rules to suppress player salaries in 2010."

https://images.nflplayers.com/mediaR.../files/pdf.pdf at Paragraph 2 (emphasis added).

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by mbedner3420

Does this mean we are going to get our money back?

No it means this list of lawyers will get a butt full of $$$$$$$$.

The players and the NFLPA will be represented in these proceedings by Jeffrey Kessler, David Feher and David Greenspan of Winston & Strawn, LLP; James Quinn of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP; David Barrett, James Barrett, Daniel Schecter, Thomas Heiden and Michael Nelson of Latham & Watkins, LLP; Barbara Berens of Berens & Miller, P.A.; Mark Jacobson of Lindquist & Vennum, PLLP and DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the NFLPA.

[Monksdown]

My favorite part:

27. As to the other four Clubs – the Redskins, Cowboys, Raiders, and Saints – it
recently has come to light that they refused, at least to some extent, to abide by their
collusive conspiracy with the NFL and the other Owners, and exceeded the secret,

collusive $123 million salary cap during the 2010 League Year.

[CRedskinsRule]

And if they win it, it means the next CBA battle will be fought on VERY different terms.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by mbedner3420

Does this mean we are going to get our money back?

Not likely. The only specific relief sought by the NFLPA is monetary damages against the NFL and the 32 clubs (If the NFLPA wins, I would expect Snyder to have to pitch in on payment of any penalty).

The Court may say that the penalty imposed was improper and reverse of its own accord under the generic request that the Court grant "such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper". I find it highly unlikely that a court would do so simply b/c the only benefit would be to teams that participated in some level of collusive behavior (i.e. not telling the players about the secret agreement).

[mooby]

I'm with Joe and CR on this one, as long as it doesn't hurt us I don't care about this lawsuit but at the same time I don't see us gaining anything from this.

[Monksdown]

I definitely care about the lawsuit. I take #Mora's response to the penalty personally. And i'm very happy that he is so richly quoted in the filing. What an idiot.

[JoeRedskin]

I have to do a retract of my "certainty" that it won't make it past a motion to dismiss. The omnibus settlement apparently contained a clause indicating that the NFLPA gave up all claims "known and unknown" relating to claims of collusion. I am pretty certain that this is a broadly read clause and it is certainly what the NFL will hang its hat on.

[celts32]

Originally Posted by Monksdown

I definitely care about the lawsuit. I take #Mora's response to the penalty personally. And i'm very happy that he is so richly quoted in the filing. What an idiot.

This...

[mlmpetert]

@ Smoot - you said you heard about this as a possibility a couple days ago. Do you know if NFLPA only planned to sue IF the lawsuit was dismissed?

Perhaps they intended to do so all along but were waiting for any documents that may have been released if the arbitration claim had gone foward? The NFLPA is basing their suit in part on the arbitration claim the Redskins/Cowboys had; however, i find it odd that the NFLPA waited until the day after that was dismissed.

@ Joe - It sounds like the Redskins, Cowboys, Raiders and Saints are essentially witness for the plaintiff. If the NFLPA is suing the owners (is that who they are suing) is there any reason to think any of those teams will be forced to testify essentially against themselves. Is this civil court? Don’t you have to testify in civil court if youre a witness, even if youre the defendant? Any chance any of these 4 teams would want to join as plaintiffs? Is that even possible?

So if this is the “nuclear option” it makes you think the Redskins/Cowboys knew this would happen based off of their arguments in arbitration. It kind of sounds like we did go nuclear, right?