Ezekiel Elliott Suspended for 6 Games

[RazorStar 4,025]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000828558/article/cowboys-ezekiel-elliott-suspended-six-games-by-nfl

 

"The NFL suspended Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott six games Friday for violating the league's personal-conduct policy, a source informed of the situation told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

The ruling comes after the NFL's year-long investigation into domestic violence accusations made against him by Tiffany Thompson, who identified herself as his former girlfriend to authorities.

Elliott, 22, has denied the allegations and has the right to appeal the NFL's decision. He has three days to appeal. If the six-game suspension stands, Elliott would be eligible to make his season debut Oct. 29 against the Washington Redskins."

 

Apparently the NFL has found enough evidence to confirm Zeke beat the shit out of that woman. Either that or they don't want the cowboys to win the East two years in a row. Either way, the Cowboys take a huge blow here, since I don't think his appeal is going to be successful. Maybe it's possible he delays a suspension, but it's gonna happen eventually.

[BwareDWare94 723]

Hasn't it already been proven that he didn't do anything to his old girlfriend?

 

That being said, the other infractions are cut and dried and Zeke is clearly a shitty person, the worst kind of "bro" who is dangerous for women. I hope the 6 games stands, but I doubt he'll mies more than 2.

[blotsfan 2,112]

Welp. This is gonna get ugly.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/documents-ezekiel-elliotts-accuser-admitted-talk-leveraging-sex-videos-rb-money-120034705.html

[BwareDWare94 723]

There's almost no way this suspension stands or at least isn't reduced. That being said, I kinda wish both Elliott and this girl could just be removed from Earth for being terrible human beings.

[seanbrock 1,684]

It's not going to be reduced and it's DEFINITELY going to stand. You must be crazy lol. Goodell can do whatever he wants and he's not going to take the PR hit that he would if he reduced this suspension at all. It ain't happening.

Edited August 16, 2017 by seanbrock

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

The NFL has tabbed Harold Henderson to hear the appeal of Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension.

Henderson regularly oversees appeals hearings for the league, and the NFL tried to push him as an objective, non-biased party by having NFL Network reporters tweet that Henderson reduced Greg Hardy's suspension from ten games to four. However, PFT's Mike Florio -- an attorney by trade -- notes that Henderson's presence in the case "significantly" drops the chances of Zeke having the suspension overturned. "At best, he'll get a mild reduction," Florio wrote. Florio also states Henderson's hiring "significantly" increases the chances Elliott eventually files a lawsuit. Elliott's appeal will be heard on August 29.

Source: Profootballtalk on NBC Sports

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Don't care if he's an attorney by trade I don't buy anything Florio says.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

The NFL released a statement basically calling out Elliot and his attorneys for victim shaming, calling it "shameful".

I see zero chance this get overturned or reduced.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

The NFL released a statement basically calling out Elliot and his attorneys for victim shaming, calling it "shameful".

 

I see zero chance this get overturned or reduced.

It's pretty damning when the NFL comes out and says that anymore violations of the NFL's code of ethics means Zeke could possibly be banned for life...

 

He dun goofed

[Omerta+ 1,206]

The NFL released a statement basically calling out Elliot and his attorneys for victim shaming, calling it "shameful".

 

I see zero chance this get overturned or reduced.

 

I agree in that there is no way it gets overturned.

 

It's pretty damning when the NFL comes out and says that anymore violations of the NFL's code of ethics means Zeke could possibly be banned for life...

 

He dun goofed

 

Have you guys actually seen the "evidence" here. It seems like victim blaming is cool in this one. She is a gold digger who was trying to extort money out of him. There was no actual "evidence" other than a bruise that made no sense and then she tried extorting him for cash through leaking a sex tape. The conversation she had with a friend imo was pretty damning.

 

If you want to hang him out to dry for some stuff, fine, but there seems to be a lot of vitriol that does not seem warranted. Goodell is just trying to make up for fucking the Ray Rice situation up royally.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Elliot is such a visible player on a very visible team. I think part of the reason this suspension was handed down was that the NFL was scared of taking a PR hit but I think another big part of it was to send a message to Zeke and Jerry Jones. Zeke just keeps putting himself in these positions and it's only a matter of time before something more serious happens. Steven A. Smith made a good point. What was he doing continuing to contact this girl after she called him 50 times in a day? Dude, when you're a star professional athlete with millions of dollars women are a dime a dozen. Who cares about this bitch? Leave her alone. As talented as he is he's clearly a fucking moron. As for sending a message to Jerry Jones, I think the league is getting sick of Dallas constantly being in the headlines for the wrong reasons during the offseason.

[Vin+ 3,121]

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article170603722.html

 

After more than 25 hours of discussion, including Ezekiel Elliott testifying in his own defense, the hearing to appeal a six-game suspension of the Dallas Cowboys star running back for violating the league’s personal conduct policy finally ended Thursday afternoon.

 

Now the wait begins for NFL arbitrator Harold Henderson to issue a decision on whether to uphold the suspension, reduce it or vacate it.

Elliott’s hope of a reduction or of success in federal court were improved during the proceedings that began on Tuesday, according to a source.

 

His camp promised controverting evidence to the league’s 13-month domestic violence investigation of Elliott, based on claims made by former girlfriend Tiffany Thompson. The possible bombshell evidence came in the form of Kia Roberts, director of investigations for the NFL.

 

Roberts recommended no suspension for Elliott following her interviews with Thompson during the investigation _ a fact Roberts testified to during the appeals hearing with Henderson, according to a source.

 

Roberts’ recommendation of no discipline is the main reason Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed so much confidence until the NFL announced the suspension on Aug. 11.

 

Jones was told by a top NFL executive that there would be no suspension, according to a source.

 

But Roberts’ recommendation never made it into the NFL’s final report or the official suspension letter on Aug. 11, which cited the league’s findings of three instances of domestic violence by Elliott against Thompson based on the victim’s testimony and photographic evidence.

 

When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell conducted a meeting to discuss discipline for Elliott, it included Lisa Friel, the senior vice president for investigations, Jeff Pash, executive vice president and general counsel and Adolpho Birch, senior vice president of labor policy and government affairs, among others.

 

But Roberts was not at the meeting as Friel recommended a six-game suspension to Goodell.

 

It was testified during the appeal hearing that Friel barred Roberts from the meeting, per a source.

 

It’s those failures of the process that Elliott and the NFLPA attacked during the appeal hearing and plan to exploit if they have to go to federal court to seek a temporary injunction.

 

That Roberts’ recommendation didn’t make it into the report and Roberts not being involved in the decision making, even though she ran point on the fact finding with the accuser, are trap doors that could come back to haunt the NFL if this goes to federal court.

 

Now the ball is in Henderson’s court.

 

ESPN’s Adam Shefter reported Thursday that Henderson is being pressured into making a decision by Monday and that a reduction is likely.

 

The date is key because if a decision is not made by Tuesday, Elliott could be on the field for the Sept. 10 season opener against the New York Giants. As long as Elliott is under appeal, he is eligible to play.

 

That is the assumption the Cowboys are operating on, according to a source.

 

And if a ruling comes back that is unacceptable to Elliott, it could spark a sprint to federal court for a possible temporary injunction to block the suspension.

 

If Elliott’s original six-game suspension is upheld, he would be barred from taking part in any team activities starting on Saturday, the day of final roster cuts from 90 to 53. Elliott wouldn’t be eligible to return until the week of the Cowboys’ game against the Washington Redskins on Oct. 29.　

 

When the league suspended Elliott on Aug. 11, following a 13-month investigation into claims made by Thompson, it concluded that there was “substantial and persuasive evidence supporting a finding that

 

[Elliott] engaged in physical violence against Ms. Thompson on multiple occasions during the week of July 16, 2016.”

 

Goodell’s decision was aided by a four-member advisory committee, including Peter Harvey, former attorney general of New Jersey; Ken Houston, a Hall of Fame player; Tonya Lovelace, chief executive of the

 

Women of Color Network Inc.; and Mary Jo White, former U.S. attorney and former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

He also cited photographic evidence and testimony of medical professionals.

 

The league has no verifiable proof that it was Elliott who caused injury to Thompson or was the source of the bruises. The pictures don’t show Elliott in the act of committing domestic violence and there were no witnesses.

 

So the evidence would not hold up in a court of law, per a source.

 

It essentially boiled down to a situation of the league believing Thompson more than it did Elliott.

 

Elliott was never charged or arrested in the incident as the Columbus, Ohio, city attorney’s office cited inconsistent and misleading information from Thompson.

 

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article170603722.html#storylink=cpy

[SteVo+ 3,702]

My goodness, the league just keeps finding ways to fuck these suspensions up, don't they?

 

FTR, I'm not saying this because I'm an Eagles fan. I'm referring to the Kia Roberts bit in the article above. And Roberts is the only one (from what I've read) who actually interviewed Zeke's accuser.

 

So, to recap:

 

1) Only one person (Kia Roberts) interviewed Elliott's accuser.

2) This person recommended no suspension for Elliott.

3) This person was not in the meeting with Goodell to discuss Elliott's discipline.

 

What the hell?

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I don't understand her recommendation of no suspension though. It clearly says the league had three instances of abuse it documented. Did she find that it didn't happen? That the alleged victim was lying ? What?

[BwareDWare94 723]

Yeah, it sounds like the league almost completely fabricated this suspension if it's basing it on his ex g(old)irlfriend(igger).

 

I mean, suspend him for each of the offseason instances where he clearly was not respecting of women, but you can't base your suspension on an incident with no proof that it even happened.

 

I think Zeke is a piece of trash as a human being and I wouldn't lose an ounce of sleep if he never played another down in the NFL, but the league can't be fabricating their own narrative.

Edited September 2, 2017 by BwareDWare94

[seanbrock 1,684]

The NFL is the worst players union in pro sports BY FAR. Why the hell would they agree to give Goddell that kind of power? lol Like I said before, can do whatever he wants. This was over before it started.

[Vin+ 3,121]

 

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott has been granted a temporary restraining order from a Texas district court.

The court ruled Elliott didn't receive a "fundamentally fair hearing" from the NFL. The decision means he can play beyond Sunday night's game with the Giants. It's a huge win for the Cowboys after arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld Zeke's suspension. This is similiar to the Tom Brady situation. There's a chance Elliott's case is denied in November, but he's expected to be available for the rest of the season.

Source: Albert Breer on Twitter

 

 

WTF is even going on.

[WeaponX20 26]

WTF is even going on.

Players can basically do whatever the fuck they want with Zero repercussions oh don't like the NFL ruling appeal, don't like the second ruling take it to judge and ask for freeze on your suspension

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

They'll just wait to suspend him when the Cowboys make the playoffs...

[seanbrock 1,684]

Exactly, Zeke and the Cowboys should have just taken this one on the chin. Now there'a good chance he'll be out down the stretch when the games start to matter more. idk when the suspension will be revisited in November but they're going to have to play a bunch of division games and games against other playoff teams during that stretch. I mean, they have a pretty brutal schedule in general honestly but if I were them I'd rather have him in there for the second half of the season than the first.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

He could make it through the playoffs, depends on when the judge schedules all these hearings and whatnot.

[BwareDWare94 723]

They don't even have grounds to suspend him in the first place. If the actual laws of the US decide this, he's fine

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

You can pay off the legal system. Roger Goodell doesn't give a shit... Woman beaters have no place in the league, he's lucky he only got 6 games. Should stop being a little pussy, and face his consequences.

[seanbrock 1,684]

You can pay off the legal system. Roger Goodell doesn't give a shit... Woman beaters have no place in the league, he's lucky he only got 6 games. Should stop being a little pussy, and face his consequences.

 

They don't even have grounds to suspend him in the first place. If the actual laws of the US decide this, he's fine

BWare, JD pretty much hit the nail on the head lol.

[BwareDWare94 723]

Hey I think Zeke is a piece of shit, too. I think he deserves to be out of the league, but that doesn't mean he can be punished without sufficient evidence. And it's already been established that the girl tried to set him up.