Ezekiel Elliott's Appeal, the NFL, and Due Process

BoF said:

I do not know if Elliott abused Ms. Thompson or not.

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This is kind of a tough case to judge, precisely because of the quote above. Nobody but Elliott and the accuser really know. It's not a legal matter, so there's no "burden of proof" standard involved. There was an accusation, and that's what the NFL (synonym of Roger Goodell) has taken action on. They are an employer, and this story has embarrassed them. So Elliott gets suspended. Goodell already has earned a rep as an arbitrary kind of guy, most interested in defending the league reputation. He is always going to lean toward punishing a player accused of any offense, regardless of the evidence or the merits of the case. And ain't no safeguard in place to counter that.

caw

One of the reasons the NFL will face a player's strike in 2021 is the players screwed up in the last contract negotiations and allowed the autocratic Roger Goodell to have carte blanche in dealing out discipline. Ezekiel Elliott's suspension isn't dependent upon law enforcement choosing not to file charges. The NFL doesn't give a crap. They are a law unto themselves.

Elliott has lousy taste in women and he apparently chose poorly because this one sounds as crazy as Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. However, Elliott has his own severe character flaws including dumb stuff like exposing a woman's breast at a St. Patrick's Day, speeding, involvement in a bar fight, as well as the domestic violence drama.

Reckless, impulsive and immature, this kid is simply not ready for Prime Time.

Here's a personal anecdote. My nephew and his best friend were at a Columbus nightclub when Elliott and his crew descended on the joint and made a scene. My nephew's friend got into a dispute with Elliott. This went down a few months before the NFL Draft.

Elliott is ripped with abs of steel, but the friend was a high school wrestler and pretty good with his hands. My nephew wanted no part of a fight and saw a vision of his friend and Elliott getting into it, Elliott getting hurt, maybe tearing a ACL and saying "bye-bye" to a pro football career.

My nephew took the smart route and pulled his buddy back and they left, but upon further consideration, what the hell was Elliott hanging out in bars when he had millions of dollars on the line? Personally, in the same position, I'd stay home, buy a pizza and some six-packs, and play video games into the wee hours.

Color me unsurprised by Mr. Elliott's latest troubles. All I know is he's jacked up a lot of fantasy football drafts.