What Did The NFL Get?
July 1st, 2018
Back room intrigue.
While Bucs fans still struggle with the three-game sentence the NFL slapped on America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston last week, it is fair to ask what did Jameis have to give up?
There is no question the three-game suspension was a brokered deal, which often means each side gives up something and each side gets something in return.
So what did the NFL get in the lesser sentence for Jameis? He could have received a six-game sentence.
Did Jameis’ legal team threaten to air some dirty laundry on NFL strongman Roger Goodell if he didn’t play ball? Did Jameis’ team bluff Goodell with a long court fight which would have done no one any good?
The creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, the great Mike Florio, offers his take as to what was going on behind the scenes between the two parties.
July 1st, 2018 at 8:09 am
A mess in Tampa and a PR hit for basically violating their “so-called” 6 game requirement for sexual assault (or battery in this case since he did actually touch). The national press has hit them about as much as America’s Choir Boy.
July 1st, 2018 at 8:16 am
I actually think this is quite simple….The NFL only had circumstantial evidence….no direct “smoking gun” evidence of the original offense. Jameis made it worse on himself by not reporting and deception….so a suspension was warranted for that alone.
The NFL and Jameis would have both been damaged greatly by a protracted battle…..thus the settlement.
Part of the settlement is silence.
July 1st, 2018 at 8:16 am
If you think that JW3 legal team had any dirt on the NFL league office then you are way far off base!!!!!!!!!
Word on the street is that the legal team, took ownership of the sexual assault and showed acts of goodwill and acts of redemption, as the “eliminating alcohol” and the pledge to go to mandatory evaluation and professional help!!!!!!
The same thing happens every day in the court system when a deal for a “no contest plea” where the defendant does not state guilt or innocence but fully accepts the conviction of a lesser charge!!!!!!!!!!!
July 1st, 2018 at 8:17 am
Long court fight? If anyone has proven they don’t want a long court fight, it’s America’s Finger Lickin, W Eatin’, Groping Drunk. See Erica Kinsman “settlement”.
July 1st, 2018 at 8:17 am
America’s finger licking, helmet poking, groping, lying, grab them in the P, rape-case settling, empty leadership Quarterback.
July 1st, 2018 at 8:33 am
Tampa Bay Buc Fan for the win. If the NFL had an iron clad case they would’ve gotten 6. The NFL got to impose a penalty without going to arbitration and therefore weakening their position on future cases. Winston received reduction without having everything circumstantial aired.
July 1st, 2018 at 8:39 am
BuC “realist”, is a BLATANT LIAR..good to know
July 1st, 2018 at 8:47 am
I’m sure that both sides wanted to avoid the appeal process as the ones with Brady and Elliot were messy for both sides. I’m willing to bet that part of the deal was for the league not to come public with all of the bad info they discovered on Winston
July 1st, 2018 at 8:48 am
If there’s zero factual basis for a plea there is NEVER a “no contest”..it’s DANGEROUS when ignorant folks speak about law to further their own baseless narrative. Disgusting really. Not even up for interpretation.. The burden would be on “Kate” and sounds like she just had #metoo, on her side, and a BUNCH of haters. Doesn’t hold up in court…sorry
July 1st, 2018 at 8:49 am
Nonsense, Brian BANKS..LOL!! The nfl can’t, and WOULDNT risk that for Jameis.get real, whackadoo
July 1st, 2018 at 8:56 am
Maybe he threatened to go public with the excuse that he was only following President Trump’s game plan for getting chicks. We know Roger is scared of the President.
July 1st, 2018 at 8:56 am
Us TRUE Adams who stick behind our team as well as our players don’t want to see you anywhere near OUR stadiom or OUR practice facility ever again! Especially when OUR Bucs bring home the Lombardi again. You high fallooting hillier than though pansies can all go watch the boring ass sport known as soccer where if you just get touched on the knew you fall down holding your leg for ten minutes. If Jameis did grab her (which I still don’t think he did) so he’ll what!guys have been making moves on women forever. Was it a hard touch? A firm touch? Was it followed by anything else? We will never know. Sorry I take my QBs word I’ve some lawyered up floozie who reports it 2 1/2 years LATER! She probably is looking to get that double wide trailer she has been saving for. #IstiisupportJameis
July 1st, 2018 at 9:00 am
For those who know and for those who don’t. You can convict, sentence and send people to prison on circumstantial evidence alone. No “smoking gun” needed. If the criminal justice system can do that, a private entity like the NFL certainly can too.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:05 am
Well the good news is the one and only time Jameis did something like this he
Got caught…… right?
July 1st, 2018 at 9:08 am
“The NFL WON BIG! They received the green light to ban a player for sexual assault. JW3 better watch out because NFL will have him as the poster boy for all the future players”
Kobe Faker
July 1st, 2018 at 9:09 am
I think the NFL prefers the headlines during the season to be about the product ON THE FIELD….not IN THE COURT ROOM. The fact that Winston accepted all conditions including a potential season long ban or liftetime ban tells me he didn’t want something released….and that something was likely video with audio of him being obnoxious and inappropriate.
Winston will take his lumps but if he wins and there’s no more accusations, he’s likely going to stick around. I have a feeling the locker room is going to have a “come to jesus” moment with Winston and all his rah rah blah blah nonsense. At this point he needs to just shut up and play up to his hype.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:11 am
It was also cool how Jameis lied to his teammates and bosses about this.
He also had his friend lie as well.
Well done Jameis
July 1st, 2018 at 9:21 am
Agree with TampaBayBucsFan, had he been contrite from the beginning he was likely only looking at a game suspension. He could have admitted to being drunk and not remembering what happened and then apologizing for making her uncomfortable. She was already on record as saying he put his hand on her crotch and then removed it when she told him to. While bad, it likely would not warrant further action.
Instead, he chose the CYA method and they caught him lying. Thus 3 games.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:25 am
Bucbeliever: how much have you had to drink this morning?
July 1st, 2018 at 9:31 am
They got this to go away quickly and quietly. No need to invent a conspiracy.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:31 am
Not as much as the idiots who want Jameis gone have. I can’t help it for all the typos. iPhones suck.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:33 am
Believer, I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but at least get your facts straight. She reported this two and a half years AGO.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:36 am
Now if you want to say she lawyered up more recently that is true. But she reported it the night that it happened hence the immediately canceled Uber account. They didn’t cancel it two and a half years later…
July 1st, 2018 at 9:36 am
It would not have benefited Jameis, even he won a court fight based on the touching he was alleged to have done, to challenge. That is, win a court case, so what…you can’t “prove it” on the touching (maybe) but it was already clear he lied to the world about the facts. And the 3-game suspension, versus 6, is nothing compared to the price Jameis may pay for lying to so many, especially his team; by his own doings, he may lose out on millions and carry damaged character perceptions (deserved) for the rest of his life.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:37 am
I know we were focused on the start of the 2018 season but have we been distracted or what?
This is so much bigger than the number of games Jameis gets suspended. For more than a year after Big Ben’s miscues he was greeted everywhere but Pittsburgh as Ben Rapelisberger…signs…cheers or should I say jeers.
Jeers that will sound like FHITP Jameis don’t just grope her.
We are acting like this comes down to simple numbers 3 or 6 game suspension.
That’s small potatoes to what is about to transpire.
Until I learned the details around Jameis 3AM fiasco I was a huge Jameis supporter…still think he can make it on the field IF he gets past this. It’s not going to be easy. Just like Rapelisberger’s early years Jameis is going to be jeered and mocked.
Before the Jameis fanboys jump on here to blast me…I’m not saying I LIKE this…I’m not even suggesting it’s fair…just pointing out what is ahead for Jameis.
I honestly believe if I was in Jameis camp I would be negotiating a trade and a fresh start even if he has to back up a star for a year or two. It would let him fly under the radar in a city that doesn’t take the lying and betrayal so personal.
Half of this market is simply going to hate on Jameis from here on out. Give the kid a break and a fresh start. Somebody mentioned N.E. Perfect…iron fisted coach and Brady gonna run out of gas sooner than lady. Far enough away from the controversy to let it die down.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:40 am
We will see how many times over the summer that Winston goes to Gooddell’s house and does his yardwork
July 1st, 2018 at 9:43 am
@Steven007… I stand corrected on that one point. However if your not looking to get paid what is the need for a lawyer? Someone’s got to pay for that? Last I checked Lawgers average around $350 per hour. A high profile like the one she has is even more. Where is she getting the money. I don’t think that Uber’s “side hustle” pays that much. No she wants a nice big FAT check.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:53 am
It looks the Bucs got two upticks in season ticket membership, and one huge downtick. They drafted Winston and it brought in Floridians, especially FSU fans just because of that, and also since Winston was the first overall pick. The second uptick was the 9-7 season where they just missted the playoffs, and had a Hard Knocks PR campaign that got folks excited. The downtick is last year’s season. Regressing Winston, kneeldowns/PR image of NFL, and a losing season. The best the Bucs can hope for in 2018 is to break even on membership with a winning season and playoff run BETTER than that of 2016, as the Winston hassle will still wrapping around every good play, every win, every positive thing on and off the field. Ticket sales are not the main revenue source for the NFL, but they are a gage of fan interest. If the Bucs lose this year, that will tank badly enough; if they lose with Jameis under center, it will be devasting to all. Oh…network adverstising is hugest of all…and not a single company sponsors Jameis.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:54 am
Believer, I agree but I don’t think she’s going to get one based on my understanding of the actual charge and Arizona’s laws. I could be mistaken. As I said I’m simply not that interested in the details and technicalities. I’m disappointed in our quarterback who certainly does not represent America. And I can’t wait for actual football to get started so we can begin to put some of this in the rearview mirror.
July 1st, 2018 at 9:55 am
Bucbeliever: so what? She got a lawyer. Sounds like a pretty good idea when dealing with JW who when faced with the accusation immediately tried to suggest she was lying. Don’t forget, she immediately went to Uber who then went to JW for his side of the story. He offered no defense and failed to report it to the NFL.
Why is it her fault that he’s a liar?
July 1st, 2018 at 9:57 am
@BucBeliever…you are not necessarily correct. Sometimes an attorney will provide counsel at no cost to a client if it is a high profile case and the publicity it gets is good for business. Sucy services can also be written off. Also, while I don’t kow what happened here, part of the settlement could be legal fees paid by Winston. And there are probably about four people in the world who give a hoot about that part of it all.
July 1st, 2018 at 10:03 am
It’s not sexual assault. It would be classified as sexual battery. I just read an article from and Arizona law office. And for groping it usually carries a 6 month probabtion. If found guilty. So stop with the sexual assault and he should be in prison. If he got convicted it would still be probation. Not something to give up on a guy. Now you have him by the balls lock him up now to a team friendly contract. That has outs if anything happens again. Case closed
July 1st, 2018 at 10:08 am
Jeffbuc, correct. As unsavory as a sounds to many now, if things workout the best for everyone this would be a huge savings if we ever were to resign JW. Let’s not forget that the owners are very successful businessman.
July 1st, 2018 at 10:14 am
And all of you they are upset that he lied are sounded like a bunch of women. Oh no a 23 year old lied to us to try and save his own butt. How dare he try to protect himself and lie to us fans. Get over yourselves he owes you nothing except being the qb on sundays. Most of you guys saying you are mad he lied and was deceitful. Need to take an Uber ride with him and get your generals grope so maybe you can get your testosterone levels back up and start being men again. And if she was so distraught as you say she is wouldn’t she have called the cops. You don’t want to draw attention to yourself but you tell your employer who knows you but not the police. Then you get a lawyer pro bono who represented another alleged jameis victim. And now are releasing statements when you just want it to go away. You ever think maybe this girl came on to him the messed around a little bit he dissed her and pissed her off she knows nothing could really be done by the cops and she might be caught lying so she just tells Uber because she knows they won’t investigate and just ban him from Uber. And she was just being vindictive. That could also be the case. We will never know what really happened so time to move on. We all know how every regular poster feels on here and your not changing your mind. And nothing else is coming out in this story to change your mind. So all the old timers and racist are appalled by this and want him in prison which wouldn’t happen even if he was convicted. All the young posters think it’s not that big of a deal did ewas simply hitting on a chick. And most of the minority posters think it is a which hunt on a black man. I am supporting the qb of the bucs he will still be are qb so I am going to roll with him and not let him take away my love of watching and rooting for my team. Go Bucs go jameis go Fitzpatrick or whoever else plays for the bucs.
July 1st, 2018 at 10:22 am
^^^^^^^^^^What he said!!
July 1st, 2018 at 10:25 am
Jeffbuc: everyone always forget’s context. It’s not just the lying. I agree, if this was the first time he had ever been in trouble and lied to cover his ass, while not ideal, i think we would all give him a pass.
The problem is the pattern of behavior over a number of years. I agree with you that he owes us nothing. However, that works both ways. He was given a new lease on life by this franchise and the NFL. One would think he would have learned from his previous experiences and choose to behave like an adult.
July 1st, 2018 at 10:46 am
What Jaboo just said.
July 1st, 2018 at 10:59 am
Time to move from the JW experiment in human decency. He is a lying, cheating, thieving, groping, womanizing piece of human garbage.
The fans deserve better than that POS.
July 1st, 2018 at 12:53 pm
Man, you people that view going for a woman’s crotch as making a pass scare me. Several ways to seduce a woman and reaching your hand between the legs is not the move. I’m assuming then that those of you shouting “he’s just being a man” would be kosher if a guy made the same move on your mother or daughter? If you still want to say “we don’t know what happened”, that’s one thing (though we’ve got enough to logically deduct at this point), but to say that the actual act he was accused of is not a big deal shows a gross lack of empathy and highly questionable morality.
July 1st, 2018 at 1:29 pm
Love seeing all the new posters on this site on every Jameis article. Yous think the trolls are out in full force.
July 1st, 2018 at 1:49 pm
Hey Jaboo Buc,
Since being drafted this was the first issue Jameis has had. There is NO pattern of lies here. Don’t even bring up the Tally incident. There was never ever going to be charges so don’t even go there. This “incident” happened after his rookie season , almost 3 years ago. I am going to believe Jamies when he said alcohol is out of his life. He has played 2 full seasons since the “incident”. The people that hated him in college are hiding behind this like it is a moral outrage. Give me a freaking break! Tell that to Ben Rothlesberger, or Ray Lewis, 2 guys that repaired their career after early adversady
July 1st, 2018 at 2:02 pm
Hey Jaboo Buc,
This is the FIRST issue Jameis has had since being drafted so you are incorrect! There is no pattern of lies here. And don’t even think about bringing up the Tally incident as a freshman in college! Never charged! So don’t even go there! I am giving him the benefit of the doubt saying alcohol is out of his life. He has played 2 Full seasons since the “incident”. The rest of you all with your moral outrage give me a freaking break, u guys r hiding behind this incident but you all didn’t want him since day one. Tell that to Ben Rothlesberger and Ray Lewis, 2 Stars who have done well to reclaim the trust of their fans after early major issues/ suspensions.
July 1st, 2018 at 4:59 pm
Hey Jimmy T, I said it was a pattern of behavior which it is. Similar to the pattern of play that made him the 1st pick of the draft. Not denying his talents. The Bucs watched his film and determined him to be good enough to warrant the pick.
However, you can’t deny his pattern of stupid behavior while at FSU. It was the entire reason there was any question as to why you would draft him so high. You can give him the benefit of the doubt all you want and that’s your opinion. I’ve been there, done that with this guy and I am no longer interested.
July 1st, 2018 at 6:13 pm
I was groped severely once when I was younger. Then I married her.
#MeToo
July 1st, 2018 at 6:14 pm
And it’s been an ongoing problem with her.
#HerToo
July 1st, 2018 at 6:23 pm
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU…Jimmy T
THE WAY THESE PEOPLE SOUND THERE WAS A DASH CAM…AND THEY SAW THE ACTUAL TOUCH…A DASH CAM HAS PROVEN TO BE THE REAL SMOKING GUN…WHICH HAS PROVEN TO BE THE ONLY SAVING GRACE FOR A FEW…men who have been accused wrongly…oh well doesn’t matter, people believe what they FEEL COMFORTABLE believing
Jimmy T Says:
July 1st, 2018 at 2:02 pm
Hey Jaboo Buc,
This is the FIRST issue Jameis has had since being drafted so you are incorrect! There is no pattern of lies here. And don’t even think about bringing up the Tally incident as a freshman in college! Never charged! So don’t even go there! I am giving him the benefit of the doubt saying alcohol is out of his life. He has played 2 Full seasons since the “incident”. The rest of you all with your moral outrage give me a freaking break, u guys r hiding behind this incident but you all didn’t want him since day one. Tell that to Ben Rothlesberger and Ray Lewis, 2 Stars who have done well to reclaim the trust of their fans after early major issues/ suspensions.