Steve Bisciotti's Haloti Comments Constitute Tampering?

[A Fish Called Yanda]

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/04/baltimore_ravens_owners_commen.html

 

 

Not good.

[The Raven]

Stupid rule, but whatever. Not good at all

[redrum52]

How is tampering usually dealt with?

Or better yet, what have the most recent penalties been?

[A Fish Called Yanda]

How is tampering usually dealt with?

 

Taking draft picks from the perpetrator and giving them to the team they were talking about, swapping picks in a round (if the perp has a higher pick in that round) or a combo of both.

[Tank 92]

lol     It's totally ridiculous if they consider a homogeneous statement like that tampering.

 

I SERIOUSLY doubt the Lions will be filing tampering charges for this..........be real.

[A Fish Called Yanda]

lol     It's totally ridiculous if they consider a homogeneous statement like that tampering.

 

The Lions got penalized for the following:

 

"[The Chiefs] keep wanting to dump players," defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said late last season. "I would like to be there to catch a lot of them, because I know a couple of those guys."

 

Bisciotti's comments are way worse than that unfortunately.

[Tank 92]

The Lions got penalized for the following:

 

"[The Chiefs] keep wanting to dump players," defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said late last season. "I would like to be there to catch a lot of them, because I know a couple of those guys."

 

Bisciotti's comments are way worse than that unfortunately.

 

 

The way I read it is that the Lions would have to file tampering charges for an investigation to begin.  Do you think they will do that? And what would an investigation produce?  That we have a deal with Haloti to come back next year?  

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but this seems to be a non story.

[BmoreBird22]

I just think it's being overblown, but I could see where the issue would be with him mentioning Detroit not working out an extension yet

[eek]

the whole talk could been taken as a joke. i mean haha april fools. so how many things he said yesterday were april fools jokes

[berad]

Jim Caldwell going to file tamper charges against his former team?

 

Don't think it's going to happen.

[The Mom Gene]

Just an observation here....

 

The rule states:

The NFL's policy prohibits "any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club's player, to that player's agent or representative, or to a member of the news media.

 

He made the comment to Owners of Private Seat Licenses...  in a conference call....  hmmm...

 

Looks to me like the media might be trying to stir up another "Baltimore Ravens Story".

 

The other teams comments were made to the media......

[berad]

Just an observation here....

 

The rule states:

The NFL's policy prohibits "any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club's player, to that player's agent or representative, or to a member of the news media.

 

He made the comment to Owners of Private Seat Licenses...  in a conference call....  hmmm...

 

Looks to me like the media is trying to stir up another "Baltimore Ravens Story".

 

The other teams comments were made to the media......

 

Some media members were on the call, too. I agree it's getting drummed up, though.

[AsianRice]

I'll be surprise that the Lions are stupid enough to file the tampering issue against the Ravens......There are a lot of things at risk if they do that....

[The Mom Gene]

Some media members were on the call, too. I agree it's getting drummed up, though.

True... but is that construed as "a public statement"?  It may be construed as a "private statement of interest"

[berad]

True... but is that construed as "a public statement"?  It may be construed as a "private statement of interest"

 

No clue, that definition is so broad you can spin anything.

[The Raven]

Some media members were on the call, too. I agree it's getting drummed up, though.

 

True... but is that construed as "a public statement"?  It may be construed as a "private statement of interest"

 

Regardless of whether it's public or private, it's against the (stupid) rule. 

 

Edit: Actually, because the media is typically understood to be a public forum, this will probably be considered a public statement

[Tank 92]

"The NFL's policy prohibits "any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club's player, to that player's agent or representative, or to a member of the news media."

 

"The Lions would need to file tampering charges with the league for any action to take place."

[berad]

Regardless of whether it's public or private, it's against the (stupid) rule. 

 

Sure it is. But will the Lions file tampering charges?

[A Fish Called Yanda]

Regardless of whether it's public or private, it's against the (stupid) rule. 

 

Edit: Actually, because the media is typically understood to be a public forum, this will probably be considered a public statement

 

I agree, the rule is incredibly dumb.  Unfortunately it looks like teams have been screwed for a lot less than what Bisciotti said.

 

The Lions haven't gone after Miami for talking to Suh during the legal tampering period, so hopefully they won't go after us either.  That being said, if my team had an opportunity to get an extra 5th round draft pick, I'd raise a stink about this.

[The Raven]

Sure it is. But will the Lions file tampering charges?

 

To be frank, they'd be dumb not to (or quite generous if you're an optimist). Any competitive edge you can get within the rules is an edge you should take advantage of.

[ellicottraven]

The rule is very clear about it and it was tampering on Bisciotti's part given the language he used. However, unless the Lions pursue it as tampering, then it will just die out with no penalty from the NFL imo. Correct me if my assumption is wrong please.

[Static]

Non Story

[FlocksGottaFeed]

If this were a Patriots vs Jets situation they both would have filed against each other before putting down the phone.

edit - That already happened. Nevermind. Agreed. This is a non-issue.

[berad]

To be frank, they'd be dumb not to (or quite generous if you're an optimist). Any competitive edge you can get within the rules is an edge you should take advantage of.

 

Until one of your people screws up and says something innocuous that can be spun to tampering.

 

This isn't baseball where there are figurative volumes of unwritten rules (oxymoron) but I don't think owners are too keen on spiking each other unless it's blatant. Same reasoning why no one goes hard on the victory formation and, if you do, you're pretty much universally regarded as a scumbag *cough* Greg Schiano.

[The Raven]

Until one of your people screws up and says something innocuous that can be spun to tampering.

 

This isn't baseball where there are figurative volumes of unwritten rules (oxymoron) but I don't think owners are too keen on spiking each other unless it's blatant. Same reasoning why no one goes hard on the victory formation and, if you do, you're pretty much universally regarded as a scumbag *cough* Greg Schiano.

 

That's a fair point, and I hope the Lions don't file tampering charges. They have every right to given the circumstances, but I do wonder if some coaches have unwritten agreements that tampering is a dumb rule? Who knows?

[berad]

That's a fair point, and I hope the Lions don't file tampering charges. They have every right to given the circumstances, but I do wonder if some coaches have unwritten agreements that tampering is a dumb rule? Who knows?

 

I wonder, too, and you're right the Lions could call foul and go to the NFL about it.

 

We'll just have to see.

[Inqui]

Looks like it comes fairly squarely within that definition of tampering. It wasn't an awful lot beyond "we wouldn't be opposed to having him back" (no [profanity deleted] Sherlock. There are a lot of players I "wouldn't be opposed to having back"), but at the end of the day a comment like "we don't think he's been extended yet and we'd love to have him back after next season" can have an impact on Ngata's discussions with the Lions so I can see why the rule's there. I could see why the Lions would get pissed off if it leads to Ngata's agent trying to use that as leverage for an extension.

 

At the end of the day, it comes down to whether the Lions want to pursue a claim like that. Just gotta wait and hope. As the story said, more innocuous claims have led to charges, but I'm guessing worse comments have also been left alone.

[Inqui]

I wonder, too, and you're right the Lions could call foul and go to the NFL about it.

 

We'll just have to see.

Yeah, could go either way. Hopefully they let it slide or there's some kind of culture among FOs against pressing charges like that unless it's some kind of special circumstance. We'll see.

[Inqui]

Just an observation here....

 

The rule states:

The NFL's policy prohibits "any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club's player, to that player's agent or representative, or to a member of the news media.

 

He made the comment to Owners of Private Seat Licenses...  in a conference call....  hmmm...

 

Looks to me like the media might be trying to stir up another "Baltimore Ravens Story".

 

The other teams comments were made to the media......

So an owner makes a comment on the record that comes within the definition of tampering, and the media isn't supposed to run a story on it? Whether or not the claim gets followed up, that's still a bloody solid story - especially for the offseason, where the bar for a "solid story" is usually a mock draft of some description.

[Inqui]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/ravens-owner-likely-tampered-with-haloti-ngata--per-their-twitter-account-125544200.html

 

 

And the thing is, Bisciotti can say whatever he wants on that call. It's not considered public domain, and NFL rules really don't apply. He — in theory — could promise them that Ray Lewis will hide in the bushes at Ben Roethlisberger's estate and take his knees out when Big Ben goes to get the morning paper, and there likely wouldn't be much recourse. (OK, maybe not the best example.)

 

So when Bisciotti told those season-ticket holders that the Ravens hoped to re-sign Haloti Ngata, whom they just traded to the Detroit Lions, when he becomes a free agent in 2016, there technically wasn't much wrong with the statement.

 

 

The rules state that teams are not allowed to make these statements in public or private, but broadcasting what Bisciotti said on Twitter almost assures a league investigation. (But Ted Wells is a busy man these days, so the league might call on someone else, should the Lions cry foul.)

 

Sounds like the problem was broadcasting the comments on Twitter. What kind of training do our social media guys get? They seem pretty hopeless.