NFL Players Association officials described the Bountygate matter that played out over the last year, and the resulting procedural problems, as something they take "personal" during their press conference on Thursday.
After meeting with the media, union president Domonique Foxworth elaborated, saying he's getting a strong push for players to challenge commissioner Roger Goodell's power over discipline in the wake of the Saints' saga.
"We've already asked the league to revisit it, a number of times, to revisit neutral arbitration and commissioner discipline," Foxworth told NFL.com. "Our players are intent on making moves in that direction, and any avenue that it requires us to make that move, we're willing to take because it's not my responsibility to decide the direction of this organization. It's my responsibility to hear that direction and lead in that direction. And that's where they want to go."
Union sources have suggested that negotiations over HGH testing could provide the opening needed for the NFLPA to make a run at the commissioner's appellate power over penalties relating to conduct detrimental. The NFLPA is currently pushing for a neutral arbitrator to oversee the entire drug policy, which include some areas of conduct detrimental -- one example being DUIs. Some in the union have interpreted that a victory on that front could lead to a more broad challenge on conduct detrimental.
Source: NFL.com
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February 01, 2013
