Jonathan Vilma Sues Commissioner Roder Goodell
Johnathan Vilma is suing NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell.
The suspended Saints’ linebacker filed a defamation lawsuit Thursday against Goodell claiming the commissioner made false statments about Vilma while discussing the NFL’s bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints.
Vilma was suspended for the entire 2012 season. Will Smith, Anthony Hargrove, and Scott Fujita were also issued suspensions, none of which were as severe as Vilma’s.
All four have appealed thier suspensions to Goodell and the NFLPA has filed grievances on their behalf.
Now an arbitrator is going to rule if Goodell can discipline the players for actions that occurred before the labor agreement last August.
The Union is also arguing that an arbitrator should hear the four players’ appeals… not Goodell.
The linebacker has repeatedly denied the allegations on his twitter account.
Goodell said Vilma was a leader of the teams’ bounty program and put up $10,000 to take out Kurt Warner and Brett Farve during the 2010 playoffs.
The fact that this will now go to court could force the NFL to reveal all the evidence it has against Vilma. The linebacker claims the commissioner is relying on hearsay, circumstantial evidence, and lies.
The says it was evidence and witnesses to back up it’s findings…
What do you think??
When it’s all said and done… will Vilma disprove the NFL’s evidence and get his one-year suspension reduced or not?