6 Thoughts: Jonathan Vilma’s Suspension AppealAugust 6, 2012
Jonathan Vilma fought the law, and the law might not win. There have been reports that the NFL has offered Vilma a deal to reduce his 16 game suspension down to 8, if he withdraws his lawsuit against the commissioner. Here are my thoughts on Vilma’s appeal.
1. Vilma was done for, suspended the full NFL season and now he’s done the impossible and been able to halfway reverse a Goodell suspension. Congrats.
2. Don’t press your luck, bro. If they are going to cut it to 8 games, take it. The word in the internet streets is that Vilma doesn’t want to take the deal and isn’t stopping until his name is cleared and the full suspension is lifted.
3. Vilma better get back on that field as fast as possible, because his replacement, Curtis Lofton, played very well last night in the Hall of Fame game.
4. So….if Vilma’s suspension gets reduced, what does that mean for the other players and Sean Payton? Will their suspensions be cut in half? What makes Vilma’s case any different?
5. Vilma’s salary for 2012, $1.6M + $600k roster bonus. Half of that if he plays is $800k + $300k which is better than…nothing!
6. As far as involvement in the Bounty scandal, Vilma’s name didn’t just pop up out of thin air. He’s not totally innocent. Vilma wants to clear “his” name which is why he’s pushing this appeal and doesn’t want to accept the deal. Right now, this is bigger than Vilma. It’s about his team. The team doesn’t have its head coach or its defensive leader. If Vilma gambles and the 16 game suspension is upheld, he’ll be hurting his team and organization.
That’s all I got,
Ricky Writer
