Football Browns face possible suspension, fine and loss of draft pick - Page 6

**The Franchise** · 02-04-2015, 11:44 AM

Cleveland Browns and GM Ray Farmer facing possible suspension, fine, loss of draft pick for 'Textgate'

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/inde...medium=twitter

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns and general manager Ray Farmer are facing possible sanctions from the NFL for "Textgate," including a multigame suspension for Farmer, and a fine and loss of draft pick for the Browns, league sources told Northeast Ohio Media Group.

The investigation -- one of three "integrity of the game" probes currently underway in the NFL -- is expected to be wrapped up soon, as early this week or next week.

NEOMG reported on Jan. 6 that a Browns "high-ranking personnel member texted from the press box to the sidelines about playcalls'' during a game, which was one of the reasons former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, now with the Falcons, felt that working for the Browns had become dysfunctional for him.

Multiple league sources have told NEOMG that Farmer was the high-ranking personnel member who violated the NFL's electronic use policy by the impermissible texting. Those messages were then apparently relayed to the coaches.

The NFL investigated the improper texts, and are prepared to announce sanctions within the next couple of weeks. A resolution could come as early as this week, but probably no later than three weeks.

Farmer is facing a multigame suspension -- as many as three or four games -- and the Browns are facing the loss of a draft pick if the probe, conducted by in-house NFL executives, shows that Farmer acted improperly.

Farmer, asked by NEOMG at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 21 if he texted from the press level during a game, said "I can't comment on that. The league is investigating.''

A Browns spokesman reiterated Wednesday that the club has done everything the league has asked and is awaiting results of the probe.

The Browns have never denied that such texts occurred, and coach Mike Pettine revealed during a press conference on Jan. 22 that investigators had already come to Cleveland to question members of the organization.

At the Greater Cleveland Sports Award ceremony later that night, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stressed that the club was cooperating fully.

"I know that Ray and Pett and Sashi Brown, our general counselor, are cooperating fully with the NFL, and if we did anything wrong I'm sure we'll correct it and make whatever amends,'' he said. "I know we've cooperated fully with the NFL."

"Textgate'' was the first of three scandals that have erupted over the past month that impact the integrity of the game, and the NFL is taking all three very seriously.

The second was "Deflategate,'' the controversy over the Patriots deflating footballs during their AFC Championship Game victory over the Colts. And the third was the Falcons pumping artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome over the past two seasons, which owner Arthur Blank admitted to on Tuesday.

The NFL is likely to wrap up all three investigations within the next three weeks.

"It's not really a fine line," Blank told The Associated Press. "I think what we've done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong. Anything that affects the competitive balance and fairness on the field, we're opposed to, as a league, as a club and as an owner. It's obviously embarrassing but beyond embarrassing it doesn't represent our culture and what we're about."

Blank told the AP that he knew enough about the investigation to own up to the allegations.

"We've gotten some information from the league but until we read the full report and until they publish their findings, we can't be totally clear. We've talked to a lot of people and we've cooperated and we'll be anxious to read the report."

During his Super Bowl press conference last week, Commissioner Roger Goodell stressed the importance of protecting the game's integrity.

"This is my job," Goodell said in response to a question about Deflate-gate. "This is my responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. I represent 32 teams. All of us want to make sure that the rules are being followed. And if we have any information where the potential is that those rules were violated, I have to pursue that. And I have to pursue that aggressively.

"So this is my job. This is the job of the league office. It is what all 32 clubs expect and I believe our partners and fans expect. We will do it vigorously and it is important for it to be thorough and fair."

The Browns' Textgate investigation comes at a difficult time for the club. Their first-round quarterback, Johnny Manziel, checked himself into a rehab facility last Wednesday for a possible dependence on alcohol; and their All-Pro receiver, Josh Gordon, was suspended for a minimum of a year.

Pasta Little Brioni · 03-30-2015, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Speculation and assumption. Perhaps nothing was really there at all...and most info that came out as that scandal developed supports that. Kraft glared at the commish and even demanded an apology. Such nonsense.

Apology?.

Smug bastards. The data says they did cheat....for YEARS.

BucEyedPea · 03-30-2015, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Apology?.

Smug bastards. The data says they did cheat....for YEARS.

In your opinion "for YEARS." Nothing came of that ball investigation is the more likely cause of no punishment. You just wanna believe it to suit your jealousy.
Regardless, put it in another thread.

Pasta Little Brioni · 03-30-2015, 12:44 PM

Nope. I believe data over a Buc fan turned bandwagon Pat "fan".

Just Passin' By · 03-30-2015, 12:45 PM

I see PGM found his fish.

Pasta Little Brioni · 03-30-2015, 12:49 PM

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Cmd'r&Chief · 03-30-2015, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

....yet nothing for the Patriots obvious cheating because the owner Bob knobs with the commish. This league blows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Nope. I believe data over a Buc fan turned bandwagon Pat "fan".

Cool! Link to solid and conclusive evidence?

Pasta Little Brioni · 03-30-2015, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cmd'r&Chief

Cool! Link to solid and conclusive evidence?

Check the fumble data since teams were in charge of their own balls. Eye opening stuff.

Marcellus · 03-30-2015, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuckdaddy

No shit. You can also bend the rules to confuse the refs as long as your owner sucks off the Commish all day.

They changed that rule this offseason so I guess he wasn't sucking him off hard enough.

chiefzilla1501 · 03-30-2015, 01:44 PM

Pioli has the fine distinction of his tree guys being caught cheating on three different times. Twice under his watch. Once for new England and once for Atlanta. Farmer in Cleveland. Nice work, Scotty.

And that's not even counting new England and deflategate because that's still pending. That would be 4 teams.

Sully · 03-30-2015, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Pioli has the fine distinction of his tree guys being caught cheating on three different times. Twice under his watch. Once for new England and once for Atlanta. Farmer in Cleveland. Nice work, Scotty.

Farmer isn't a Pioli guy.

BigChiefFan · 03-30-2015, 01:59 PM

Falcons were fined a 5th round pick in 2016 for pumping in crowd noise.

chiefzilla1501 · 03-30-2015, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sully

Farmer isn't a Pioli guy.

How is Farmer not a Pioli guy? He was his pro personnel guy for several years in Kansas city.

Sully · 03-30-2015, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

How is Farmer not a Pioli guy? He was his pro personnel guy for several years in Kansas city.

Unless I'm wrong, he was already here when Pioli got here. It's picking nits, but I don't see him as from the Pioli tree so much as just a guy who crossed career paths with him.

Cmd'r&Chief · 03-30-2015, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Check the fumble data since teams were in charge of their own balls. Eye opening stuff.

Oh no, you're not sending me on a wild goose chase. You obviously have very reliable and conclusive data, I'd like a link to this data please. Otherwise you're just spewing shit out of your mouth.

**mdchiefsfan** · 03-30-2015, 06:33 PM

Pioli-Gate!!!

02-04-2015, 11:44 AM
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $3155047	Browns face possible suspension, fine and loss of draft pick Cleveland Browns and GM Ray Farmer facing possible suspension, fine, loss of draft pick for 'Textgate' http://www.cleveland.com/browns/inde...medium=twitter CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns and general manager Ray Farmer are facing possible sanctions from the NFL for "Textgate," including a multigame suspension for Farmer, and a fine and loss of draft pick for the Browns, league sources told Northeast Ohio Media Group. The investigation -- one of three "integrity of the game" probes currently underway in the NFL -- is expected to be wrapped up soon, as early this week or next week. NEOMG reported on Jan. 6 that a Browns "high-ranking personnel member texted from the press box to the sidelines about playcalls'' during a game, which was one of the reasons former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, now with the Falcons, felt that working for the Browns had become dysfunctional for him. Multiple league sources have told NEOMG that Farmer was the high-ranking personnel member who violated the NFL's electronic use policy by the impermissible texting. Those messages were then apparently relayed to the coaches. The NFL investigated the improper texts, and are prepared to announce sanctions within the next couple of weeks. A resolution could come as early as this week, but probably no later than three weeks. Farmer is facing a multigame suspension -- as many as three or four games -- and the Browns are facing the loss of a draft pick if the probe, conducted by in-house NFL executives, shows that Farmer acted improperly. Farmer, asked by NEOMG at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 21 if he texted from the press level during a game, said "I can't comment on that. The league is investigating.'' A Browns spokesman reiterated Wednesday that the club has done everything the league has asked and is awaiting results of the probe. The Browns have never denied that such texts occurred, and coach Mike Pettine revealed during a press conference on Jan. 22 that investigators had already come to Cleveland to question members of the organization. At the Greater Cleveland Sports Award ceremony later that night, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stressed that the club was cooperating fully. "I know that Ray and Pett and Sashi Brown, our general counselor, are cooperating fully with the NFL, and if we did anything wrong I'm sure we'll correct it and make whatever amends,'' he said. "I know we've cooperated fully with the NFL." "Textgate'' was the first of three scandals that have erupted over the past month that impact the integrity of the game, and the NFL is taking all three very seriously. The second was "Deflategate,'' the controversy over the Patriots deflating footballs during their AFC Championship Game victory over the Colts. And the third was the Falcons pumping artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome over the past two seasons, which owner Arthur Blank admitted to on Tuesday. The NFL is likely to wrap up all three investigations within the next three weeks. "It's not really a fine line," Blank told The Associated Press. "I think what we've done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong. Anything that affects the competitive balance and fairness on the field, we're opposed to, as a league, as a club and as an owner. It's obviously embarrassing but beyond embarrassing it doesn't represent our culture and what we're about." Blank told the AP that he knew enough about the investigation to own up to the allegations. "We've gotten some information from the league but until we read the full report and until they publish their findings, we can't be totally clear. We've talked to a lot of people and we've cooperated and we'll be anxious to read the report." During his Super Bowl press conference last week, Commissioner Roger Goodell stressed the importance of protecting the game's integrity. "This is my job," Goodell said in response to a question about Deflate-gate. "This is my responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. I represent 32 teams. All of us want to make sure that the rules are being followed. And if we have any information where the potential is that those rules were violated, I have to pursue that. And I have to pursue that aggressively. "So this is my job. This is the job of the league office. It is what all 32 clubs expect and I believe our partners and fans expect. We will do it vigorously and it is important for it to be thorough and fair." The Browns' Textgate investigation comes at a difficult time for the club. Their first-round quarterback, Johnny Manziel, checked himself into a rehab facility last Wednesday for a possible dependence on alcohol; and their All-Pro receiver, Josh Gordon, was suspended for a minimum of a year.
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03-30-2015, 12:44 PM	#78
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $4028880	Nope. I believe data over a Buc fan turned bandwagon Pat "fan". __________________ **Official TFWdemB Trivia Commisioner**
Posts: 68,361

03-30-2015, 12:45 PM	#79
Just Passin' By In Search of a Life Join Date: Feb 2009 Casino cash: $5460524	I see PGM found his fish.
Posts: 69,748

03-30-2015, 12:49 PM	#80
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $4028880	Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! __________________ **Official TFWdemB Trivia Commisioner**
Posts: 68,361

03-30-2015, 01:44 PM	#84
chiefzilla1501 In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $2154497	Pioli has the fine distinction of his tree guys being caught cheating on three different times. Twice under his watch. Once for new England and once for Atlanta. Farmer in Cleveland. Nice work, Scotty. And that's not even counting new England and deflategate because that's still pending. That would be 4 teams.
Posts: 47,987

03-30-2015, 01:59 PM	#86
BigChiefFan MVP Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: In the Top 10 Casino cash: $9924205	Falcons were fined a 5th round pick in 2016 for pumping in crowd noise. __________________ A 35 year drought can make you thirsty.
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03-30-2015, 06:33 PM	#90
mdchiefsfan Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Casino cash: $3513904	Pioli-Gate!!! __________________ 2017 Adopt-A-Chief:TYREEK HILL
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