Here’s a very interesting breakdown by Mike Florio of the National Football Post of the video the NFL claims shows Anthony Hargrove saying “Give me my money.” I don’t agree with Florio on many things, but I believe he is right on the money (pun intended) with this one.
There is NO way anyone can watch this video and conclude it’s Anthony Hargrove saying those words. It might be him, and it might not. Lets take a look:
Today, Florio spoke with NFL General Counsel Jeff Pash, who told Florio this about the video: “…demonstrates Mr. Hargrove’s awareness of the program and his understanding that it existed, and it demonstrates that his statements to our investigators in early 2010 denying the program and saying there was nothing like that in existence were false. That is the basis on which the Commissioner imposed discipline on Mr. Hargrove.” Here is that video:
Florio is quick to point out that Pash’s point is pretty much invalid if Hargrove didn’t say it himself, Florio writes, “His second point continues to depend, however, on a finding that Hargrove and no one else said, “give me my money.” And the video simply does not prove that.”
Now, I’m not suggesting there wasn’t a bounty program, we all know there was. I’m only saying that this particular piece of “evidence” the NFL is touting, which happens to affect Anthony Hargrove directly, does not prove what the NFL says it proves.
My take on the video is that it’s Remi Adoyele saying “give me my money.” Ayodele’s head turns towards Vitt just before those words are spoken and then away from Vitt right after those words. Ayodele was one of the players in on the violent hit on Brett Favre that Vitt thought had knocked Favre out of the game. Hargrove wasn’t even in the game on that play. Why would Hargrove have a reason to say “give me my money?”
The NFL is wrong on this, and they know they are wrong – which is why they are refusing to let this matter get taken outside the confines of the NFL. That begs the question, what else are they wrong about? If you want to explore that point further, take a look at this article by Mike Freeman of CBSsports.com. Mike goes down the list of the NFL’s evidence and grades the validity of each one.
Although I’m no lawyer (Florio is…), I have little doubt that if the NFLPA is able to get this put before am impartial arbitrator, that much of the NFL’s case against the players will be proven inconclusive and Hargrove’s suspension would be found invalid. While Hargrove has been no choir boy in the past, I don’t believe that’s any reason for him to take the fall in this case. All I want to see is fairness…
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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.
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The lawyers should have NO PLACE in this matter. The NFL showed a lot of “you connect the dots” evidence and it should be all about the immage of the NFL not was there a shadow of a doubt legal courtroom evidence that was required.
That’s easy to say when you’re not Anthony Hargrove.
That’s ridiculous Marsh. And its scary to realize people actually think that way. Forget about “legal courtroom evidence,” how about common sense?
Earl Heyman was an eyewitness. He says he’s 100% certain who said it and 100% certain it wasn’t Hargrove. Back in March it was “an unidentified voice”. After Hargrove criticized the NFL for mischaracterizing his statement, it became Hargrove’s voice.
Pash sounded like a polotician, but I have to admit he made a good point.
The point is that Hargrove knew first hand that there was a bounty program and denied it.
on the basis that that’s his voice in the video, but it isn’t.
“on the basis that that’s his voice in the video, but it isn’t”
Let me give it to you straight: YOU DON’T KNOW THAT.
Was it his voice? Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know. But you don’t know that it WASN’T his voice.
But like Pash said, it wasn’t that Hargrove said “give me my money”, it was that he was apart of that particular group that clearly had a bounty program going.
There is every reason to believe that the NFL interviewed every player individually, and Hargrove was one of the few that denied that there even was a bounty program.
By the way, those capitalized words weren’t meant to imply that I was yelling, just to try to get my point across.
Ok Hargrove knew about the Bounty system and lied about it so he should be punished.
But why is Hargrove the only player suspended on this grounds? There are like 20 guys on Defense 11 starters just 4 players had been suspended. Did the NFL ask the other Saints players and all of them said the truth? Why they interviewed the journey-man with a dark past?
I don’t know what the nfl is seeking with all this but it doesn’t sound like justice to me
Maybe that’s what happened?
Every player was interviewed, most came clean, but a few denied that there was one.
It’s also possible that the NFL has more evidence than this, but at the moment, this all they are willing to release.
The NFL is all over the place on this, and it should be embarrassing for them.
Remember when the NFL stated (leaked) that Anthony Hargrove’s statement was basically a confession, or at the very least, an affirmation that there was a bounty program?
Then this video evidence, where the NFL is trying to pin Hargrove as saying, “Bobby, give me my money.”
Now that Hargrove came out and told the world that’s not his voice, and the video “evidence” is clearly lacking (and quite frankly, seems not likely to be Hargrove at all), all of the sudden, the NFL is stating that the video just proves that Hargrove lied to the NFL about the existence of the bounty program…
Wait a second, What?? How many times is the NFL going to switch THEIR story?
At first the NFL touted Hargrove’s statement as an admission of a bounty program. Then they state, emphatically, that the video shows Hargrove asking for his money resultant to Favre being injured.. Now they’re saying it’s NOT Hargrove, but since he was there in that clip, it proves he knew about the bounty program and he lied to the NFL about its existence.. Ummm, Therefore, the NFL lied about Hargrove’s statement a few months ago???
The NFL is absolutely rotten in this whole mess. I’ve never seen so much double talk. They are toying with player’s livelihoods. It needs to stop.
100% agree… In his zeal to “clean up the game”, Goodell has gone off the rails on this one. I think embarrassing is the right word…
The video doesn’t coroborate or prove ANYTHING. Pash & the NFL are SPECULATING. I’ve been involved in sports or any type of competition and “pay me my money” or a similar type phrase is common enough among friends or teammates when someone performs at a high level. I’ve heard and said things like this many times when there was absolutely no wager involved. It may suggest that they knew, but what the NFL is putting forth in this matter is atrocious and very irresponsible.
why does hargrove’s presence imply he heard and understood the comment in reference to a bounty program? if he didnt say it, isnt it entirely possible he didnt hear or understand that it was a reference to a bounty system?
I’ve watched this over and over and I can feel quite sure that the name ‘Bobby’ is coming from Hargroves mouth just before his head dissappears.
The rest sounds like the same voice’give me my money’and would be assumption and may lean toward Hargrove as saying it.
Assumption isn’t foolproof evidence but,I clearly see Hargroves lips saying’Bobby’ and the thinking would be the rest came from Hargrove.
The NFL is painting by numbers and the NFLPA and these four players have no paint remover other than “we didn’t do it”.
Hargrove could have a stronger case than Vilma if he were to sue the NFL for defamation of character. That video would never hold up in court, and the NFL would suddenly have to provide all its “damning evidence” that singled out Hargrove over the rest.
Because that’s the real question here… why 8 games for Hargrove, when there has been a lack of actual proof to that he participated on a greater level than the other defensive players?
“It’s not what you know,it’s what you can prove”.
“It’s not whether it’s true or false,it’s what you can discredit”.
IMO,the NFLPA needs to do a better job of dicrediting the evidence other than screaming”Everything that guy said is bullshit”ala Joe Pesis’ opening court statement in My Cousin Vinny.
The burden of proof falls of the NFL and perhaps it’s getting a little shaky but,the defense needs to show some kind of evidence to use as stake in the heart if it wants to WIN and not get a simple reduction of punishment.
The NFLPA needs to coordinate their battles with the NFL. On one hand, NO really didn’t do anything wrong and on the other NFL owners are vile, disgusting plantation owners who hid the fact that getting hit in the head wasn’t really a healthful activity.
Both sides in this battle need to get together and come up with an effective way to protect player health within the confides of the game and punish those who knowingly step outside those boundries. If they don’t, each year there will be a further degredation of the game in the name of safety.
The real danger is that the NFL’s success has attracted the attention of a gaggle of blood sucking, trial lawyers. And we should all know the most dangerous place on earth is getting between a lawyer and a bag of money.
I heard someone rip a fart in that clip too… suspend that stinky jackwagon as well…