The Stephen Ross survey continues; when does it end?
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The bad thing about a Roger Goodell press conference is that no single topic gets thorough treatment. The good news is that many topics get at least one superficial mention.
During his recent meeting with reporters after the end of league meetings in Atlanta, Goodell was asked for an update on the investigation triggered by claims by former Dolphins coach Brian Flores that team owner Stephen Ross offered to pay $ 100,000 per loss in 2019.
“There is no update on that,” Goodell said. He added that Mary Jo White – the alleged “independent” lawyer who is currently handling several “independent” investigations for the league – continues to look at the situation.
How difficult can it be? How long can it take? Ross made the offer, or he did not.
Flores claims he did. Although speaking directly to Flores raises potential complications given that his lawsuit claims, among other things, that his firing was motivated by his opposition to this request and attempts to blow the whistle on it, White has in fact (we are told) interviewed Flores. He fully cooperated with the investigation in April.
From there, White can pursue any clues Flores may have identified – specifically other witnesses to the offer. Back in February, the league-owned media conglomerate reported that an unnamed witness had actually confirmed Flores’ claim. Likewise, emails, text messages and other relevant documents from the relevant time period can be collected and reviewed. Finally, Ross and other key members of the Dolphins leadership would be interviewed.
It really should not take long to do everything. Unless Mary Jo White is so busy with other NFL work that she does not have time to get it done.
We have been saying for years about White and other supposedly “independent” investigators that there is no real independence. The lifeblood of large law firms (many years ago I worked for one in Pittsburgh) is what they call “cost insensitive clients.” These companies want to be hired and hired and hired again to work on significant projects that will involve minimal scrutiny of the massive monthly invoices that are generated. The notoriety of projects like these will also get the lawyer’s name mentioned in various media platforms, which will help the lawyer and her firm more work from other cost insensitive clients.
The point is that in order to continue to get these assignments, the lawyer must be sufficiently knowledgeable to understand what the client wants, and gently push the findings that way.
Most disputed issues have several plausible outcomes. It obviously does this. It is a binary choice; Ross did it, or he did not.
Although some believe that the league will not hesitate to find Ross guilty of making a specific offer of money to lose matches, the broader context may make such a finding unwise. From the Flores lawsuit to the potential impact of such a statement on the external investigation the NFL is currently experiencing to potential criminal liability under the Sports Betting Act to the possibility of a class action lawsuit against the league on behalf of anyone who has bet on Dolphins in 2019 to the league stubborn and unrealistic insistence that no team ever thinks, the chances are high that the NFL just wants this one to disappear quietly.
If so, chances are the “independent” lawyer the NFL has hired to investigate will find a way to do just that. Gradually. And inevitably.
