Was there really any debate as to whether Stephen Ross was guilty of tampering? When news broke out that the Miami Dolphins were interested in Tom Brady and Sean Payton last offseason, only a little while before the pair retired, that should have been the biggest red flag something was fishy with Ross and the Dolphins.
The NFL suspension office has definitely been busy these past few days. First it was the six-game suspension ruling from Judge Sue Robinson on Deshaun Watson, and now they have come to a conclusion on Stephen Ross’ tampering chargers. Of course, he was found guilty.
The punishment? The longtime Dolphins owner has been suspended from attending team games and practice activities from today, August 2, 2022, to October 17, 2022, he was fined $1.5M, the Miami Dolphins have been stripped of their 2023 1st-round draft pick and 2024 3rd-round draft pick, and he is not allowed to attend league meetings for the rest of the 2022/23 season. Oh, and team Vice President, Bruce Beal, has also been fined $500K and suspended from league meetings for his role in the tampering.
“That’s it?” I hear everyone cry out. Yeah, the NFL’s ridiculous suspension criteria has struck again as Stephen Ross just got away with murder. Well, team-building murder.
How can someone get away with conspiring with a different team’s Hall-Of-Fame quarterback and another team’s Hall-Of-Fame head coach, while both are under contract, in order to hire them and only get a 3-month suspension. Stephen Ross actively tried to destroy a championship-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster and a contending New Orleans Saints roster in the same offseason.
And it almost worked. If it hadn’t of been for Mike Florio’s reporting on this case all the way back in February, Tom Brady and Sean Payton would be proud members of the Dolphins come the start of the regular season. I have no doubt about that. But not only that, how is the near destruction of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster and the implosion of the New Orleans coaching structure only merit a 3-month suspension on just attending team activities?
Yes, he still gets to manage the everyday operations of the Dolphins. He just can’t be at the stadium or practice facilities for the next 3-months while doing it.
What a dumb suspension. The league should have suspended Ross and his shady ways for the entire year…including from managing the team. If Adam Silver (commissioner of the NBA) could boot out Donald Sterling (former Los Angeles Clippers owner) as an owner, then Goodell should have been able to suspend Ross from everything Dolphins-related for a year.
Good ol’ Roger Goodell did that to Calvin Ridley when he gambled a few thousand on his team, the Atlanta Falcons, winning some games (which was a bad bet, but that’s beside the point). Besides, what is 3-months to an NFL owner? It isn’t like he is playing in the games; he just oversees them.
He can oversee the games perfectly well from his couch in his million-dollar Palm Beach mansion as he would if he was in the owner’s press box at the Hard Rock Stadium. In fact, he was probably already doing that. It’s not like Miami have been playing in important, must-see-in-person postseason games under his reign.
And what about that ridiculously low $1.5M fine? The man is worth $8.2 BILLION, and the Dolphins are worth $3.42 BILLION. That’s $11.6B collectively at Roger Goodell’ disposal to deprive Ross of. Yet, Roger Goodell only chose to fine him $1.5M?
This is yet another example of the Roger Goodell and his officers arbitrarily dishing out fines and punishments. If the NFL wants to be a respected brand, they need to bring in some competent people to manage the process of suspensions and fines.
As for Tom Brady, what a backstabbing move he nearly pulled off. Not only did Stephen Ross try to pry him out of Tampa Bay last season, but he also did it in 2019 when Tom was still with the Patriots. Are you serious, Tom Brady? You were really ready to turn your back on the Patriots organization FOR THE DOLPHINS just because there wasn’t “enough talent” around you in that last season?
I’m glad you came to your sense and went to Tampa Bay instead, or there would have been many Brady 12 serious burning in the streets of Boston if you went to a divisional rival.
Images Sources: Featured Image:
Other Sources: (NBC Sports) (Dolphins planned to pursue Sean Payton, Tom Brady for 2022 – ProFootballTalk (nbcsports.com))
