Two to one ruling upholding the CBA agreement.
The 33-page ruling wraps up with this conclusion: “The parties contracted in the CBA to specifically allow the Commissioner to sit as the arbitrator in all disputes brought pursuant to Article 46, Section 1(a). They did so knowing full well that the Commissioner had the sole power of determining what constitutes ‘conduct detrimental,’ and thus knowing that the Commissioner would have a stake both in the underlying discipline and in every arbitration brought pursuant to Section 1(a). Had the parties wished to restrict the Commissioner’s authority, they could have fashioned a different agreement.”
One thing that stands out here is the fact that it was a three-judge panel, and two of the judges — Barrington D. Parker and Denny Chin — ruled one way. Meanwhile Judge Robert Katzmann (the chief judge, as listed on the decision) ruled in favor of Brady and the league. While it can be seen as a victory for Goodell and the current CBA, the result was less than resounding.
