NFL suspends Antonio Brown, Mike Edwards, John Franklin III for fake vaccination cards

[Zorro]

The league suspended each player for for “misrepresenting their vaccination status.’’

TAMPA ―The NFL has suspended Bucs receiver Antonio Brown, safety Mike Edwards and former Bucs receiver John Franklin III three games without pay for using fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.

All three players accepted their discipline and waived their right to an appeal, the league said in a statement released Thursday.

The league began its investigation after the Tampa Bay Times reported that Brown obtained and utilized a fake COVID-19 vaccination card, according to his former live-in chef, Steven Ruiz.

The NFL Players Association represented all three players during a joint review that supported the allegations and found all three players violated league protocols.

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2021/12/02/nfl-suspends-antonio-brown-mike-edwards-john-franklin-iii-for-fake-vaccination-cards/

Way to go, Antonio...

[nycbos]

1. What f**king morons.

[GusBob]

2. Silly me

I believed the denial of he and his lawyer, and that the ex chef had an ax to grind

[RockRaven]

3. That former personal chef deserves an apology from a hell of a lot of people...

[Iggo]

4. Wow. That's an actual crime.

Them fuckers done fucked up.

Not only that, but Mr Brown keeps coming up with new and creative ways to lose out on millions of dollars. I’m starting to believe he’s not all that bright.

[nycbos]

9. He literally has pissed away an eight figure a year contract.

Not only is he not that bright I think he seriously needs help. It's kind of sad.

[Angleae]

24. Seven figures (and low 7 figure at that)

He's only making $1.1mil this year ($25k above league minimum for his # of years)

[nycbos]

26. Before this year. In the past he had offers north of 10 million a year.

His off the field cost him that as well.

Like I said he seriously needs help.

[Beachnutt]

5. How did Aaron Rogers get away with it?

was he not vaccinated ?

[GusBob]

6. The NFL allows players to be unvaxxed

The NFL was aware that AR was unvaxxed as he applied for exemption from COVID protocol for unvaxxed players

He misled the reporters and the public, but the NFL was aware. These guys turned in bogus cards

[NoRethugFriends]

8. But they did not punish him for violating the protocols,

which endangered others as much as these clowns did, or more.

[nycbos]

10. Indeed.

But he is Aaron Rogers

I would say future Hall of Famers get special treatment.

[Delphinus]

11. I told my husband

I had lost all respect for Rogers and he asked why? He's still a great player. Yeah, but he's a liar who doesn't give a shit about anyone other than himself.

[nycbos]

14. Same

That being said I will still root for the Green Bay if the play Dallas is the playoffs. Because my hatred for the Dallas Cowboys surpasses pretty much anything expect TFG.

[GusBob]

13. he was fined, but yeah the punishment was mild

violating protocol is not against the law

I think fake vax cards are a federal crime?

[ProfessorGAC]

16. They Did, Though

Problem is, the max fine allowed under the CBA for behavior not unlawful or tortious, is $14,000.
So, they fined him 14 grand.
But, these guys committed fraud, of a sort, so the punishment is to a much higher level.
Good! I wish they could have hit that liar Rodgers harder.

[nycbos]

7. I don't think he submitted a fake vaccination card

But he was unvaccinated.

[Iggo]

15. He didn't use a forged vaccination card.

[48656c6c6f20]

22. I guess lesser degrees of WHITE lies

Are OK.

[sarisataka]

12. Wow, entitled millionaires

Try to get away with breaking rules they don't feel like following.

At least they have been sternly slapped on the wrist.

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Suspension Is Not A Slap On The Wrist

Players get paid 1/18th of the salary, each game week.
Any game suspended costs them 5.55% of their pay.
For a couple of these guys, it's $500-900 grand per game.
Rodgers got a slap on the wrist. These guys are being gut punched.

[FakeNoose]

18. It's a three-game suspension

... so everything you said TIMES 3!

This is what Aaron Rodgers should have gotten too.

Nobody in the NFL will try to fake their vaccination again.

[ProfessorGAC]

19. Agreed!

Even though Brown has made a ton already, well over $2 million in lost income has got to sting.
For Rodgers, even one game would have been about $2.5 million.
He deserved it.

[sarisataka]

25. So they still get 15/18 of their pay

And will have make do on $7.5 million to $13.5 million...

How will they be able to put food on the table?

[ProfessorGAC]

35. It's All Relative

If, (big if) these people are living just an upper middle class lifestyle, and they have a 10 year career, they'd build up around $50 million.
$2.25 million is still a hit.
But, the scenario I laid out isn't likely to be accurate.
These are people living in $3 million homes, buying $400,000 cars. The loss of that revenue, plus return on investment over 10 years could actually affect a lavish lifestyle.
I get your point, but 2 million bucks just doesn't meet my own definition of "slap on the wrist".

[Johonny]

20. Wouldn't it have been easier to just get vaccinated for real

It doesn't feel worth the effort.

[48656c6c6f20]

21. What that Packers punk did was just as bad.

I'm not even looking but I know at least one of the players is black. I am about 99.99999999999999999999999% sure the other two players are AA.
Prove me wrong.

[edhopper]

27. He did not lie to his team or the NFL

he mislead reporters. These three lied to their team and the NFL and actually committed a crime. The fines for Rodgers and the suspension for these three is what the Players Union had agreed to over a year ago.

[48656c6c6f20]

29. Mislead.. Seems like a WHITE lie to me.

[edhopper]

31. I am not defending what he did

just explaining the difference in the penalties.

[catsudon]

28. faking a document is worse than white lies

it is a federal crime.

[48656c6c6f20]

30. WHITE lies show a lack of character.

BTW are there arrest warrents issues by the FBI yet? Seems like that would have been big news.

[catsudon]

33. of course

i agree with that.

i tell white lies too. i guess i also have some lacking in my character.

have i ever fake documents? i think i faked a doctor's note when i was in grade school, also i got caught. will never do that again

[Cha]

23. Haha! COVIDIOTS!

[catsudon]

34. white elephant...

oh look, there are some other anti-vax trumpers over there

*ignores* poc who are anti-vax

[ProfessorGAC]

36. Kicking For New Detail

This floored me:
Brown IS VACCINATED AGAINST COVID!
Apparently, he tried to fake a card. The team caught it was a fraud.
Someone pulled him aside & told him it was stupid because it's against the law.
The team notified the NFL & authorities. (They have to, should & did.)
Brown, to avoid further complications, got vaxxed. He took a staff member of the team as a witness.
So, he went to the trouble of getting a counterfeit card, then got the shot anyway. By not executing on it, then getting the vax, no charges are being pursued.
Tells me he didn't really know why he was resistant in the first place.
Just being a contrarian on a team already 90% vaxxed.

[BlackSkimmer]

37. Sadly this seems minor when thinking about all the recent NFL bad behavior.

Henry Ruggs, Damon Arnette, Richard Sherman, Everton Griffin, Nigel Bradham.

I could go on.