Good insight, 'Peen. It is a team sport, neh? But about the drama that Eve mentions, and I had the thought that our "beat writers" are more like our "beating writers" piling on DW while his situation is decided. (Our newspaper always picks the most negative articles they can cut and paste for Browns coverage.
My gripe is about the NFL treatment of the team as a whole IMO. Seems like triple jeopardy if you consider our fix. We have DW waiting as he works through issues, some made more public and inflamed by the media who are sensationalizing the story about what might be the shakeout. His season has started, mandatory practices are coming, and in fairness, if he has playable status, then he should be able to do so. He is living in limbo while his investigation drags on; if he is in the wrong as this woman establishes as the appointed one by the commish, so be it, settle up, and then move on. But the last 'risk' is whenever that happens eventually, the results can be revisited, the ruling challenged or revised or reduced by Goodell according to anything from whim to reason. The Browns have a right to a timely outcome to plan camps, practice, roster to be ready for the season and make team decisions. Again, my opine.
I am not defending any wrong DW may have done. But he should not be strung out and strung along either. Goodell delegated almost unlimited say in situations like these; my take is the process should be thorough AND reasonably timely so injury isn't added against any NFL team or player who has potentially brought 'insult' in some way to the NFL game.
As I said before, I am all about my faith in the right to due process; but I have issues with "undue process" that hurt players or teams beyond the issues requiring attention. Remember that these are all additional layers beyond legal arenas: Courts AND then this. If Goodell wants to be the destination and chokepoint for discipline, which has been criticized before, then resolve it in a reasonable and timely fashion. This is, after all, the same immaculate machine that has worked so well with Josh Gordon, a testament legacy to NFL discipline.
So my closing thought is this: If any and all acts are considered and found to be wrong, then spell it out so it is clear what is being punished while also establishing some clarifying guardrails moving forward. The NFL deserves better, and the season deserves our attention.
Go, Browns!