Someone else said it better than me -
“For workplace investigations, the employer makes the rules. And when the employer expects cooperation, anything other than significant sanctions for failure to cooperate will invite others to refuse to cooperate.
During the various significant NFL investigations in recent years, cooperation has been consistent, and automatic. The Saints cooperated when the NFL was investigating the bounty case. The Ravens cooperated when the NFL was investigating the Ray Rice elevator video. The Dolphins cooperated when the NFL was investigating the bullying scandal — with the exception of trainer Kevin O’Neill, who expressed hostility to the investigation and later was fired.
Per multiple sources, Ravens employees automatically and without hesitation surrendered their cell phones for forensic examination that entailed a specific search for certain recipients and phrases. The procedure balanced the needs of the investigation with individual privacy rights.
Here, multiple individuals chose to extend their privacy rights so broadly that it interfered with their obligation to cooperate with their employer. Separate from whatever the Patriots did or didn’t do to the footballs, the failure to cooperate requires punishment, or others will do the same thing in the future.”
-Mike Florio
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/08/gostkowski-refused-to-cooperate-too/
“Ravens employees automatically and without hesitation surrendered their cell phones for forensic examination that entailed a specific search for certain recipients and phrases”
Patriot employees all surrendered their cell phones.
Tom Brady’s was his own private phone with his own private and personal information.
Tom Brady’s attorney’s provided all texts to the NFL such as Brady discussing his swimming pool cover.
Florio is wrong. The Saints players didn’t cooperate. Which Goodell sited when he suspended them. And when Tags overturned those suspension he said there was no precedent for the league suspending someone for failure to cooperate and the punishment was an overreach.
Florio is stupid.
The CBA sets the rules... the NFL didn’t follow the rules.