VILMAAAAAA!!

This morning, ESPN (ALL of ESPN - Sportscenter, Mike & Mike, ESPN News, etc.) reported that the NFL had offered New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma a reduction in his suspension if he dropped his defamation suit against the league. Now, the NFL is flat out denying that any such offer has been made.

Regardless, Vilma is a man that is regarded highly by other players, coaches, and staff throughout the NFL and by citizens throughout his community in Miami and Coral Gables in his home state of Florida as well as in New Orleans.

No one knows what a person is truly capable of once the doors on their social life and social media status closes. When you shut the doors to your home at night, no one knows what's going on. Maybe Jonathan Vilma is capable of these accusation. That doesn't mean that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell isn't responsible for hasty judgements and overstepping his boundaries. This rumor about a potential deal to reduce Vilma's suspension had to come from somewhere. It has an origin, it obviously found a loose, loud voice, but whatever happens, whether Vilma is offered a deal or not it is important for him to pursue this defamation lawsuit - win or lose - Vilma needs to stand up for himself and in turn stand up for his ill-branded teammates and coaches (especially Sean Payton who by far received the worst end of the deal) and show Commissioner Goodell that not everyone is going to bow down to his haunting supremacy.

The game is already a watered down version of the football most of these players enjoyed participating in growing up, but there it is inexcusable to make an honorable man a watered down version of himself in front of his peers when he has done no wrong, and if that happens to be the case with Jonathan Vilma, he deserves all the support he can get.