Evan Sandberg

“It’s the Giants 3, the A’s should still be in Oakland 1.” ☠️

I say this without a hint of exaggeration: the vibes have never been worse

Here’s the full 1-138 overall team rankings in CFB27 (left to right, then top to bottom). A lot of ties: every team is between 69 and 91.

I’m not an expert in the Brendan Sorsby area of law, but a couple things struck me from the NFL’s decision. 1 - This letter says to me that Sorsby’s camp sorta ‘mailed in’ the petition thinking it was a formality. 2 - The NFL continues to show/tell us that accountability and contrition are foundational factors in their decisions. 3 - I’d expect a lawsuit from Sorsby’s camp very soon and I’m thinking they have a decent argument 4 - The NFL doesn’t usually do this stuff without strong legal footing so that gives me pause Get your 🍿 ready ✌🏻

I think the NFL’s Sorsby decision does set an interesting precedent that the league can now decide who is allowed to enter a supplemental draft. So theoretically, if you violate the league’s personal conduct policy, that should be an automatic ban from the supplemental draft.

Full letter to Sorsby:   Dear Mr. Sorsby:   We are in receipt of your Petition for Special Eligibility, dated June 16, 2026 (“Petition”).  As announced earlier today, the League has elected not to conduct a Supplemental Draft this year.   Under our Collective Bargaining Agreement, the League retains sole discretion to determine whether it is appropriate to conduct a Supplemental Draft in any given year. The League has not conducted such a draft for several years and, prior to your submission, the League had no plans to do so this year, as no other player has sought entry. Your Petition—filed three business days before the deadline, without any supporting information or documentation, and only after abandoning your recent litigation efforts to avoid NCAA sanctions—does not provide a basis for the League to alter those plans. The issues presented by your Petition are too significant, and too closely tied to the League’s core integrity interests, to permit meaningful review within the timeline presented.   The sole reasons identified in your Petition for seeking entry into the Supplemental Draft are that you have been “declared ineligible” by the NCAA, have “exhausted all of [your] avenues to continue in the NCAA,” and “want to now play in the NFL.” The Petition provides no information regarding the basis for, or timing of, the NCAA’s decision. Public sources, however, indicate that in May 2026 the NCAA issued a determination declaring you permanently ineligible from participation in college athletics, based on a sustained pattern of improper gambling activity during your collegiate career at three different universities.   The League does not have the complete record of the NCAA’s investigation, and you did not provide any such materials with your Petition. Available information nonetheless indicates that, over the course of your collegiate career, you knowingly engaged in repeated and significant violations of NCAA rules designed to preserve the integrity of athletic competition. Reported conduct includes placing wagers on your own team and teammates and, to avoid detection, establishing or funding accounts in the names of intermediaries who placed bets on your behalf. There are also reports that you may have violated state criminal law.   Your Petition does not address these matters. Nor does it demonstrate accountability for your conduct or indicate whether, or how, you would adhere to the League’s rules and policies governing the integrity of competition. Instead, even after receiving notice of the NCAA’s decision rescinding your college eligibility in May, you sought to avoid the consequences of that determination through litigation rather than accepting responsibility for your actions, and you pursued entry into the NFL only after abandoning those efforts.   As Commissioner Goodell has emphasized, participation in the NFL is a privilege that carries with it significant responsibilities, including accountability. By all accounts, you are a talented player with the potential for future success. We encourage you to focus on preparing for possible entry into the NFL through the 2027 NFL Annual Draft.   Sincerely, Lawrence P. Ferazani, Jr.

From Brendan Sorsby's lawyer Jeffery Kessler, via email: "This is an unlawful action by the NFL in violation of the CBA.   We will be taking this matter to the NFLPA." Kessler, of course, has been a lead outside counsel for the NFLPA for decades.