SB Nation Kansas City - Doesn't Sound Like Lions Will Appeal Chiefs Tampering Chargehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2011-02-26T08:32:15-06:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/16156292011-02-26T08:32:15-06:002011-02-26T08:32:15-06:00Doesn't Sound Like Lions Will Appeal Tampering Charge From Chiefs
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<p>The NFL this week found the Detroit Lions guilty of tampering with the Kansas City Chiefs and docked them a seventh round pick and as well as ordered them to swap fifth round picks with the Chiefs, a drop of 14 spots for the Lions.</p>
<p>This week Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said he disagreed with the ruling and hinted that Detroit may appeal the ruling, which they have to do by Monday.</p>
<p>Later this week, Lions GM Martin Mayhew spoke and <a href="http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2011/2/25/2016026/lions-leaning-toward-not-appealing-tampering-charge">sounded as if they're "moving on" from the tampering charge</a> and wouldn't be appealing.</p>
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"We haven't made a final determination on what the next step is, but from our standpoint, there are so many positive things going on with our franchise and it doesn't make a lot of sense to wallow around in something negative." </p>
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<p>Mayhew said he can take blame for that one and "that's my fault". </p>
<p>Though the Lions can change their mind, those sound like the words of a man who won't be appealing the ruling.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-chiefs/2011/2/26/2016573/lions-appeal-tampering-charge-chiefsJoel Thorman2011-02-19T09:56:38-06:002011-02-19T09:56:38-06:00Lions, Chiefs Swap Draft Picks After Tampering Charges
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<p>On December 2, news leaked out that the Kansas City Chiefs had filed a tampering claim against the Detroit Lions. According to a statement released by the NFL, the Lions are guilty. </p>
<p>Their punishment is getting stripped of their 2011 seventh round draft pick and switching spots with the Chiefs in the fifth round. That means the Chiefs go from the 23rd pick in the fifth round to the ninth pick in that round.</p>
<p>The statement by the NFL identified two reasons for the charge.</p>
<p>First, the Lions made public comments about potentially wanting Chiefs players on their team if they're released. These are believed to be the comments <a href="http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2011/2/18/2001402/lions-tampering-chiefs-draft-picks">from Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham in February 2010:</a></p>
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"(Kansas City) keeps wanting to dump their players. I would like to be there to catch a lot of them because I know a couple of those guys." </p>
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<p>Curiously, an NFL spokesman said at the time that those words hadn't even registered with them. Now, apparently, they're part of the Lions guilty charge int he tampering charge.</p>
<p>The second part of the charge comes from the Lions impermissible contact with a Chiefs player under contract. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that player is Jarrad Page. If you'll recall, Page was in a contract dispute with the Chiefs last summer (he didn't sign his restricted free agent tender) and his agent went on Kansas City radio and said he knows there's interest in his client out there. How did he know? Apparently from talking to the Lions, according to reports.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-chiefs/2011/2/19/2002738/lions-chiefs-draft-picks-tamperingJoel Thorman2010-12-03T08:02:54-06:002010-12-03T08:02:54-06:00Chiefs-Lions Tampering Charges Reportedly Involve Jarrad Page, Gunther Cunningham
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Kansas City Chiefs</a> on Thursday <a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-chiefs/2010/12/2/1851588/lions-chiefs-tampering-charges-nfl-gunther-cunningham">filed tampering charges with the NFL</a> against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a>. It was believed that Gunther Cunningham -- former Chiefs defensive coordinator now serving in the same capacity with the Lions -- would be involved.</p>
<p>The Detroit Free Press reports that, indeed, the <a href="http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/12/3/1852678/chiefs-tampering-charge-reportedly-centers-on-jarrad-page-gunther">charges are between Page and Cunningham</a>. We're not sure what exactly happened between them to make the Chiefs think tampering had occurred.</p>
<p>So what would tampering be? Here's what it is: "any interference by a member club with the employer-employee relationship of another club or any attempt by a club to impermissably induce a person to seek employment with that club or with the NFL."</p>
<p>For example, if Gunther was telling Page that he could come play for the Lions -- and the Lions were definitely interested in Page -- then that could violate tampering rules, especially if the Chiefs hadn't given them permission to be seeking a trade or anything.</p>
<p>There are all kinds of possibilities for this one but history says the league won't punish anyone for tampering. Though it seems that teams regularly tamper, the league has trouble proving it (or doesn't want to prove it) so it's possible we don't hear much more of anything about this.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-chiefs/2010/12/3/1852702/chiefs-lions-tampering-charges-jarrad-page-gunther-cunninghamJoel Thorman2010-12-02T16:12:05-06:002010-12-02T16:12:05-06:00Lions Tampering With Chiefs? KC Files Charges With NFL
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Kansas City Chiefs</a> have filed a tampering charge against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a>, <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Kansas-City-Chiefs-file-tampering-charges-against-Detroit-Lions-120210">according to Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com</a>. Tampering is defined by the league office as: "any interference by a member club with the employer-employee relationship of another club or any attempt by a club to impermissably induce a person to seek employment with that club or with the NFL."</p>
<p>The FOXSports.com report doesn't have any details on what the exact charge is but the report states that it's "believed" that Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham is mentioned in the charge. Cunningham of course was the Chiefs defensive coordinator before heading to Detroit.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/2/14/1309903/lions-dc-gunther-cunningham-is">One public quote</a> from Cunningham could be involved:</p>
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<p>"(Kansas City) keeps wanting to dump their players. I would like to be there to catch a lot of them because I know a couple of those guys," Cunningham told the Detroit Free Press in February.</p>
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<p>Except after that quote came out, a league official<a href="http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/2/15/1311675/nfl-not-concerned-about-gunthers"> told another Detroit pape</a>r that the comments hadn't registered on the league's radar.</p>
<p>The NFL, Chiefs and Lions all declined comment, according to the report.</p>
<p>If found guilty, the Lions could be fined or stripped of a draft pick.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2010/12/2/2325592/lions-tampering-with-chiefs-kc-files-charges-with-nflJoel Thorman