An interesting report emerged on Friday regarding an investigation by the NFL Players Association into the question of whether agent David Canter offered one or more team executives free stays at vacation properties that he owns in exchange for the drafting of one or more of his clients.
Whether such offers were made is only half of the story. What if one or more executives accepted?
The teams whose executives were stunned by the offer from Canter and immediately rejected it started talking about it, privately. The teams whose executives might have smiled, nodded, and accepted would have no reason to say anything about it, to anyone.
The NFL had no comment on the situation, in response to a recent email from PFT. The real question is whether the league is looking into whether team employees accepted the bribe, if it is determined that such a bribe was offered.
The starting point would be to explore the teams that drafted Canter clients. The offers were made, we’re told, by text message. How hard would it be for the league to assign someone at 345 Park Avenue to begin inspecting the trail of digital breadcrumbs between Canter and the head coach and G.M. of the teams that drafted his clients? It begins with the league deciding to do it.
Then there’s the question of whether any state or federal laws are implicated by this situation, and whether any prosecutor with jurisdiction will look into the situation. I haven’t researched the issue; in many cases, however, something that feels “wrong” has a statute somewhere that prohibits it.
This feels wrong. It also feels cartoonish, in a Fargo sort of way. A half-baked scheme conducted recklessly and clumsily, with no awareness of the possibility that it will implode or explode.
Canter, through his lawyer, has denied the allegation. And the facts might indeed vindicate him. For now, the question is whether there will be a full and complete investigation, regarding the question of whether the offers were made -- and whether they were accepted.
