who dat gonna pay...?

[Freakout]

[disaacs]

[[UMN]]

If I was the commissioner I would hit every player and coach (including Sean Payton) who was involved with this a hefty fine and a 4 game suspension. I would also take away all prime-time games for the next three years, and take away their first round pick for this year and next year.

This is absolutely despicable and has no place in professional sports. Concerning the intense focus on player safety, Goddell needs to make the consequences of this so severe that nobody will ever consider anything like this again. I’m guessing the players on other teams are also going to be making the Saints pay the price this season.
_________________

[UMN]'s 2013 Vikings' Offense Tracker

[Virginia Viking]

[The Gnat]

[NorCalVike]

...penalties higher than given out to spygate, what a great day!!!

[vike daddy]

[sportskid_021]

My question as it relates to this is would be if this is considered circumvention of the salary cap? Also with the yearly warnings sent ount league wide directing teams against this, it would have to only get expected that the hammer gets laid...

Also what legal ramifications could this open up? Could someone like a Favre or Warner sue the Saints/Williams for their injuries?
_________________


"There's only one Tree Hill, and it's your home." ~ 2003-2012

[vike daddy]

the NFL is quickly making some public statements now:


Commissioner Goodell, in a league-issued release: “The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for ‘performance,’ but also for injuring opposing players. The anti-bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity."

“It is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated. We have made significant progress in changing the culture with respect to player safety and we are not going to relent. We have more work to do and we will do it.”

The league’s release says that the program was administered by former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, and that it included payments not only for fumbles and interceptions but also for inflicting injuries that resulted in players being carried off the field ($1,000) and/or knocked out of the game ($1,500).

The release also states that coach Sean Payton, while not involved in the program directly, was aware of it and did nothing to stop it.

General Manager Mickey Loomis also has been implicated; though the relevant portion of the release is a bit unclear, it appears that Loomis may have lied to owner Tom Benson about the existence of a bounty program and/or failed to carry out Benson’s directive that it be ended.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/02/nfl-finds-that-saints-violated-bounty-rule/related/
_________________

[PurpleProwess]

Delete.
_________________

Some gave all, All gave some.


All posting to be done henceforth via Phone. I apologize for the errors.

[[UMN]]

If they have documented proof that players were paid to injure other players, everybody involved should face criminal charges in addition to NFL disciplinary action.
_________________

[UMN]'s 2013 Vikings' Offense Tracker

[JMac79]

Rough day for New Orleans' Saints fans...

First, Drew Brees turns down the Saints' offer to be the highest-paid player in NFL history (that term isn't nearly as meaningful as some make it out to be, because someone else will get that crown in 1-2 years mind you... but still).

Now this. I think the organization deserves a hefty amount of punishment for this type of transgression; I think forfeiture of selected 2013 draft picks would likely be in order, if not some beyond 2013 as well. As had been noted before, Gregg Williams, Sean Payton, and Mickey Loomis all had knowledge of what was going on, and didn't stop it... so it really does fall into that category of "institutional" disregard for safety and sportsmanship. Its one thing to have players doing it among themselves... but once the coaches and Front Office personnel know about it (and evidently participate in it) and don't stop it in its tracks, that's when the organization, and not merely individuals, have to suffer the consequences.

Like I said, you gotta at least feel a little bad for the Saints' fans in all of this... a tough news day for them.
_________________

[[UMN]]

Any chance this causes Brees to try to leave town? (He will get franchised regardless).
_________________

[UMN]'s 2013 Vikings' Offense Tracker

[tonyto3690]

For what it's worth, I will forever see the Vikings as the rightful 2009/2010 SB champs.
_________________

[PurpleMugen]