Harsh penalties for Saints bounty program.

[Elmore]

They came down on these guys hard. Saints coach Sean Payton is out for the entire 2012 season.



" Roger Goodell laid down the law once again. The NFL commissioner issued a harsh one-year suspension to New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton for his role in the team's bounty system that rewarded defensive players for laying injurious hits on opposing players.

The system's creator, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, now with the St. Louis Ramsm was suspended indefinitely by the league. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for eight games. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt will serve a six-game suspension.

All suspensions are without pay.

Payton's is the most severe sanction for a head coach in the history of the NFL.

The franchise will also have to pay a $500,00 fine and will relinquish its second-round picks in 2012 and 2013.

"Beyond the clear and continuing violations of league rules, and lying to investigators, the bounty program is squarely contrary to the league's most important initiatives — enhancing player health and safety and protecting the integrity of the game," Commissioner Goodell said in a statement. "Let me be clear. There is no place in the NFL for deliberately seeking to injure another player, let alone offering a reward for doing so. Any form of bounty is incompatible with our commitment to create a culture of sportsmanship, fairness, and safety."

Goodell didn't need to add the "let me be clear" line. His discipline leaves little room for doubt. "

 

[Dgodus]

Jesus H Christ! That's no joke. But really, suspending the GM?

 

[HeMadeMeDoIt]

Its well deserved if not for what they did it would be for being so fucking stupid to put it on paper! Good for Goodell!! These dumb motherfuckers were out to intentionally injure other players and there should be no room for that in sports. I know its a contact sport and I encourage the level of aggression in both the NHL and NFL (fighting included) but to have a bounty on players is just plain wrong.

 

[uncleg]

Like there are not enough people getting hurt in pro sports as it is........................

 

[Elmore]

Roger Goodell has overstepped his boundaries as Commissioner. This will all be appealed in the off season. Doubtful any players will be affected and the coaching staffs will be back in place. The NFL players and coaches unions will make sure of that.

Goodell can go pound his cock by himself in his executive bathroom because his time as League commissioner will be coming to an abrupt end within the next month.

Goodell can't fine guys like Suh 2 games for stomping a player and then turn around and not throw the book at the team leaders who incent that sort of behavior. Hopefully you can see why I don't think the players union will be too sympathetic to those involved in this scandal.

 

[blazejowski]

"I'm placing a personal bounty, on the head of Tim McCracken. He's the coach, and chief punk on that Syracuse team."

"Are you crazy? We could all end up in the clinker for this. You can't put a bounty on a man's head."

"I just did."

"Coach, I want that hundred dollars."

"Ya gotta earn it, Killer."

"My attitude's right..."

 

[bcneil]

Im fine with the penalties. Don't really see how you suspend a gm, I guess he gets others to make his phone calls for him, while he sits there on the extension guiding them what to say???

I wonder if they will scrutinize all the nasty hits by the saints the last couple years.

College seems to have worst penalties.....teams not allowed to play in bowl games for years, when they fuck up.

 

[Sexiaccent]

Well done Mr. Goddell!!! Do the same with all the ones that get in any action that damage the game!!! (Anabolics, Drugs, Gambling, Michael Vick, etc).

 

[Devo]

I hope all the other teams go after Brees hard and dirty this year.

 

[87112]

It doesnt take a genius to figure out NFL players taking that extra Ommph on a hit can really wreck a guy career so the punishment fits the crime. How would you like a 250lb guy running straight in your chest with a helmet on?

 

[badbadboy]

All professional sports will be up for some huge costs in the future if they don't get a handle on intent to injure incidents. Players associations are worried their members will have life long disabilities from head shots.

NHL seems to be on the hunt now for intentional head shots and the NFL also have a similar rule.

I say good on Goodell for hitting them hard when they are caught red handed. Make an example of the first one caught and the rest will fall into line pretty damn quickly.

 

[Dgodus]

It doesnt take a genius to figure out NFL players taking that extra Ommph on a hit can really wreck a guy career so the punishment fits the crime. How would you like a 250lb guy running straight in your chest with a helmet on?

Putting your helmet into someones chest is a great way to get yourself paralyzed. Putting your shoulder into someones chest is more effective (and perfectly clean provided it's within the whistles and allowable to hit him). It's blows to the head, horsecollars, crack blocks (a player being engaged high, and another comes and takes out his knees - I think that's the term), going after a qbs legs when he's in a throwing stance/motion, and all manner of late hits which are the problems.

Professional athletes are becoming too big, too fast, too strong for contact based sports (ie football and hockey), in which their players were armor (oddly enough I haven't seen nearly as many players injured during a rugby match - admittedly I don't watch alot of it), to survive without some serious rule overhauls and strict enforcing. Good for Goodell, no way the nflpa backs an appeal for people who condoned intentionally injuring their membership.

True players, although they do want to put a hurt on others, never want to injure someone badly. Much like Ken Norton jr really wanted to pop Kaufman, but contemplated retiring when he realized he completly blew out Kaufman's knee and ended his career.

 

[Elmore]

In a perfect world (at least the Ravens world), Suggs would knock Brady out of a game and Brady and he would be done for the season...giving Baltimore a better chance in the conference. Let's not kid ourselves. The real issue here is the bounty. Intentionally trying to injure another player takes on a different dimension when there is a financial incentive to do it.

 

[Big Dog Striker]

Kudos to Goodell for slamming the bounting-hunting Saints damn hard. Big-time football crime indeed. The irony is that the team is actually called the Saints.

Definitely NOT a good example for the younger generation following the NFL or any sport for that matter. :nod:

Cheap shots are only allowed in the US Presidential Elections. ound:

 

[Mark River]

I'm all for the suspensions. As far as the GM goes, I expect he was either signing the cheques, or approving the bounties in some manner ... that makes him complicit. So, does this end here or are there criminal charges to come? If I offer to pay some thug to break your leg, I think I'm in serious trouble. What's the difference here?

 

[Elmore]

Looks like a judge overturned the ruling and the suspended players who were alleged to be part of the bounty program in New Orleans are eligible to play this Sunday.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...fl-suspensions-appeal/index.html?eref=BrkNews

 

[rexxx]

About time Goodell was out of his mind when he made that decision. I don't normally support the Nuremburg excuse but I think it applies in this case .the coaches and the GM were behind it they should take the blame not the players

 

[bigguy]

Yo rexxx:

Totally disagree with you. Yes, the coaches and GM have undeniable responsibility for their actions. The "buck stops here" (as in top management) does NOT absolve the actions of the lower-level responsibilities for the actions of the players!! They have to be made an example of, albeit lesser penalties than the brass. YOU CAN'T HAVE ASSASSINS in 21st century professional sports. This is not Julius Ceaser's Rome and its gladiators' program.

bigguy