Bountygate Punishment for the Saints

[over the mountain]

I havent read everything there is on this but imo giving an incentive to take a player out doesnt mean encouraging your players to play dirty.

Imo it means encouraging hard hits within the rules.

Hearing alot of players comment on radio, theyve all hinted at some kind "bounty" on every team.

punishment seems really harsh and arbitrary. Two game suspension and a draft pick would have been fine.

An legit appeal process should be put in place for discipline actions.

[Defensewins]

The severity of the punishment does not fit the crime. This is more about the upcoming concussion lawsuits and how the NFL treats players like a disposable commodity than actual human beings all while owners are making big money.
They are trying to make up for decades of past wrong doing in one incident - Saints Bounty gate.
Williams and the Saints franchise are the fall guys. Goddell has gone too far to try punish one team and make the point of, 'see we have changed our ways.'
The punishment should have been:

Williams one year suspension
Payton and Loomis half of a season
$500,000 or more in fines
No loss of draft picks.
Players involved suspended a game or two.
This punishment has ruined a good an entertaining franchise.
They did not cheat or throw a game or gamble on football ala Pete Rose.

[DynamiteRave]

I think Williams punishment is fitting, but Payton's could be scaled back some. Unfortunate about the draft picks though. But oh well. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, eh? Goodell seems to pull no punches.

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

I thought Williams should've gotten 6 games and Payton 2. The GM should've gotten 1 or 2. That's it.

...thats a joke!

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

“We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game,” Commissioner Goodell said. “We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised.”

“A combination of elements made this matter particularly unusual and egregious,” Commissioner Goodell continued. “When there is targeting of players for injury and cash rewards over a three-year period, the involvement of the coaching staff, and three years of denials and willful disrespect of the rules, a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game.”

The really key element as we talked about before (and what separates this in a big way from SpyGate) is that the Saints denied this for 3 years. Confronted, denied. Confronted again, admitted said they would do something about it...did nothing. Saints could have avoided harsher punishment had they admitted right away

....seems this needs to be repeated over and over!

[Giantone]

Originally Posted by over the mountain

I havent read everything there is on this but imo giving an incentive to take a player out doesnt mean encouraging your players to play dirty.

Imo it means encouraging hard hits within the rules.

$1500 for a "knockout"

$1000 to be "carried off "

I can remove a player from the play by doing my job on the field ....that does'nt mean injury,maiming,or disabling another player.

[BabyLuku]

I don't agree with the suspension of payton or the picks but definitely the suspension of Williams.
NFL players should be passionate enough about the game that they try as hard as they possibly can on every play.
Money to injure a targeted player seems like it would just make the player lose track of all their other assignments, and what's best for the team on the play.

[REDSKINS4ever]

I think even though Gregg Williams history goes back to Buffalo and Washington, too many years had gone by and Roger Goddell's judgment was to try the newest case at hand. Then there were former Redskins who had denied it so with Williams four/five years removed from Washington, there was no need to investigate the Redskins. But the Saints could be investigated. Goddell said this had been going on since 2010 and was able to gain significant information and they took action. But only New Orleans coaches and players will be punished. Sean Payton should have stopped it.

[CrustyRedskin]

I wonder what Pete Rozzell would have done. Godells position is worse than a school board, 7 people making decisions on education that have no prior back ground in education. I wonder if Godell was in the band and got his ass beat every day at school.

[irish]

Originally Posted by REDSKINS4ever

I think even though Gregg Williams history goes back to Buffalo and Washington, too many years had gone by and Roger Goddell's judgment was to try the newest case at hand. Then there were former Redskins who had denied it so with Williams four/five years removed from Washington, there was no need to investigate the Redskins. But the Saints could be investigated. Goddell said this had been going on since 2010 and was able to gain significant information and they took action. But only New Orleans coaches and players will be punished. Sean Payton should have stopped it.

There were also Skins who said it happened so there was a reason to investigate the Skins. The amount of years ago has nothing to do with why the Skins were let off the hook because if the NFL wanted to investigate they would. The NFL wants this to appear to be an isolated incident that they can package up nice & neat and be done with it. This is very similar to the Skins cap-gate. Sure everyone did similar but the Skins & Boys did it a bit more so the NFL makes an example of them as unique, packages up the punishemnt nice & neat and its over.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by Giantone

...thats a joke!

If the Giants did this you'd be on my side!

[Evilgrin]

Crap decision because way to many other teams do it, and it's been going on in the NFL forever. Goodell is a moron, get rid of him.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by Evilgrin

Crap decision because way to many other teams do it, and it's been going on in the NFL forever. Goodell is a moron, get rid of him.

So a lot of other teams break rules, lie to the league about it, then deny any wrong doing, then admit it and say they will stop, then keep doing it, then lie to the league again over a 3 year period. Wow, it's amazing that the NFL can even function if that's the case.

Put it this way, I could see Vinny doing this easily, but I would put forward that if the NFL had told Joe Gibbs this needed to stop, he would have stopped it the first time, and not lied about it and covered it up.

[SmootSmack]

My faith in humanity is getting destroyed by some of the comments in this thread

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

My faith in humanity is getting destroyed by some of the comments in this thread

No kidding.