Saints investigated for "Bounty Program"

[Viking Voodoo]

I dunno, they won the game, flustered our QB enough to make a throw my 9yr old daughter wouldnt make, seemed pretty effective to me. The fumbles werent without cause???? Their play/win wont lose any luster to me, at all. They played hard and to the whistle, they played well enough to win, thats all a D can be asked to do IMO.

Luster=lost

[S197]

For me the biggest problem is this came from Williams. Players will talk and do stuff like this all the time, we've heard Jared Allen say numerous things over the years about what he's going to do to XYZ's QB. But for a defensive coordinator to administer a program that provides incentive to injure someone? Totally different ballgame.

[Sutsgold]

I have always felt that the Vikings were robbed that game. If you recall, several months after the game, the nfl quietly announced that there were several hits on favre that should have been ruled as penalties. Now to find out that the coaching staff had a bounty as high as possibly 50K, and Vilma himself put 10k in cash on a table in addition, to whoever knocked favre out of the game, just makes me angry. It effected the game. Favre was never the same. He was damaged goods after that.

If the league finds all of this to be true, and the vikings qb was specifically a target, than the Vikings should be compensated heavily with the saints draft pics.

What would the league have done if it was Brady with the bounty on him?

[PurpleMustReign]

I wonder where those Saints fans are that trolled this board back then?

[Viking Voodoo]

Ohhh God I hate reliving this game...I'm going to puke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRd5jkJ1dEo

Team Stat Comparison

MIN NO
1st Downs
31 15
Passing 1st downs
17 8
Rushing 1st downs
10 4
1st downs from Penalties
4 3
3rd down efficiency
7-12 3-12
4th down efficiency
0-0 1-1
Total Plays 82 55
Total Yards 475 257
Passing 310 189
Comp-Att
28-46 17-31
Yards per pass
6.7 6.1
Rushing 165 68
Rushing Attempts
36 23
Yards per rush
4.6 3.0
Red Zone (Made-Att) 4-6 3-3
Penalties 5-32 9-88
Turnovers 5 1
Fumbles lost
3 1
Interceptions thrown
2 0
Defensive / Special Teams TDs 0 0
Possession 36:49 27:56

[S197]

I wonder if Remi will get suspended. What a huge blow to our team that would be. [/sarcasm]

[Sutsgold]

Just reminded on TV that the high low cheap hit was later fined, but during the game it resulted in an interception. Vikings should get whatever draft pics the saints will have to give up!

[Viking Voodoo]

Just reminded on TV that the high low cheap hit was later fined, but during the game it resulted in an interception. Vikings should get whatever draft pics the saints will have to give up!

Reparations! I like it!

[saint33]

Some of the hits on Favre in that game were absolutely dirty, I don't know where you're coming from PG. Low shots at Favre's knees, late hits, some from his blindside. It's not just Viking fans who felt that way, almost anyone I know who watched that game other than Saints fans thought the Vikings were screwed time and time again with what the refs allowed the Saints to get away with.

[Viking Voodoo]

Some of the hits on Favre in that game were absolutely dirty, I don't know where you're coming from PG. Low shots at Favre's knees, late hits, some from his blindside. It's not just Viking fans who felt that way, almost anyone I know who watched that game other than Saints fans thought the Vikings were screwed time and time again with what the refs allowed the Saints to get away with.

I'm sure if the Viking were wrapped up in this scandal he would be saying how awful of an organization we are.

[BGM]

Eh. So they wanted to hit a QB or crush a WR, its football. No one will ever convince me they played dirty vs the Vikings in that game, ever. That is just sour grapes, IMO. They are turning the NFL into a 2 hand touch league, let em play.

I don't believe they played dirty. But having a bounty system that encouraged hurting opposing players? That's just reprehensible.

Chuck Bednarik didn't need a bounty system to deliver bone-crushing hits, and Conrad Dobler didn't need one to be considered a dirty player. It's the fact it was systemic that makes me shake my head. Honestly, if the best incentive you can give your players to play and hit hard is to pay them for causing injuries, that how good a coach are you, really?

[purple guy]

Some of the hits on Favre in that game were absolutely dirty, I don't know where you're coming from PG. Low shots at Favre's knees, late hits, some from his blindside. It's not just Viking fans who felt that way, almost anyone I know who watched that game other than Saints fans thought the Vikings were screwed time and time again with what the refs allowed the Saints to get away with.

Well, you sure can have your opinion and I have mine. IMO, there was not a dirty play vs the Vikings in that game. My Dad and I get in pretty heated debates about that game as he shares your sour grapes opinion, I dont. Its football. Youre gonna get hit, sometimes hard, sometimes from a bad direction, sometimes you might get hurt. Had the Vikings D played like that Im sure you'd love it, since it was against us, its shameful....................

[purple guy]

I'm sure if the Viking were wrapped up in this scandal he would be saying how awful of an organization we are.

An aweful organiztion for playing tough, aggressive, mean defense??? Nope, Id be happy as heck if the Vikings D played anywhere near as aggressive as Williams' D plays.

[purple guy]

I don't believe they played dirty. But having a bounty system that encouraged hurting opposing players? That's just reprehensible.

Chuck Bednarik didn't need a bounty system to deliver bone-crushing hits, and Conrad Dobler didn't need one to be considered a dirty player. It's the fact it was systemic that makes me shake my head. Honestly, if the best incentive you can give your players to play and hit hard is to pay them for causing injuries, that how good a coach are you, really?

I agree, the bounty was stupid. However, I dont think they meant to injure players by playing dirty, just by playing mean and aggressive. Every defensive player dreams of a big, mean shot at an opposing player, if they say they dont, they are lying. Having a bounty was stupid, and Im sure they'll have to pay for it, as they should, but I dont think they played dirty at all.

[Demi]

Well, you sure can have your opinion and I have mine. IMO, there was not a dirty play vs the Vikings in that game. My Dad and I get in pretty heated debates about that game as he shares your sour grapes opinion, I dont. Its football. Youre gonna get hit, sometimes hard, sometimes from a bad direction, sometimes you might get hurt. Had the Vikings D played like that Im sure you'd love it, since it was against us, its shameful....................

The NFL feels they were as well. Hitting a QB after a handoff isn't cheap?

Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has publicly apologized, hours after the NFL announced that Williams had violated league rules by orchestrating a system of bounties during his time on the staff of the Saints.

“I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the ‘pay for performance’ program while I was with the Saints,” Williams said. “It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. I take full responsibility for my role. I am truly sorry. I have learned a hard lesson and I guarantee that I will never participate in or allow this kind of activity to happen again.”

Williams isn’t making any type of effort to deny or minimize his role in this: He broke the rules, he knows he broke the rules, and he knows consequences are coming.

The words of an innocent man who did nothing wrong!

And let's not forget this year, when they were trying to shoulder tackle Peterson by his ankle, as well as twisting on it at the bottom of a pile. Nothing dirty though!