Saints investigated for "Bounty Program"

[hibbingviking]

its just dirty. much like what floyd mayweather did when he punched that fighter during a break. i thought it was tackle football..not trying to knock them out or put them on a stretcher. favre and warner are too proud but the saints probably made them retire a year or 2 early. reminds me of the dirty detroit pistons back in the day but worse. when i was watching the saints playing dirty pool i was hoping the vikings were going to take a 15 yarder and send brees and the saints a message during the game but they didnt.

[Noxage]

I can't describe how pissed I've been about this the last few days.

As Vikings fan, I feel so cheated and robbed.

As a human being I'm completely disgusted. This is absolutely reprehensible.

Williams should be kicked out of the league for good, Payton should be suspended for the year and the 2009 Super Bowl should be vacated.

[VikingLord]

Here's something else I don't get. Why in the world would a player agree to the "bounty" when the cost of getting caught/penalized/fined far outweighs the potential reward of a few measly thousand dollars? Aside from Vilma's $10k bounty, it was reported to this point bounties were in amounts of $1,000 or $1,500, hardly worth it when a player's game check is thousands of dollars over that if fined or suspended. Right? Or am I missing something?

I don't think anybody thought they'd get caught. Anyone participating in it had blood on their hands and it would be against their interest to talk about it outside the organization. If the perceived risk of getting caught is low, even the relatively minor amounts involved could be enough to motivate players to do things they otherwise might not do.

I think that line of reasoning is valid if the program was limited in duration or scope. However, it sounds like it went on for years under Williams and lasted across several of his teams starting with the Bills. Once it reached the level of visibility it did in the 2009 playoffs starting with Kurt Warner and continuing on to Brett Favre I think Williams signed his own death warrant by continuing the program as if nothing had changed. It's too high profile to make the safe assumption that nobody is going to pay enough attention and/or everyone involved will retain the same motivation to keep quiet about it.

[bpviking]

Time will only tell just what the total cost of the "Bounty Crew's" cheap shots and "dirty play" has exacted on the players that were for years victimized by them.
Pro football is a violent enough game as it is without throwing in the cowardly, intentional, cheap shots that are now coming to light by them.
Was that shot to Werner, which by the way was legal but totally unecessary, the shot that a few years down the road impacts his health? He has taken a beating his whole career and to add those kinds of intentional shots is almost criminal.
I love a good clean hit and a physical game, it is a big part of the game but cheap shots, when intended or directed to hurt or intentionally cause a player to be seriously injured, regardless if they are legal or illegal should be dealt with with severe penalties.
Almost any penalty that the league imparts on the participants in the bounty system will not be severe enough

[PurpleMustReign]

But at least Williams, Payton, and the Saint's old fart owner are "sorry". That makes it all better.

[dead_poet]

Just because players make a lot of money doesn't mean they have a lot of walking-around money. Smart ones have big chunks of their checks automatically sent to investments. Dumber ones blow a lot of it. Really dumb ones have a bunch of child support payments coming out automatically.

That extra cash is probably often spent that night. Even for a player, $1k is a nice bonus to make a night a little extra fun.

I'm probably being naive, but I find that hard to believe. Some of these players are sitting there with between $400k-10m (let's say) and they need $1,500 from someone else to go out and party? Even if you blow some of it and have the child support payments coming out I just don't see how the offer is really that enticing. $20k? Okay, I get it.

Maybe it's more bragging rights in the locker room. "Haha, he's leaving on a stretcher. I'm the one that got him! I'm a ####! What, what!"

Just seems stupid. Especially when you consider the penalty cost to your team if flagged and potential financial hit if fined/suspended.

[vikeinmontana]

it's similar to what you see in golf betting all the time. you have these tour players that are making millions and almost all of them are getting big sponsorship money to boot. yet you hear about their practice round wagers with eachother and they play for like $5 a hole! pretty funny actually and very common. so it's not that it's the $5 that is so important....but simply beating your opponent. which is what makes this bounty thing so retarded in the first place. you are SUPPOSED to play your #### off and hit your opponents as hard as you can. what else are you doing out there? but the best way to hurt a player and take him out of a game is not by a huge hit within the rules....but rather a cheapshot when your opponent isn't expecting it.

[bpviking]

it's similar to what you see in golf betting all the time. you have these tour players that are making millions and almost all of them are getting big sponsorship money to boot. yet you hear about their practice round wagers with eachother and they play for like $5 a hole! pretty funny actually and very common. so it's not that it's the $5 that is so important....but simply beating your opponent. which is what makes this bounty thing so retarded in the first place. you are SUPPOSED to play your #### off and hit your opponents as hard as you can. what else are you doing out there? but the best way to hurt a player and take him out of a game is not by a huge hit within the rules....but rather a cheapshot when your opponent isn't expecting it.

Good analagoy with the golf. I doubt that anyone "needed" the relatively small pittance of bounty money that they earned, it was more than likely for the recognition by their team's defensive peers and coaches that they were seeking. ie. when your boss (Williams) is encouraging you with money and praise to do his bidding then you probably feel "obliged" to conform or be ostracized from the rest of the defense if you do not participate. What a bunch of punks

[NextQuestion]

Hopefully we get some calls our way into a superbowl run. F*ck it. Just rig it for us already

[dead_poet]

More details surrounding the bounty program.

Bounty report paints ugly picture for Saints, NFL
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... aints-nfl/

[bpviking]

This is going to be Katrina part II.

[vikeinmontana]

More details surrounding the bounty program.

Bounty report paints ugly picture for Saints, NFL
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... aints-nfl/

hogwash. everyone knows this is nothing more than vikings fans having sour grapes....

[dead_poet]

A little off-topic, but I found this amusing. Poor Saints. (of course, I say that and watch them come back and win it all).

Drew Brees - QB - Saints

Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune speculates that exclusive franchise player Drew Brees will skip Saints offseason workouts next month.

The ominous signs for the 2012 season are snowballing in New Orleans. Team leader Brees doesn't want to lose leverage in contract talks by giving in on offseason workouts. The Saints are in danger of losing Pro Bowl LG Carl Nicks, No. 1 receiver Marques Colston, and deep threat Robert Meachem. Without a first-round pick thanks to last year's Mark Ingram trade, the Saints could lose further draft picks as a result of the "bounty" scandal.
Source: Profootballtalk on NBCSports.com

[PurpleMustReign]

In Sid Hartman's column today Bud Grant says the Saint's aren't at fault because "pay for play" has been going on forever.
what is wrong with these people? Pay the #### attention. The problem is the pay was for HURTING another player, not for interceptions or sacks. I have always had tons of respect for Bud Grant, but this makes me wonder about his mental state right now. Is he really saying they are the same thing?

[HardcoreVikesFan]

A little off-topic, but I found this amusing. Poor Saints. (of course, I say that and watch them come back and win it all).

Drew Brees - QB - Saints

Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune speculates that exclusive franchise player Drew Brees will skip Saints offseason workouts next month.

The ominous signs for the 2012 season are snowballing in New Orleans. Team leader Brees doesn't want to lose leverage in contract talks by giving in on offseason workouts. The Saints are in danger of losing Pro Bowl LG Carl Nicks, No. 1 receiver Marques Colston, and deep threat Robert Meachem. Without a first-round pick thanks to last year's Mark Ingram trade, the Saints could lose further draft picks as a result of the "bounty" scandal.
Source: Profootballtalk on NBCSports.com

Let those #### burn. That franchise deserves everything it gets.