Posted on 03/02/2012 2:41:59 PM PST by toast
Between 22 and 27 defensive players on the New Orleans Saints, as well as defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, maintained a "bounty" program funded primarily by players in violation of NFL rules during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons, the NFL announced Friday.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...
Wow....Poor sportsmanship at its worst.
I see nothing wrong with this at all. It’s a physical game.
In the ‘old days’ of the NFL, teams used to do this with good effect. Think of it as an employee incentive bonus.
What’s wrong with it is there are rules explicitly against it. Not to mention the fact that it’s a cap violation. We can argue that it shouldn’t be against the rules, we can point to history, but the fact remains it’s very much against not 1 but 2 sets of rules.
“... included “bounty” payments to players for inflicting injuries on opposing players that would result in them being removed from a game.”
You read this part and still saw “nothing wrong with this at all.”?
A year’s suspension from the league would be about reasonable.
For once, a bunch of union guys want to participate in merit pay bonuses and this happens./sarc
As a Vikings fan that watched Farve repeatedly hit late in the 2009 NFC Championship game, I feel the saints should be stripped of their Superbowl win. Maybe even lose 1st round draft picks for the next 2 years.
Sounds like something out of the movie Slap Shot. Dr Hook McCraken.
I heard a Steeler player in a bar (South Side) say its done all the time. Not by his team of course. Said New England was the worst. He said, payback is a bitch for them and that too happens all the time.
You took the words right out of my mouth. What I couldn’t understand in that game was the refs blind spot to Farve being thrown around. I wouldn’t be surprised if refs got a kick back to the “bonus” pot.
Ok, I’ll concede that it shouldn’t be done, given how it’s against the rules. With regard to “hurting people”... It’s football. What is a very physical game by design. Here lately, the league and Players Association would almost put skirts on ALL of them.(it used to be just quarterbacks and kickers)
I like a good hard hit as much as the next guy. It’s what makes the game great. But Warner retired after his concussion. Farve was never the same after a great 2009.
Purposely trying to injure players risks their livelihood and affects more than just the injured player.
After all the concussion debate lately this is going to bring crushing sanctions to the Saints.
Willfully trying to injure an opposing player (especially for bonuses) that could possibly end their career should result in a permanent ban from the sport.
Facial forechecking, blatant high sticking, slashing and tripping at the boards would have a wonderful effect in hockey too........
This is not the old days. Jack Lambert came into the NFL at 205, middle LB. we now have guys 300 lbs plus running 5.0 in the forty. The game has drastically changed but the brain has stayed the same.
I was born in Blitzburg but the days of Big Daddy Lipsom sacking TA Title are over. They are all Big Daddy and they are dangerous.
I have read Jim Brown’s book and it was pretty tough in his time on a relatIve basis. Today is different. We have a league full of thugs that have no problem of taking someone out. It is legal.
I know NOTHING about sports. However, wasn’t there a problem w/ Pete Rose (I think that was him, the one not allowed into the baseball HOF) betting on games he was playing in?
Perhaps not the same thing here, but to have “bounties” to purposefully injure a player out of a game seems ungamely to me.....as to injuring a player on purpose.
They both seem to play along the lines of “throwing” a game.
It was apparent that they were out to hurt Brett Favre in the playoffs a couple of years ago. As bad as this is, the NFL officials are the ones that should be the most severely punished, because they consistently looked the other way!
Good one!
BTTT!
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