With all the injuries that take place in modern football it's no doubt that the NFL had to dish out some big time penalties for a New Orleans Saints team that was placing bounties on other players. Roger Goodell said "no one is above the game or the rules that govern it" and that "respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised". He proved that Wednesday when he handed the saints a hefty $500,000 fine, along with stripping them of their 2nd round draft picks for the next 2 seasons.
Sean Payton, the Saints head coach, was also suspended for the duration of 1 year.
The Saints ex-defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, has been suspended from the NFL indefinitely. Apparently the defense wasn't the only thing Williams was coordinating. He was also the one who, supposedly, was coordinating the bounty program.
Additionally, it's been reported that the Saints' GM Mickey Loomis could also be looking at an 8-game suspension with a $500,000 fine of his own.
No players have been suspended, or fined, for their involvement in the program but ESPN has reported that the program is still under investigation.
Now, to me Sean Payton's 1 year suspension simply isn't enough. If he knew about the bounty program, and clearly the NFL says he did, he should have been either suspended longer or suspended with a big time fine. By not putting a stop to the program, he was just as involved as the one who started it (Gregg Williams) in my opinion. I also think HUGE fines (of no less than $100,000 each) should be handed out to all the players who dished out money for this program, especially including Jonathan Vilma who put up the $10,000 fine to knock Brett Favre out of a game.
There are already enough injuries in football without the need for players purposely trying to hurt one another. There is NO place for it in the game.
Sean Payton, the Saints head coach, was also suspended for the duration of 1 year.
The Saints ex-defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, has been suspended from the NFL indefinitely. Apparently the defense wasn't the only thing Williams was coordinating. He was also the one who, supposedly, was coordinating the bounty program.
Additionally, it's been reported that the Saints' GM Mickey Loomis could also be looking at an 8-game suspension with a $500,000 fine of his own.
No players have been suspended, or fined, for their involvement in the program but ESPN has reported that the program is still under investigation.
Now, to me Sean Payton's 1 year suspension simply isn't enough. If he knew about the bounty program, and clearly the NFL says he did, he should have been either suspended longer or suspended with a big time fine. By not putting a stop to the program, he was just as involved as the one who started it (Gregg Williams) in my opinion. I also think HUGE fines (of no less than $100,000 each) should be handed out to all the players who dished out money for this program, especially including Jonathan Vilma who put up the $10,000 fine to knock Brett Favre out of a game.
There are already enough injuries in football without the need for players purposely trying to hurt one another. There is NO place for it in the game.
