Sean Payton suspended one year.

[majestrate]

Originally Posted by Thorn

As a head coach, if you are aware of an active bounty program on your team, and you do not stop it, you should be banned forever from being a head coach again.

Pretty sure that Goodell just set the example. If this happens again, the penalties will be even more severe

[Kimmy]

Originally Posted by Thorn

As a head coach, if you are aware of an active bounty program on your team, and you do not stop it, you should be banned forever from being a head coach again.

I think I agree with you on this one.

However

I am sure more teams have done this. The Saints are the ones that got caught ala Patriots Spygate.

I am very glad it came out, was so harshly penalized in an effort to stop it.

[HoustonFrog]

I think this is B.S.

If it was proven that Payton "ordered" to hurt people...not hit hard, I can see it. But their "bounty" system was the same as a large amount of teams in the NFL. Guys like Darren Woodson and others said they had pots for big hits and plays...that they wanted to hit a guy hard in the rules of the game and knock him out of the game.

In Roger Goodalls world it goes like this..."Suspend him for a year because of player safety....how about that 18 game season." A joke.

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by GlassHalfFull

I read DB as saying how the league is bi polar on the issue.

Not that he condones either position, but how the league puts out conflicting messages. Hard for the players to know what is ok or not based on that.

I think you are right but I think they have been pretty consistent the last few years. We used to see shows like JACK'D UP and they used to revel in that stuff...but they cut that out and cleaned up the game a few years back. If they didn't penalize Payton harshly then I would feel like they were sending a bi-polar message since they have come down so hard on the players in recent years so I see this as consistent, not inconsistent.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by majestrate

*facepalm*

Why are you comparing video taping another team to promoting the injury of other players? Apples and oranges

They're still both fruit.

[The1ApplePie]

Originally Posted by Vinny

ain't the same league as in the 70's. I think it is one thing to have the players have a little pool but when you have management directing your guys to hurt someone, you are totally, totally, totally crossing the line. Your Son plays football...why do you think that this is ok or is it ok that if your son ever played in the NFL you would be ok with team management schemeing to break his leg or put him out of the game with a concussion? Is that what you are saying? You think this game is too soft a game because its not ok to intentionally hurt someone?

Outside of being scared of law suits, I still think its a crock to believe the NFL gives one **** about player safety.

Offense = Ratings

Defensive players still get ear-holed and cut blocked while the rules make it easier every year to score more points.

Spygate helped a major market team score more points. Therefore it was good for the NFL and Belicheat got a slap on the wrist.

Bounty Gate could have/did hurt players, but they were offensive guys. Plus, NO is a small market, so Goodell can put the whoop ass stick to them and not lose ratings.

Would the penalties be this bad if it was NE, Dallas, NYG, NYJ, etc?

Just my tin foil hat moment of the day. I'm starting to sound like Dex

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by The1ApplePie

Outside of being scared of law suits, I still think its a crock to believe the NFL gives one **** about player safety.

Offense = Ratings

Defensive players still get ear-holed and cut blocked while the rules make it easier every year to score more points.

Spygate helped a major market team score more points. Therefore it was good for the NFL and Belicheat got a slap on the wrist.

Bounty Gate could have/did hurt players, but they were offensive guys. Plus, NO is a small market, so Goodell can put the whoop ass stick to them and not lose ratings.

Would the penalties be this bad if it was NE, Dallas, NYG, NYJ, etc?

Just my tin foil hat moment of the day. I'm starting to sound like Dex

If you had a Son playing I think you would feel different about Management sanctioning hurting opponents on purpose. There is a massive difference in some guys making a competitive pool about who can deliver a big blow, but once Management tells you to go out and intentionally hurt someone its no longer a game...its friggin' throwing Christians to the Lions.

[The1ApplePie]

Originally Posted by Vinny

If you had a Son playing I think you would feel different about Management sanctioning hurting opponents on purpose. There is a massive difference in some guys making a competitive pool about who can deliver a big blow, but once Management tells you to go out and intentionally hurt someone its no longer a game...its friggin' throwing Christians to the Lions.

For the record, I hate the Saints and think they should have been punished to hell. I just think it would have been lighter if it had been against defensive players or was by a big market team.

The "management" at my high school had the same policy (no money though). I agree that I would not want my son playing for a coaching staff like that, let alone against a team with such leaders.

[majestrate]

Originally Posted by Vinny

There is a massive difference in some guys making a competitive pool about who can deliver a big blow, but once Management tells you to go out and intentionally hurt someone its no longer a game...its friggin' throwing Christians to the Lions.

This. Exactly this. I was saying the same thing on ESPN's comments when the investigation story first broke.

Edit: Okay, before "Blake the Comedian" quotes me again, I said most of that

[Thorn]

Originally Posted by majestrate

This. Exactly this. I was saying the same thing on ESPN's comments when the investigation story first broke.

Yes. It is one thing to bemoan the wussyfication of the NFL, which I do, but it's quite another to condone deliberately injuring another player. Those are two very seperate things.

[Vinny]

Dan Reeves agrees with the NFL...podcast from 610 a little bit ago

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2012/03/...medium=twitter

[majestrate]

I was a Jints fan when Dan Reeves was coaching. Much dislike for that guy.

/tangent, with apologies

[Hardcore Texan]

Who dat gonna coach dem saints?

[The1ApplePie]

From looking at comments on other boards, I think a "Hurricane Goodell" meme might be incoming

[gwallaia]

I tried to go to the one of the Saints message boards but the server was too busy.

[Kimmy]

Originally Posted by gwallaia

I tried to go to the one of the Saints message boards but the server was too busy.

I bet!!!

[houstonspartan]

A couple of things.

1) I think the reason that the penalty was so harsh was because the Saints got caught, were told to stop, and kept doing it. That's the bigger picture here. It's not like they were just discovered having instituted a bounty program. After an investigation, they were confronted and were told to discontinue doing this. Instead of discontinuing it, they not only kept doing it, but they ramped it up into a formal, organized program and process.

2) This is a reminder that we, as Texans fans, if we ever get to a solid, winning streak where we are truly a elite franchise, should keep it classy when we root for our team. Yes, we should be happy and root for our Texans and be proud, but, there's a line. Saints fans have taken their team's success WAAAY to far, and are some of the most arrogant fans I have ever seen: in your face, chanting who dis, dat and the other, CONSTANTLY talking about Hurricane Katrina (and then, the BP Oil Spill), yammering about how their city is the only city in the world with any kind of culture, slamming other cities for no reason, taunting other teams for not taking Drew Brees (ok, I might give them that one, but still...), harping about their supposedly-great defense, and on and on and so on and so forth.

Enough already.

I used to like the Saints, because I thought their "story" was interesting, and it was nice to see a new NFL Powerhouse emerge to challenge New England, but, now, I really don't care about the Saints either way.Their fans have turned me against them.

This penalty was more than justified.

[Vinny]

The statement of Roger Goodell said it all:

“We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game. 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. 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.”

[Rey]

Originally Posted by HoustonFrog

I think this is B.S.

If it was proven that Payton "ordered" to hurt people...not hit hard, I can see it. But their "bounty" system was the same as a large amount of teams in the NFL. Guys like Darren Woodson and others said they had pots for big hits and plays...that they wanted to hit a guy hard in the rules of the game and knock him out of the game.

In Roger Goodalls world it goes like this..."Suspend him for a year because of player safety....how about that 18 game season." A joke.

This is what I was wondering about...

Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to this bounty gate stuff...

Were they paying players to actively seek to injure other players? Or were they paying for big hits that let to injuries? Or were they just paying for big hits in general?

[SheTexan]

Not tough enough! JMO. What are they gonna do to the players that participated?