OH MY GOD....Sean Payton suspended one year

[polamalubeast]

Sean Payton suspended one year. Mickey Loomis 8 game and $500,000 fine. Saints fined $500,000 and a second round pick in 2012 and 2013.


http://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/statuses/182508035074297856

[steeldawg]

WOW!!!!

[zulater]

Wow is right! While I think the charge's are somewhat trumped up, the fact is they were warned to cease and desist in 2009 and continued to carry on as if never confronted. Therefore any punishment they got is completely warranted.

[tube517]

So, what about Gregg Williams?

[vader29]

Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely.

[86WARD]

Props to the NFL for dropping the
Hammer hard!

[venom]

Mother of all creatures big and small

[fansince'76]

THIS is what should've happened to the Patriots back in 2007.

[Chidi29]

And assistant coach Joe Vitt was suspended for six games.

[NCSteeler]

So what the Patriots did was just a minor infraction. This is complete and utter BS from the king of BS. No way this should draw hard penalties than SPYGATE which actually did affect the "integrity" of the game.

[steelerdude15]

Wow, this franchise will struggle majorly this year. Talk about being slammed.

[steelerdude15]

So what the Patriots did was just a minor infraction. This is complete and utter BS from the king of BS. No way this should draw hard penalties than SPYGATE which actually did affect the "integrity" of the game.

Maybe they realized from that incident that they need to be hard on people and that they weren't hard enough.

[steelerdude15]

It just makes you wonder what will happen with the players?

[SteelerEmpire]

Wow. Saints coaching staff just got barebacked by the long arm of Goodell's law !

[steelreserve]

Pretty crappy if you ask me. It's not like he was actually cheating, or killing dogs. I was actually glad to see something in place to reward people for playing the opposite of how Goodell wants them to, and think the whole bounty scandal is WAY overblown.

[steelerdude15]

I think that this is fair. I have no problem with players playing hard and hitting people, but not trying to injure other players. That just isn't right.

[fansince'76]

This will set that team back YEARS.

[steelerdude15]

This will set that team back YEARS.

Maybe a year or two, but I don't think it would be too many. I don't see them winning the division this year, but you never know, they could pull it through.

[SteelerEmpire]

WHO DAT

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/551395_3361976620729_1608504713_32885799_725979572 _n.jpg

[XxKnightxX]

This will set that team back YEARS.

The worst part is how they franchised Brees and dragged him into that burning and sinking ship.

[polamalubeast]

I know you guys are waiting on me to comment on Bounty gate sanctions. So wait no more. I am not texting about it again!

https://twitter.com/#!/RealRClark25/status/182524825162612736

[steelerdude15]

Goodell is about to be on NFLN to speak of it, well that's what I'm guessing he's going to talk about.

[tube517]

THIS is what should've happened to the Patriots back in 2007.

Exactly


Goodell is about to be on NFLN to speak of it, well that's what I'm guessing he's going to talk about.

Let me make sure my TV is OFF

[O'Malley]

The worst part is how they franchised Brees and dragged him into that burning and sinking ship.

I was uder the impression that Brees has not signed the franchise tag, and looking for a long term contract.. Am I wrong?

[ShutDown24]

Could have been longer for all I care. Get Williams out for life.

[steelerdude15]

I was uder the impression that Brees has not signed the franchise tag, and looking for a long term contract.. Am I wrong?

Yeah, he won't sign the tag.

[O'Malley]

Yeah, he won't sign the tag.

That's what I thought... He may just jump ship!!! Get away from the hot mess..

[GodfatherofSoul]

Goodell is about to be on NFLN to speak of it, well that's what I'm guessing he's going to talk about.

"Look at me an my awesome leadership. See how tough I am? ...What about the Patriots?"

[Godfather]

Way overboard. There is already a system in place to punish dirty hits. Any player who committed such an infraction lost a lot more in fines than he made in bounties.

Throw the book at Gregg Williams, but otherwise let it go. This has no bearing on the integrity of the game.

[fansince'76]

There is already a system in place to punish dirty hits.

Not to mention legal hits which are deemed to be "too hard" by the media... :coffee:

[Chidi29]

Way overboard. There is already a system in place to punish dirty hits. Any player who committed such an infraction lost a lot more in fines than he made in bounties.

Throw the book at Gregg Williams, but otherwise let it go. This has no bearing on the integrity of the game.

That's why no players were suspended or fined. It was the coaches and ownership who knew about this and had a helping hand in letting the system thrive.

[fansince'76]

That's why no players were suspended or fined.

Not yet, anyway. I think the NFLPA requested that they be allowed to conduct their own investigation of the matter before any players were punished over it.

[86WARD]

So what the Patriots did was just a minor infraction. This is complete and utter BS from the king of BS. No way this should draw hard penalties than SPYGATE which actually did affect the "integrity" of the game.

Player safety is the reason.

[86WARD]

That's why no players were suspended or fined. It was the coaches and ownership who knew about this and had a helping hand in letting the system thrive.

Player penalties are coming...

[suitanim]

NO, this is NOT what should have happened to the Pats. If you think this penalty fits this crime, then the Pats should have been stripped of their championship, Belichick should have been suspended for ten years, and the Pats should have been fined 10 million dollars.. This was VERY MINOR compared to what the Patriots did.

[XxKnightxX]

That's what I thought... He may just jump ship!!! Get away from the hot mess..

Im sure they would go after him if he doesnt sign the tag. Remember when they passed on him for CulPepper
http://d.aerno.com/dg/lolphins2.jpg

[fansince'76]

NO, this is NOT what should have happened to the Pats. If you think this penalty fits this crime...

I don't, though. I think in this case, the punishment was WAY overboard.

[Count Steeler]

Just makes the Pats* scandal stink that much more. What does Kraft have on Goodell anyway? And I'm sure the Pats* end up with the Saints picks anyways.

[IUSteel]

This is sheer and utter bullshit. According to Mike Golic of Mike & Mike, this goes on on every team, in every locker room, under every head coach. Players are encouraged to hit hard and hit often. Hell, even the NFL sells the Hardest Hits bit. I think they should be punished, but they should be punished by the precedent set forth. And that precedent is you slap the coach's wrist and look the other way. Patriots should retroactively lose their Super Bowl wins if this is actually going to play out as announced.

Again, let me say I dislike the Saints and Payton. But you don't get to freak out over something that possibly affected one year of football indirectly versus blatant, caught-red-handed cheating over seven years and dismiss the latter and overreact on the former. Precedent has been set, it is now your responsibility to follow it or completely redesign (and, I don't know, maybe fucking clarify in writing your discipline policy?) your punishment procedure.

Is it possible to impeach an NFL commissioner?

[GBMelBlount]

No more Payton place...

[O'Malley]

That's why no players were suspended or fined. It was the coaches and ownership who knew about this and had a helping hand in letting the system thrive.

NFLPA is investigating right now and players heads will roll!!!!

[O'Malley]

NO, this is NOT what should have happened to the Pats. If you think this penalty fits this crime, then the Pats should have been stripped of their championship, Belichick should have been suspended for ten years, and the Pats should have been fined 10 million dollars.. This was VERY MINOR compared to what the Patriots did.

This x1,000,000,000.....

[stillers4me]

Do not anger Herr Goodell.

[zulater]

I don't, though. I think in this case, the punishment was WAY overboard.

The thing is they were found out and warned back in 2009, yet continued on with the bounty practice right up until last season. That's just stupid on the Saints part and they deserve whatever punishment that is meted out as a result.

[salamander]

NO, this is NOT what should have happened to the Pats. If you think this penalty fits this crime, then the Pats should have been stripped of their championship, Belichick should have been suspended for ten years, and the Pats should have been fined 10 million dollars.. This was VERY MINOR compared to what the Patriots did.

This.

[zulater]

This.

You really want to be awarded a championship on a technicality? Yeah that would really be satisfying. Not!

Back in the 70's it was taken for granted that your opponent was spying on you. That's why you guarded your practices, play call's etc... If the Steelers or anyone else were victimized by the Patriots video procedures, shame on them. If you take the proper precautions you're not vulnerable.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Just more complete bullshit from Goodell. I'm sure that the Pats got a draft pick out of it.

[SMR]

Maybe they realized from that incident that they need to be hard on people and that they weren't hard enough.

I agree.

Still, I wish Goodell would do the right thing and actually have the backbone to rivisit the Spygate incident and strip the Patsies of their Super Bowl "wins" or AT LEAST put an official asterisk on each bowl "win"!!

[st33lersguy]

A YEAR! WOW!

[SteelGhost]

It just makes you wonder what will happen with the players?

My thoughts exactly, the players involved in the "Saintly Bounty" MUST be punished too, it's insane to try to collect money by hurting a colleague IMHO

[silver & black]

NO, this is NOT what should have happened to the Pats. If you think this penalty fits this crime, then the Pats should have been stripped of their championship, Belichick should have been suspended for ten years, and the Pats should have been fined 10 million dollars.. This was VERY MINOR compared to what the Patriots did.

Damn right!

[silver & black]

LOL.... the Saints were too good, so the douche bag had to ruin the franchise, so his prized **patr*ots** had a better shot. What a total fucking joke this asswipe is.

[86WARD]

This is way worse than cheating. You are talking about physically hurting your fellow brethern. Possibly ending a career. Yeah...cheating is a lot worse.

Sure the hammer the NFL dropped was heavy, maybe a little excessive...but deserved and it should ensure that non of that bounty crap happens in the future.

[silver & black]

This is way worse than cheating. You are talking about physically hurting your fellow brethern. Possibly ending a career. Yeah...cheating is a lot worse.

Sure the hammer the NFL dropped was heavy, maybe a little excessive...but deserved and it should ensure that non of that bounty crap happens in the future.

Ruining a franchise isn't the way to handle it. I agree that some punishment is in order, but this is waaayyy over the top. I guarantee you that, had this been the patr*ots, no such punishment would have been meted out.... no way!

[86WARD]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y35/Nabb1/iPhone014.jpg

[Nadroj 20]

That's why no players were suspended or fined. It was the coaches and ownership who knew about this and had a helping hand in letting the system thrive.

I've heard they are looking into punishing players involved as well. But that will take more time.

[SteelGhost]

I've heard they are looking into punishing players involved as well. But that will take more time.

It doesn't matter if it takes a lot of time, GoodHell has to punish the players TOO, IMO.

[BigNastyDefense]

This is about what I expected when this came out.

Also, the Patriots were warned about it being illegal to videotape another team's signals before Mangini blew the whistle on them because there had been rumors that they were doing it. The league sent out a memo reminding teams that the practice is illegal, and they kept doing it.

So IMHO, Goodell can't even use the "you were warned and didn't stop" excuse for the excessive punishments.

I honestly think that Williams should be forever banned from the league. It's one thing for players to have a "money pot" that gets handed out for big plays....it's a complete other thing for a coach to be so heavily involved in any type of "bounty."

[Shoes]

........anywho, James Harrison should expect a fine for all this turmoil. :chuckle:

[suitanim]

To answer the assertion about being awarded a championship on a technicality, yes, I would take it. IF the Pats only sin was stealing signals, maybe not, but there was a franchise-wide culture of cheating. There were substantiated rumors of stealing signals, stealing playbooks, radio signal interception as well as tampering wioth the opponents radio signals in order to block them. These were NOT isolated incidents, they were institutionalized cheating.

[Austin87]

Way to go Goodell, ugh never tough I'd say that. I completely agree with the punishment he dished out. Its a pity that he didn't do this to the Patriots. For what Belicheat did he probably deserved a life ban from the NFL, but oh well can't change the past. Greg Williams needs to be made an example of, IMO he should be banned for life. That would send out a clear message that this won't be tolerated.

[86WARD]

This isn't remotely comparable to the Patriots situation. This isn't about players doing something that they do on a weekly basis. If you are comparing what the Saints have done with the bounties to either of those two thin situations mentioned above, you're missing the point on this whole bounty thing.

It's not so much about the "bounty.". It's about carting people off the field, trying to injure players, possibly leading to career ending injuries. This is all occurring at a time when the NFL is SUPER-sensitive to player safety. They are getting sued by ex-players that played in the 80s that have head injuries. The NFL is trying to clean up the game, trying to eliminate these head and neck injuries that are occurring in today's game. You can't have teams trying to dole out money, manipulate the salary cap trying to get opposing players carted off the field.

The biggest component to all of this isn't about the "cheating." It's about lying and lying to the league after they were told to stop after the investigation in 2009. The Saints continued to do it and every time it was brought forward by an investigator, the Saints had plans in place to cover it up. That's what it's about. Not the "bounty" system or cheating. It's about protecting the players.

[suitanim]

Goodell was FURIOUS with Belichick and the Patriots because they had been accused of cheating for YEARS, and constantly denied it. So that dog don't hunt. Cheating and then repeatedly lying about it is worse than lying about paying people to be physical in a physical game.

[The Patriot]

To answer the assertion about being awarded a championship on a technicality, yes, I would take it. IF the Pats only sin was stealing signals, maybe not, but there was a franchise-wide culture of cheating. There were substantiated rumors of stealing signals, stealing playbooks, radio signal interception as well as tampering wioth the opponents radio signals in order to block them. These were NOT isolated incidents, they were institutionalized cheating.

[citation needed]

[suitanim]

I've done this one hundred times already, posted links, cited sources (MANY of them from NFL players and coaches, INCLUDING DOUG FLUTIE who played for the Cheats), so I'm not doing this again, especially for a cheats fan who has delusionally maintained ostrich like denial for years...

[ALLD]

Will they destroy the evidence this time too?

[The Patriot]

I've done this one hundred times already, posted links, cited sources (MANY of them from NFL players and coaches, INCLUDING DOUG FLUTIE who played for the Cheats), so I'm not doing this again, especially for a cheats fan who has delusionally maintained ostrich like denial for years...

You cited a radio host in Florida who said his friend told him that he saw Doug Flutie at a party and Flutie told him that he was being radioed by the coaches after the cutoff time before each play... if I remember correctly.

[steelerdiva]

I'm really sick of all the media pundits and their "righteous indignation" about this Saints situation and slapping Good-Deal on the back saying "way to go." Where was all the indignation about Spygate?? Hypocrites much?

Look, I'm not saying the punishment was unwarranted...the Saints were warned by the league to cease and desist on these bounties. They didn't and they got slammed for it...as they should have.

But I'm just sick of the double standard.

Just sayin'.

[Austin87]

This isn't remotely comparable to the Patriots situation. This isn't about players doing something that they do on a weekly basis. If you are comparing what the Saints have done with the bounties to either of those two thin situations mentioned above, you're missing the point on this whole bounty thing.


Don't know if this was directed at me, but I am not comparing Spygate with the bounty scandal. I was merely stating that I agree with Goodell on the punishment on the Saints and I am only wandering why the Pats weren't as heavily punished back then?

[steeldawg]

With all the lawsuits over concussions and player safety any situation involving player safety will be dealt with harshly to protect the nfl in future litigation. Another problem with the bounty system is players were being paid for things not in their contract.

[suitanim]

You cited a radio host in Florida who said his friend told him that he saw Doug Flutie at a party and Flutie told him that he was being radioed by the coaches after the cutoff time before each play... if I remember correctly.
No, I did not.

What difference does it make anyway? You're Patriots fan. Jesus could part the clouds and come down and direct his answer right to your face and tell you what the rest of us already know and you'd still twist some mental gymnastics and find a way to deny.

[The Patriot]

No, I did not.

What difference does it make anyway? You're Patriots fan. Jesus could part the clouds and come down and direct his answer right to your face and tell you what the rest of us already know and you'd still twist some mental gymnastics and find a way to deny.

But Jesus did descend.

In the sixth round.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxobisUnNr1r8yv7lo1_400.jpg

[O'Malley]

But Jesus did descend.

In the sixth round.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxobisUnNr1r8yv7lo1_400.jpg


Hope you like lava... This just reserved your spot....
By the way the Patriots*** did cheat and got three bogus championships out of it.. Note they have not one a Super Bowl since.. That little edge they used to gain from cheating has been taken away and now they are just bridesmaids.. CHEATS..

[86WARD]

Don't know if this was directed at me, but I am not comparing Spygate with the bounty scandal. I was merely stating that I agree with Goodell on the punishment on the Saints and I am only wandering why the Pats weren't as heavily punished back then?

No. It wasn't directed at you. I was just saying in general...there are a lot of people that are comparing it and it's just not comparable imo.

[Shoes]

But Jesus did descend.

In the sixth round.

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxobisUnNr1r8yv7lo1_400.jpg

You just did one worse than the madden curse......

[zulater]

Hope you like lava... This just reserved your spot....
By the way the Patriots*** did cheat and got three bogus championships out of it.. Note they have not one a Super Bowl since.. That little edge they used to gain from cheating has been taken away and now they are just bridesmaids.. CHEATS..

I don't think any one of us is in a position to condemn a fellow poster to hell over what's clearly meant to be a joke. :hmm:

[suitanim]

I don't think any one of us is in a position to condemn a fellow poster to hell over what's clearly meant to be a joke. :hmm:

Jesus....lighten up. How serious can the whole nature of a thread be if it has pictures of Tebow, Gaydy, and delusional fans asserting that the Cheats did less then they were punished for and not more?

[VTsteel]

I think the punishment was FAR too severe.

What the Saints did is really nothing. Those men were going to try to hurt everyone they hit - every play, every game - just like every other player on every other team.

The money is more about bragging rights than anything else . . . analagous to betting how long into his retirement speech it would take for Hines to tear up. Means very little more than simple bragging rights.

The commissioner should just keep his nose out of the things he does not understand . . . like how the game is actually meant to be played.

[O'Malley]

Jesus....lighten up. How serious can the whole nature of a thread be if it has pictures of Tebow, Gaydy, and delusional fans asserting that the Cheats did less then they were punished for and not more?

Thanks Suit.. My post was meant in fun as well.. the first part at least.

[The Patriot]

Thanks Suit.. My post was meant in fun as well.. the first part at least.

lol. I took it as a joke. I just couldn't think of a comeback.

[O'Malley]

lol. I took it as a joke. I just couldn't think of a comeback.

At least you took it as a joke!!!! I was actually worried you would take offense.. Glad you can take a joke!

[zulater]

Thanks Suit.. My post was meant in fun as well.. the first part at least.

You could have added an emotcon or something to let us know then.:hmm:

:wink02:

Ya see, how that makes a difference? :eyebrows:

[suitanim]

Well, if Jesus exists, he certainly isn't a giant douchebag, so it the whole thread went to Hell....

[O'Malley]

You could have added an emotcon or something to let us know then.:hmm:

:wink02:

Ya see, how that makes a difference? :eyebrows:

Will take this in to account and in the future I shall put in an icon!!! My bad Zulater..

[O'Malley]

Well, if Jesus exists, he certainly isn't a giant douchebag, so it the whole thread went to Hell....

Well said.... Talk about a crash and burn..