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polamalubeast
05-02-2012, 02:59 PM
The Pittsburgh Steelers players have been the most vocal in sounding off about the suspensions handed out to four players involved in the Saints' bounty scandal.

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma received the harshest penalty, getting suspended for the entire 2012 season. In addition to Vilma, defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove (now with the Green Bay Packers) was suspended eight games, defensive Will Smith four games and linebacker Scott Fujita (now with the Cleveland Browns) three games.

Steelers linebacker James Harrison was among the first to vent on Twitter:

Ridiculous, and nobody really sees why the punishments have been so severe over the past 3 4years! Lawsuits and 18 games???

Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley was upset at the year-long suspension on Vilma in his Twitter post:

Vilma suspended a whole yr FOR PLAYING FOOTBALL???? cmon man!!!!!

Even Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark was critical of the discipline (even though Saints coach Sean Payton was suspended for a year and general manager Mickey Loomis was banned for eight games) in a post on Twitter:

Wonder why the team got the least penalties in Bounty Gate! Think about who elects & reworded the commish, it's the owners of the trams!

The Steelers don't have any connection with the Saints, but they can relate to being disciplined by the NFL. The Steelers had been fined a reported 13 times in the first 10 games last season totaling $182,500. So, you can understand why the Steelers players are coming to the defense of these suspensions.


http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/47496/steelers-players-upset-at-saints-suspensions

salamander
05-02-2012, 03:00 PM
Really wish our players would keep quiet. They're only making the targets on their backs even bigger.

suitanim
05-02-2012, 03:34 PM
Really wish our players would keep quiet. They're only making the targets on their backs even bigger.

Agree. I admire their courage, but this will come back to bite us later.

ALLD
05-02-2012, 03:38 PM
The Steelers should ban their players from using social media concerning the NFL.

Count Steeler
05-02-2012, 03:44 PM
All the players should strike against this Commish. It is not about the money. It is about the destruction of the game.

Edman
05-02-2012, 03:51 PM
Really wish our players would keep quiet. They're only making the targets on their backs even bigger.

Being quiet hasn't really stopped Goodell from going after them before.

st33lersguy
05-02-2012, 04:27 PM
Saints players were not just playing football, they were trying to injure players as part of a bounty they put money into

stillers4me
05-02-2012, 04:37 PM
The league knew three years ago that they had the bounty system running and no punishments were handed out. They were told to stop.

They are being suspended not because of the bounty system inself but for continuing the program after they were to stop.

X-Terminator
05-02-2012, 06:50 PM
Really wish our players would keep quiet. They're only making the targets on their backs even bigger.


Agree. I admire their courage, but this will come back to bite us later.


The Steelers should ban their players from using social media concerning the NFL.

Why should they? I mean, they were the only ones who voted against the new CBA, so I think they have every right to speak out against the suspensions. Even if they did keep quiet, it wouldn't stop the media and the league from coming down on them. Vilma definitely deserved a suspension, but for the whole season? I think that was too harsh, and I'm still trying to figure out what the other 3 players did to earn their suspensions.

Chidi29
05-02-2012, 07:38 PM
James, they were not "just" playing football. Clearly, he has no grasp of the situation.

And the team and ownership was hit really hard. I don't know what Clark is talking about. They lost their head coach, the leader of the team, for an entire season. That has never been done before and you're claiming it was soft? Only Vilma got as much or more than Loomis, Payton, and Williams and only Vilma and Hargrove got more than Vitt.

If we're talking about fines and draft picks lost, the league is only allowed to take away so much. There's a certain maximum number, believe it's 500K, that a team can be fined.

Psycho Ward 86
05-02-2012, 07:41 PM
Im proud of our guys. Only fitting that our men lead the charge against this tyranny

Butch
05-02-2012, 07:46 PM
Why should they? I mean, they were the only ones who voted against the new CBA, so I think they have every right to speak out against the suspensions. Even if they did keep quiet, it wouldn't stop the media and the league from coming down on them. Vilma definitely deserved a suspension, but for the whole season? I think that was too harsh, and I'm still trying to figure out what the other 3 players did to earn their suspensions.

Couldn't have said it any better myself. Harrison gets fined relentlessly and the only reason I can possibly fathom is because he was voted the most feared player prior to the 1st fine. The exact same fouls they are hitting us with they (NFL) are turning a blind eye when it happens to our players taking the blatantly finable hits. Hell they aint even flagged for them. Hits on Heath, Hines and the guy who layed all his weight on Ben injuring his foot 2 years back.

Butch
05-02-2012, 07:57 PM
The league knew three years ago that they had the bounty system running and no punishments were handed out. They were told to stop.

They are being suspended not because of the bounty system inself but for continuing the program after they were to stop.

Yeah the league knew but they didn't do a damn thing about it except make James Harrison a poster boy for fines. Where are the fines for all these awful dirty hits??? Why wasn't the spotlight on them a little brighter if the league knew about it for so long??? The NFL makes targets of who they want without rhyme or reason.

While we're at it the league also knew about spygate for a long time before they finlally stepped in and did anything to them and then the evidence was destroyed and they were given no suspensions and lost only a single draft pick. They had more than enough to make up for the one they lost.

SCREW THE DIRTY COMMISIONER AND THE DIRTY NFL!!! They are allienating the fans and ruining the sport with all this cover up crap!!!

steelerdude15
05-02-2012, 08:36 PM
Yeah the league knew but they didn't do a damn thing about it except make James Harrison a poster boy for fines. Where are the fines for all these awful dirty hits??? Why wasn't the spotlight on them a little brighter if the league knew about it for so long??? The NFL makes targets of who they want without rhyme or reason.

While we're at it the league also knew about spygate for a long time before they finlally stepped in and did anything to them and then the evidence was destroyed and they were given no suspensions and lost only a single draft pick. They had more than enough to make up for the one they lost.

SCREW THE DIRTY COMMISIONER AND THE DIRTY NFL!!! They are allienating the fans and ruining the sport with all this cover up crap!!!

You know, everyone blames Goodell, but in reality, we should be blaming the 1,200 + former players who are suing because of the head injuries. The NFL is just covering themselves. If anyone, go light your torches and be pissed at the former players.

Butch
05-02-2012, 08:51 PM
You know, everyone blames Goodell, but in reality, we should be blaming the 1,200 + former players who are suing because of the head injuries. The NFL is just covering themselves. If anyone, go light your torches and be pissed at the former players.

My point is not about the rules changes (response from lawsuits) but rather the way the league knew about all this for 3 years and turned a blind eye. They didn't increase fines to the saints or suspend players like they did with James Harrison and the Steelers. That part of it has nothing what so ever to do with the lawsuits.

The players who were suspended were never implicated until now??? REALLY??? Where is the justice in that? They knew and they covered it up...hoped it would all vanish like a fart in the night. They didn't react until someone went public and gave them a big black eye. Go To Hell and the NFL knew about spygate as well and just turned a blind eye, again where is the justice??? Why no suspensions for belicheat and his staff and players???

The league is tarnished and it's leadership is to blame.

steelerdude15
05-02-2012, 08:54 PM
My point is not about the rules changes (response from lawsuits) but rather the way the league knew about all this for 3 years and turned a blind eye. They didn't increase fines to the saints or suspend players like they did with James Harrison and the Steelers. That part of it has nothing what so ever to do with the lawsuits.

The players who were suspended were never implicated until now??? REALLY??? Where is the justice in that? They knew and they covered it up...hoped it would all vanish like a fart in the night. They didn't react until someone went public and gave them a big black eye. Go To Hell and the NFL knew about spygate as well and just turned a blind eye, again where is the justice??? Why no suspensions for belicheat and his staff and players???

The league is tarnished and it's leadership is to blame.

I understand your argument now. Yes, they should have done something then until waiting till now, but maybe the NFL didn't have enough evidence? :noidea:

86WARD
05-02-2012, 08:57 PM
The players who were suspended were never implicated until now??? REALLY??? Where is the justice in that? They knew and they covered it up...hoped it would all vanish like a fart in the night. They didn't react until someone went public and gave them a big black eye. Go To Hell and the NFL knew about spygate as well and just turned a blind eye, again where is the justice??? Why no suspensions for belicheat and his staff and players???

The league is tarnished and it's leadership is to blame.You're obviously missing the point. The Saints were warned and stuck a middle finger in Goodell's face. Ignoring Roger's warning and then lying is the main problem here. Belichick stopped "cheating" when Goodell told him too...you really can't compare the two...

tube517
05-02-2012, 09:02 PM
You're obviously missing the point. The Saints were warned and stuck a middle finger in Goodell's face. Ignoring Roger's warning and then lying is the main problem here. Belichick stopped "cheating" when Goodell told him too...you really can't compare the two...

Not true. The memo was sent from the league before the start of the 2007 season and Bellicheat still did it.

Butch
05-02-2012, 09:09 PM
I understand your argument now. Yes, they should have done something then until waiting till now, but maybe the NFL didn't have enough evidence? :noidea:

But they all of the sudden have enough evidence to suspend players??? They claim to review film from every game and couldn't find a single hit that was finable to send a message that they were serious? They fine James Harrison 75,000 for a single hit and they can't find a single saint to fine in the same fashion? Not tryin' to pick on ya' just aint buyin' this B.S. from the NFL. It's an outrage that the sport is being tainted as much as it has been the last couple of years and again I lay the blame squarely on the leadership or the lack of an impartial one anyway.

Butch
05-02-2012, 09:13 PM
[/B]

Not true. The memo was sent from the league before the start of the 2007 season and Bellicheat still did it.

Beat me to it.

The guilty filmer was found in a game against the pack and kicked out of the stadium which was (from my understanding) why the memo was issued in the 1st place.

Chidi29
05-02-2012, 09:17 PM
But they all of the sudden have enough evidence to suspend players??? They claim to review film from every game and couldn't find a single hit that was finable to send a message that they were serious? They fine James Harrison 75,000 for a single hit and they can't find a single saint to fine in the same fashion? Not tryin' to pick on ya' just aint buyin' this B.S. from the NFL. It's an outrage that the sport is being tainted as much as it has been the last couple of years and again I lay the blame squarely on the leadership or the lack of an impartial one anyway.

Plenty of Saints were fined. A quick google search could tell you that.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/01/29/saints-rack-up-even-more-fines/

Interesting sidenote. Check out the link on Gregg Williams about running a "dirty defense".

Butch
05-02-2012, 09:37 PM
Plenty of Saints were fined. A quick google search could tell you that.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/01/29/saints-rack-up-even-more-fines/

Interesting sidenote. Check out the link on Gregg Williams about running a "dirty defense".

Consider they were fined $20,000 and James was fined $75,000 for a single hit who was sent a message??? Why only 20,000 when James had 75,000? Look again at what I said...my point was not that they were not fined but rather that they were not sent a message by the fines they incured. 20,000 is a whole lot weaker message if you ask me.

Why the cover up??? Why doesn't belicheat not get a suspension for tainting the game??? Not a single game yet you suspend peyton???

suitanim
05-03-2012, 05:36 AM
Why should they? I mean, they were the only ones who voted against the new CBA, so I think they have every right to speak out against the suspensions. Even if they did keep quiet, it wouldn't stop the media and the league from coming down on them. Vilma definitely deserved a suspension, but for the whole season? I think that was too harsh, and I'm still trying to figure out what the other 3 players did to earn their suspensions.

I'd agree if it was the squeaky wheel that got the grease, but in THIS NFL, it's the nail that sticks up that gets pounded.

NCSteeler
05-03-2012, 08:59 AM
You're obviously missing the point. The Saints were warned and stuck a middle finger in Goodell's face. Ignoring Roger's warning and then lying is the main problem here. Belichick stopped "cheating" when Goodell told him too...you really can't compare the two...

The team punishment was harsh because they were warned. Now my question is , did the players ever get that warning? Did they know the league warned the Team officials to stop?

BlacknGoldBabe
05-03-2012, 09:35 AM
Im proud of our guys. Only fitting that our men lead the charge against this tyranny

Sorry, but I can't view this as "tyranny." This can't be taken in the same vein as players being suspended for playing the game. These were players out for pay and/or blood for a reward.

Winning at "all costs" ought to be taken seriously, IMHO. Seems to me that the old value of it isn't whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game ought to be taken into consideration.

NCSteeler
05-03-2012, 12:11 PM
You know they still can't show where hardly any of these player made illegal hits to collect these rewards.

Craic
05-03-2012, 03:07 PM
You know they still can't show where hardly any of these player made illegal hits to collect these rewards.

But in context, the hits don't have to be illegal. The hits only have to show intent to collect on the bounty. So, if a guy makes a tackle, and you can see a clear intent to bend a guy back over the pile, instead of taking him off to the side, while both are legal, one shows intent on collecting the bounty, which makes the hit illegal, regardless of how hard or soft, or where on the body the guy was hit.

At this point, it's about intent - and before anyone yells that it's ludicrous to fine someone for intent, it's the Saints that put the league in the position to do that by creating a Bounty system.

Chidi29
05-03-2012, 03:36 PM
Consider they were fined $20,000 and James was fined $75,000 for a single hit who was sent a message??? Why only 20,000 when James had 75,000? Look again at what I said...my point was not that they were not fined but rather that they were not sent a message by the fines they incured. 20,000 is a whole lot weaker message if you ask me.

Why the cover up??? Why doesn't belicheat not get a suspension for tainting the game??? Not a single game yet you suspend peyton???

James was a repeat offender. The Saints' players were not. There's your difference.

And it isn't really a "cover up" if you're punished for it, as the Patriots were. I don't understand why the tapes were destroyed but then again, we don't have all the information as to their reasoning. Either way, that's not a cover up.

Butch
05-03-2012, 06:46 PM
James was a repeat offender. The Saints' players were not. There's your difference.

And it isn't really a "cover up" if you're punished for it, as the Patriots were. I don't understand why the tapes were destroyed but then again, we don't have all the information as to their reasoning. Either way, that's not a cover up.

Burning the tapes is a cover up.

The saints were issuing bounties 20,000 was not a message and for 3 years is a cover up.

steelerdude15
05-03-2012, 07:05 PM
Burning the tapes is a cover up.

The saints were issuing bounties 20,000 was not a message and for 3 years is a cover up.

They were told to stop it in 2009. I wouldn't exactly call that a cover up.

Chidi29
05-03-2012, 07:37 PM
Burning the tapes is a cover up.

The saints were issuing bounties 20,000 was not a message and for 3 years is a cover up.

There was an on-going investigation. The league can't just start handing down suspensions until they're absolutely sure they have enough proof to hand down punishment. Because if they're wrong, the league is in a lot of trouble.

And the fact there were consequences taken, very severe ones at that, means it was not a cover up. Get the conspiracy theories out of your head.