Outrage Misplaced Over Bounty-Gate

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Byrlyne

On Wednesday, March 22, 2012, Roger Goodell announced that he had

concluded his investigation into allegations that for three years the New Orleans Saints
organization violated league rules by operating and allowing a bounty program that
rewarded players for work done over and above regular salary. In the history of the NFL, the
unprecedented sanctions he assessed against Coach Sean Payton, the General Manager, a
former Assistant Coach and the team itself must be rescinded.
However, he would shortly amend his remarks after later stories made clear this issue was
definitely not limited to the Saints locker room. current and former players have weighed
in, most acknowledging that bounty offers were commonplace on their teams (Litkle,
Jim. Punishing Williams wont end real problem. Boston.com: Web 06 Mar 2012) Goodell
then followed up with his second announcement two days later amending his first. He said
he finding credible evidence about the Saints bounty program was only one factor in
assessing the harsh sanctions.They lied to me at the beginning of the investigation and
this is the primary reason for the harsh sanctions. REALLY? Why was that not a part of his
first press conference?
What about the BOUNTY BOWL saga? The Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles
were in a bitter over the Cowboys claim that Coach Buddy Ryan offered a bounty of $200 to
anyone who took out their kicker. On at least two separate occasions Jerry Johnson
requested an investigation which to-date remains unresolved. Despite Coach Johnsons
request for an investigation on at least two occasions, the league did absolutely nothing.
Why am I bringing up old news? To make point on the proper method for conducting any
type of investigation. The logical point of order would have been to consider the implications
of a bounty system in place that long ago in creating an investigative timeline. It may very
well have not been relevant to the current investigation, but how would you reasonably make

such a determination without reviewing it. All investigations are historical in nature, and a
thorough investigation would call for a review of prior reports and incidents of the same type
of conduct in question. In doing so, an investigator can better determine the investigations
direction, and whether the conduct is industry-wide or limited to one team. The primary
reason is to make sure the basis for any decision is a complete and thorough investigation
before issuing costly sanctions, and secondarily, for the sake of efficiency.
Now, I am well aware Goodell was not the commissioner at the time BOUNTY BOWL was
big news. However, the idea that he had no knowledge of this affair is incredulous to say the
least. Any many his age who even casually followed football would remember the
controversy that nearly rose to the level of a riot in Philadelphia before it was all said and
done. It is conceivable to think Johnson, who is still very active in the football community,
would be able to shed light on the practice from a coachs viewpoint, and may likely have
relevant information on whether or not a bounty system is still being used and which teams
are still using it despite the practice being against the rules. His investigation should follow
the same basic principles of all investigations, and it is apparent this was not done.
Goodell deliberately misled fans and the public about this entire matter. He fails to tell us
that this was not his first bounty rodeo. In 2007 the Green Bay Packers were found guilty of
violating the same rule violated by the Saints, and yet the NFL did not issue sanctions
against the Packers. Dont argue degree of infraction with me. A rule was broken by both
teams, yet the Packers got a free pass, while he virtually crippled the Saints. While it seems
that the Packers bounty program was a smaller scale than the one operated in the Saints
locker room. In Green Bay, fellow Packers players reportedly offered to pay the teams
defensive linemen $500 for holding Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson to under
100 rushing yards and the Carolina Panthers under 60 rushing yards as a team. How was
the defense going to get this done? Ask him real nicely or flatten him on the field? Curious
in light of recent statements about bounties and player safety. (Triplett, Mike. NFL
investigated Green Bay Packers for bounty rule violations in 2007 The Times-Picayune:
Web. 22 Mar 2012.)
For Goodell to pretend the league has no credible information that this practice is
widespread is disingenuous and an insult to us, the fans. Did he talk to former players and
former coaches about the practice? If he did, he apparently didnt think Jimmy Johnson was
worth contacting about his knowledge of the practice. Now whose veracity and character is
up for debate?

Without question, football is a rough, punishing and extremely competitive game. As a

general rule, humans are competitive by nature. Coaches and athletes take competitiveness
to an unimaginable level, so its not surprising to me that some teams implemented informal
bounty systems, which has likely been around since the second quarter of the first football
game ever played! Having been an athlete and actively involved in team sports well into my
twenties, I know how competition motivates players to not only best an opponent, but also
best teammates. I also know that coaches are much more competitive than their players,
and well they should be. The responsibility of a teams performance rests squarely on the
shoulders of the coach, and he is held accountable, whether its the parents in the stands,
the High School principal, College Dean or the teams owner. Coaches are lauded for
success and vilified for its failure. A coach unwilling or unable to motivate his players isnt
kept around very long. No where is this found to the degree it is seen in professional
football. It is not surprising to me to hear of coaches telling players things like take his head
off, stop him in his tracks, etc. I heard similar exhortations by my high school softball
coach! It is rhetoric used to motivate and push players to give 110%, and players hear this in
every locker room before every game. No player takes these statements or similar ones in a
literal sense. Coaches use every bit of possible motivation to make their players as
destructive as they can be (Bernstein, Dan. We Cant Be Too Mad About NFL Bounties
CBS Chicago: Web. 03 Mar 2012.)
In the Saints case, this is clear when you consider the four targets named in the NFL
Report on the Saints use of a bounty system. Other than the ankle injury sustained by Bret
Favre, the four names targets were not hit or pursued any harder by the Saints than they
are by any other team on any other given Sunday.
Additionally, not one Saints player, current or former, has stated they were encouraged to
play dirty. In fact, player comments have been just the opposite-get the job done, but stay
within the confines of the rules. According to the few players who have spoken out recently,
Coach Payton demanded hard, clean, solid hits.Rewards for players was based on clean,
hard hits on opponents, as told by a former player under Greg Williams. (Rosenbloom &
Grote. Bowen: Bounties Part of NFL Football. CBS Chicago: Web 03 Mar 2012.)
If those on the band-wagon to hang Sean Payton or any of his players would stop running
their mouth long enough to think it through, it makes no sense to offer a player a few
hundred dollars or even $5000 to take a cheap shot on an opponent when the fine for such
hits reach as high as $35,000.00. Despite all the rhetoric to the contrary, current and former
Saints players, have all stated that the coaching staff placed great importance on solid,
clean hits.

I am not pushing for Goodell to reverse his decision on Sean Paytons extremely harsh
suspension because I support the practice of bounties, per se. Absolutely not. I am pushing
for his reinstatement because it is patently unfair to punish the New Orleans Saints for
engaging in a practice that is widespread throughout the league. For him to claim otherwise
is disingenuous. It is clear that the Saints violated a league rule, regardless of whether any
other team participated in similar conduct and consequences have to be borne. My point is
not that the team and coaching staff be excused from sanctions, but that the sanctions
should fit the infraction and most importantly, that the sanctions be applied equally
throughout the league.
If Saints fans ever come to accept the devastating blow taken by the Saints, it will be in
seeing that every other team in the league is held to the same standard he applied when
sanctioning the Saints. We are back to the concept of basic fairness, and it is only fair that
ALL TEAMS that EVER engaged in any similar type of motivational program be dealt with
by the league in the same manner as the Saints.
Since this will affect roughly every team engaged in the practice, are we going to call it a
wash and cancel the 2012 football season?