Drew Brees looks like fool for not acknowledging bounties
Drew Brees' conflict of interest is undermining player safety issues. (AP photo)
Drew Brees has been one of the faces of the NFL, one of the best ambassadors the league has had. He is a premier player at the centerpiece position (quarterback) who led his team to a Super Bowl and also helped heal a city (New Orleans) after a disaster.
But the guy has lost it, and he should be removed from any executive board position he holds with the NFL Players Association. In short, Brees still refuses to acknowledge the New Orleans Saints had any bounty system, even though former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (who orchestrated the whole thing) admits it existed.
“We didn’t get any meaningful evidence, or any meaningful truth or facts,” Brees told NFL.com when asked about any discussion on the bounty program at Monday’s meeting between the league and union. (The league has yet to announce penalties for players involved.)
There are two problems here: 1) That Brees, probably out of loyalty to his team, still hasn’t publicly admitted that the Saints had a program. It makes him look foolish; 2) Because of that loyalty, and an obvious conflict of interest, he should not be allowed to sit in any meeting as an NFLPA executive board member when penalties for Saints’ players are being discussed.
In fact, a case could be made he should be removed from the board altogether. Think about it: One significant reason for the uproar of the program is it undermines player safety. There is evidence of Saints players being told to head-hunt or take out a opposing player’s ACL. But Brees, a union representative, refuses to acknowledge that, despite evidence and confirmation from a figure involved, effectively giving his blessing to the program.
How does Brees rationalize that to his union brethren?
Let’s briefly go through a few reasons why commissioner Roger Goodell has disciplined the Saints organization, Williams, coach Sean Payton and assistant Joe Vitt:
– Via the NFL’s findings, the Saints operated the bounty program for three seasons, largely funded by players but “also occasionally” by Williams.
– Payments were made when opposing players were injured. Specifically, the investigation showed bounties had been placed on four opposing quarterbacks: Brett Favre, Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers and Kurt Warner. Defensive captain Jonathan Vilma offered $10,000 to any teammate who knocked Favre out of the NFC title game in the 2009 season.
– Via the official NFL release: “Coach Williams acknowledged that he designed and implemented the program with the assistance of certain defensive players.”
– Also via the NFL: “Vitt admitted that, when interviewed in 2010, he ‘fabricated the truth’ to NFL investigators and denied that any pay-for-performance or bounty program existed.”
But Drew Brees wants evidence. He doesn’t look like a leader. He looks like a fool.
By Jeff Schultz
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258 comments Add your comment
Doyle Hargraves JR
April 17th, 2012
7:07 pm
Arthur Blank has a bounty program. Yall think that Bobby Latrino dropped that bike because the wind (or that girl) blew him off, or the sun blinded him? THAT AINT TRUE! It was one of Arthur’s attack deers. They were stalking him for years and finally caught up to him. He keeps them in a stable near Flowery Brunch and Dirk Kutter is training them now. Go back and look at what happened to Ron Coleman, Vick and Jimmy Williams. If the Falcons end up on Hard Knocks I am going to contact the producers and tell the world the truth about this.
Doyle Hargraves JR
April 17th, 2012
7:09 pm
FIRST on page 4! LLYFF
Who Dat
April 17th, 2012
7:23 pm
hahahahahahah this article is pathetic. Hey Jeff, how bout you write on how pathetic the Failcons are. They will never amount to anything. Try to stack their team and still can’t win a playoff game. Then the next offseason they get nobody. Just face it, your team is worthless.
James McNeill
April 17th, 2012
7:51 pm
The article proves that Brees is much smarter than the author of the article. The Saints players have allegedly (not been proven) to have participated in a so-called “bounty system”. The Saints management has been disciplined. At this point, Brees is representing the accused players as an NFLPA representative. Why in the world would ANY union representative (with the Saints or not) say anything prejudicial against the players to the press?
According to Schultz, all Brees said was ““We didn’t get any meaningful evidence, or any meaningful truth or facts,”. He did not say anyting about the bounty system, nor should he. The players must be proven to have participated and ,apparently, the NFL failed to provide meaningful.
The real question is whether the players participated in a bounty system willingly. A transcript of the tape reveals a coach that is basing their employment on “production”. In the same breath, he refers to player injuries. So the question will be whether the players were coerced to participate. Legally, it is questionable whether a player can be suspended if coercion involved in the alleged misconduct. I believe that the NFL is thinking twice about suspending players in a situation that team (Saints) clearly had institutionalized and could easily have coerced participation.
I believe the penalties will be, after appeal, limited to fines unless the NFL can produce the “evidence” that Brees has correctly pointed out as lacking.
Jeanette Acker
April 17th, 2012
8:35 pm
I am losing respect for Drew Brees!! Why doesn’t he come clean?
Falcon James
April 17th, 2012
9:22 pm
LMAO.>>> all saint fan are pathetic. Next we going to see the saint fan proclaiming Patrino was innocent. Caint wait to see those post!
SCFalcon
April 17th, 2012
9:45 pm
Is there any call for an investigation into NFL officiating? How did the Saints get away with these vicious hits with so few penalities. I fully support the sanctions against the Saints, but if the NFL wants to clean the slate look at their own employees too!
Alexander
April 17th, 2012
10:26 pm
Why are so many people ignoring the fact that so many other players (many former players under Greg Williams on different teams), say that this is common in NFL locker rooms. That there is always a pool for big plays, big hits, etc. A hit that “knocks Brett Favre out of the game”, could have been a search for a perfectly legal hard hit. That’s not a bounty, that’s “pay for performance”. Which is definitely against league rule, no matter how common players around the league admit that it is. But just because a rogue coach on his way out of town makes a horrible and unsportsmanlike speech before a game, is no reason to label the entire organization as thugs. Is it because some people in the organization lied to the league? If so, where was this uproar when Bill Belichick was caught lying? And the Saints must have been very bad at this supposed multi-year pay for injuries gig, because I’ve never once heard of a single injured player who has been a victim.
scfalcon
April 17th, 2012
10:34 pm
Brees says he did not know yet he was in meetings and hotels and on buses and planes with these guys. To think Vilma and others did not kid around about this out loud in a team setting is a farce. Anyone who played team sports knwos the first group you want say it to afer you knock out someone like Favre is your teammates and even more to your star quaterback on an offense focused team. Roddy White will tell you when he gets a new shirt so who thinks these guys dont talk about everything? Also, does Brees have earplugs in when Williams and Payton are yellling it in the locker room?
Nola Cola
April 17th, 2012
10:34 pm
Let me clear about THIS : Atlanta Falcons fans (and we’ll include the Georgia Bulldogs, for good measure) are JEALOUS of the Saints (and LSU) ; it burns your a** up that your arch-rivals from NOLA and Baton Rouge are consistently winning CHAMPIONSHIPS , while your garbage teams continue to SUCK (2 POINTS in a playoff game —- how impressive ; and we won’t even talk about the SEC Championship Game, where you got spanked in your own stadium)……………… Quit hating, because you make yourselves look even more RIDICULOUS than you already have !!!!!
Nola Nate
April 17th, 2012
10:47 pm
Atlanta, Georgia …… a city and a fan base still in denial of the bitter reality that they SUCK ; based on that incredible 2 point performance by the Falcons in the playoffs, coupled with the Georgia Bulldogs getting SPANKED in the Sec Championship game in their OWN stadium ; I would imagine you shouldn’t be saying ANYTHING to the fans of New Orleans or Louisiana —— at least until you stop CHOKING when it matters the most !!!!!
otownsaint
April 17th, 2012
10:50 pm
Why would any Saints fan back Petrino you idiot? Your statement makes no since whatsoever! You Saints haters are the pathetic ones! For any of you to call Brees stupid or nieve amongst other name calling are just ridiculous and so obviously biased! Brees or anyone for that matter would be foolish to not question the so called evidence that the dictator Goodell claims to have. So I guess everyone should just take his word for it and by the way Greg Williams speech does not prove anything and what were the players supposed to do when they are employees and your boss is giving you a speech? Use some common sense if you have any. Fact is you can claim you all know all these facts about the “bounty scandall” when you actually don’t because the players union hasn’t even been presented with anything of any concrete proof. So stop acting as though you do and you also are just speculating when you say Brees has to know about all of this. None of us know. That is the truth! IMO the commish has gone completely out of control and has overstepped his bounds by far. You have to keep something in mind this guy is playing with a lot of people who have power, money and the means to bring him down if he isn’t careful. He should be looking over his shoulder if he knows what’s good for him. I can’t wait til he com es to New Orleans for the Superbowl…. He will be in for a big surprise! We are very passionate about our Saints and he will find out that we are like no other fan he’s seen. The restrictions he has put on Peyton are just ridiculous! Can’t talk to anyone on any team is absurd to say the least! He wants to have a reason to not reinstate him next year…what an ass! Can’t stand him and he should realize no one and I mean no one is untouchable! He’s walking around with his chest puffed out right now like his sh*t don’t stink! It’s also a conflict of interest when you work for 32 different entities that can benefit from crippling the Saints organization….that will IMO lead to a lawsuit at some point. Falcon owner told Goodell that he did the right thing….what a surprise! Saints have beat them 10 out of the last 12 games since 2006 when Peyton arrived….can’t put together a good enough team to beat Saints so stick it to them to give us an advantage. and they’re not the only one’s I can assure you! This whole thing stinks! Don’t forget haters our offense is second to none. Our defense hasn’t been all that good in years! So don’t get your hopes up for 2012 season! Oh and by they way the author of this article is an idiot! Stupid article!
otownsaint
April 17th, 2012
10:55 pm
i
otownsaint
April 17th, 2012
11:09 pm
Jeff Why wouldn’t you publish my comment? You’re too stupid too counter I guess? You suck!
ls1z28chris
April 17th, 2012
11:37 pm
Trololololol, Shultz. You write an article talking about why Brees should be embarrassed, yet aren’t you the guy who penned a story about the Falcons being Super Bowl contenders after they trounced the Colts last year? We all know how that turned out…
Tom Burris
April 18th, 2012
12:30 am
Enter your comments here
Tom Burris
April 18th, 2012
12:32 am
and you Mr. Schultz are a complete douche bag, along with all you POS dirty bird fans. Ya’ll just jealous with your no tallent havin, choke artist team! If you wanna call them boys a team!
Bill
April 18th, 2012
12:37 am
Jeff, you have proven that you have zero credibility and aren’t qualified to have a column much less write on important matters. Drew Bree’s is doing exactly what a player representative should do. He is asking to see and hear official evidence that specific players participated in the so called bounty program. Is he a fool for asking for that? He would be a fool not to and the fact that you can’t understand that is incredible.
10 of 12
April 18th, 2012
1:12 am
All male Saints fans meet at my house. I’m due for a good throat stretching session. I have already drained Nate Nolan of all his man strength so who is next. Feed me Saints fans feed me. I’m so glad we Saints fans can have a blog site to meet up in for our special man on man activities. Ah yes love is being covered in Saints man sauce and fleur de lys. WhoGay???!!!
J-Dog
April 18th, 2012
1:16 am
Guys, Drew has already admitted that there was a “Pay for Performance” system in place. He is merely arguing on behalf of the NFLPA for the league to distinguish between that and a “Bounty System”. The NFL says they have the eveidence, but is not required and will not to date share this information. This is big deal that affects the Saints players that will be punished and players on all teams that run afoul of the new precedences being made. It affects all sorts of thing like the salary cap that you rarely hear mentioned. Good Ole Natty Ice mught not be able to buy his O’Lineman Rolex’s at the end of the year for “Protecting” him. While most people would just prefer to point the finger at the Saint’s, dont be so quick to mis-judge yourself and own favorite team. GW, SP, ML, JV, are under contract and do not have Coaches Union to fight the legal battles. And lets be honest, they knew about the SF pregame recording long ago. GW threw himself on his sword because he knew his best bet at Coaching in the next 2 years. the only reason the others appealed wasnt because they thought they could get leniency…it was to do all they could to have more time to get the team in order. Dont worry. Assuming we sign Brees, his un-sportsman like reputation will save a couple of 40-Burgers for ya.
J-Dog
April 18th, 2012
1:19 am
you silly little dirty bird poop droppings are so pathetic that you cant read between the lines.
J-Dog
April 18th, 2012
1:22 am
would even publish my first comment that have order and logic. throw up some drivel and there it goes….right up on the net. this blog is furthering the decline of our society by allowing these……to speak. Thank you AJC.
ScooterBlack
April 18th, 2012
1:26 am
Jeff, celebrate all y’all want. The truth is Roger Goodell has too much power and he’s rolling in it like a pig in the mud! Remember that most owners did not vote for him, and it took five voting rounds to finally elect this a$$hole.
Jimmy Halston
April 18th, 2012
1:48 am
Maybe next time you write an article calling a man a fool, you should use a picture of him other than one of him giving a speech at his own celebrity golf tournament which raises money for charity. It really makes you look like a chump. Jeff Shultz = Classless
JJ1654
April 18th, 2012
2:32 am
I think Drew is just standing up for what is most probably the truth. I’m not even a Saints fan but I just dont believe this incident is a one team thing. No doubt there was a “pay for performance” progam within the defense but I honestly think Gregg Williams was a rogue coach telling players to hurt other players. I’ve listented to that audio tape several times and I never heard anyone else in the room make comments or agree with him when he mentioned certain players or injuries. The NFLPA even states they have reviewed game tape and see no deliberate video that shows any players attempting to intentionally hurt another player. I think the NFL is using the Saints as a scapegoat to set the tone throughout the league to avoid future lawsuits. They need something documented to say they acted on issues like this to cover their a$$.
Kim_Who Dat Fan
April 18th, 2012
4:42 am
I am sick of you Atlanta fans still crying about DB running up the score on that game. He is an awesome quarterback and y’all could only wish to have such a talented player. Get over it! The Saints will prevail and still kick some dirty bird butts!
Falcon James
April 18th, 2012
4:47 am
To even make a suggestion that the NFL suspends a GM and a head coach for season to “set the tone” is absolutely ridiculous. The NFL is a business first. There is no way in a million years they would expose themselves to that type of liabilty.
Mrs. Davis
April 18th, 2012
7:19 am
Drew made a statement and everyone’s so quick to talk mad crap! Ya’ll aren’t on the INSIDE of any of this- and Drew NEVER opens his mouth without good reason! Instead of focusing on what you DON’T like- read up on who he is as a PERSON! As for the dude who wrote this- You’re dumb! He meant PHYSICAL evidence. Not Heresay. Get over it!
Bogeyman
April 18th, 2012
7:55 am
You are misinterpreting what he said. He is saying there were no meaningful facts presented in regards to “players.” These are meetings to discuss player sanctions and there has been no specific evidence in regards to specific players.
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
8:37 am
Drew Brees must have (or should have) political aspirations in La. because from those coming here to faithfully defend him without question, we now can all see how someone like Obama can be re-elected………be afraid, be very afraid.
Saints R.E.A.M.
April 18th, 2012
9:25 am
Nothing to read here. Drew is just the type of guy you want on your team. Defending them till the bitter end. Make all of the accusations you like….but if Matt Ryan squealed about something that put the team in more hot water…you would crucify him. Your sure wouldn’t pat him on the back and say now there’s a great team leader. Hypocrites, enjoy your fun with the Saints Bountygate issues…….it won’t score you any more points in a playoff game!!!
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
9:34 am
Player gets seriously hurt by another player
Player’s union, on behalf of injured player and safety concerns, demands rule changes from NFL
NFL changes rules, adds punishment for violations
Player 1 gets seriously hurt by player 2 violating rules
player 2 states i was just playing the game
NFL fines/suspends player 2
Player’s union defends player 2 against NFL fine/suspension
Player 1 sues NFL because they didn’t do enough to protect him, union supports
Wow….what a racket!
scfalcon
April 18th, 2012
9:36 am
One one hand Brees and the rest of you Saints fans say it happens on every team. On the other hand, he had no knowledge. So he knows it happens in Detroit, but not his own locker room?
scfalcon
April 18th, 2012
9:39 am
You need a bounty on your two Daddys….Marshawn Lynch and Alex Smith.
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
9:47 am
scfalcon @ 9:36……saint fans will not understand that logic……you just jealous and a hater they will say…..haha
Kevin Pomet
April 18th, 2012
10:06 am
Get off your high horse and quit being such a wuss. It is violent sport and they get paid millions of dollars to put their ACLs at risk everday. Don’t tell me you can be foolish enough to believe this doesn’t go on in every locker room and in every game. Every team wants to knock the other team’s better players out of the game. It means they want to hurt them not injure them – show me evidence of an injury or a bounty to injure! Salute Brees for backing up his teammates who participated in a dumbass coach’s ’system”!
WhoDat4Eva
April 18th, 2012
10:06 am
2-10 against the Saints in the last 12 games, hahahaha. You guys are all jealous that your team sucks big time, hahahahaha.
Dan
April 18th, 2012
10:26 am
You can’t attack Drew Brees and not the rest of the player safety committee or the NFLPA, since they agree with him. Sorry dude, but this is horrible journalism.
Dawg Haus
April 18th, 2012
10:34 am
Very surprising that a guy like Brees would not face the music.
Bourbon Street dancer
April 18th, 2012
11:35 am
You are are just jealous that your QB is no where near what Brees is as an NFL QB.
This is no doubt a vendetta by Arthur Blank against the Saints with help from Rich McKay through the NFL.
10 of 12
April 18th, 2012
12:36 pm
WhoGay4eva- You are a lame retard. I hope some of your Saints fans are girls because it’s just not healthy for men to hang off a man’s sack like some of you do Brees. Let the man walk for pete sake.
Cathy
April 18th, 2012
1:16 pm
The kind of evidence Brees would like to see is the Saints players not exactly doing what Williams told them to do, no matter the pay incentive. Punish the incentive. Punish the encouragement from the coach and participation by players for engaging in talk about targeting for pay. But, who paid whom for what? Anybody really get paid? It was the formal version of what the Giants said about targeting 49ers players. But people with not a hint of irony, humility and and strong strain of hypocrisy want to pretend a long and wrong culture was invented by the Saints in the year 2009. Call Brees whatever you want, and maybe he shouldn’t be on the exec. committee, but I understand the evidence he wants. Even what you laid out here as the “clear and irrefutible” evidence, wouldn’t stand up if there were any kind of due process for the accused. People could defend themselves against the charge of lying and the blown up and careless label uniquely being placed on New Orleans for locker room hype all too common across the league. And a coach who used a pathetic idea when you couldn’t really turn them into thugs and savages for fear of fines, penalties, or their on human resistence to suddenly breaking legs, busting ACLs or head hunting in the literal sense.
Mr. Brown
April 18th, 2012
1:29 pm
The NFL has come down with the Death Penalty for the Saints.
To date, no coach in the history of the league has been suspended for even a single game. Sean Payton gets 1 year. A year!
Perfect.
I warned everyone about Goodell, a long, long time ago. So my conscience is clean.
This guy is not just not that smart, his ego is apparently the size of Montana.
It’s all about HIM, and what HE has done to improve player safety, and about how HE was “lied” to, and HIM, HIM, HIM!
I don’t know if Sean Payton and the Saints “lied” to the commish during this “investigation.” The league just implies that they did. The 10,000 page “investigation” and report on this matter, is not yet downloadable via PDF for us to make our own conclusions. And it never will.
So if YOU just want to take this league’s word on it, then go ahead.
Most writers, columnists and talking heads who cover the NFL, have done just that, applauding the penalty as “harsh” but “right.”
It’s like they are sitting with their legs crossed on the floor watching and clapping for the NFL’s little puppet show. The real story, is that the NFL is running scared – very scared – about these concussion lawsuits. So throwing the Saints under the bus is a cheap price for some litigation insurance.
Which means, I’m just rooting for the lawsuits now.
I hope this league gets it’s ASS handed to it in court, in a little Chinese takeout box.
Of course there’s a reason why many supposedly “independent” media outlets/journalists/pundits/talking heads are just mindlessly applauding the draconian penalties. It doesn’t pay to be against this league, and this commissioner, in any way…… ANY….
Not that the NFL could get a columnist fired, but if you cover the NFL, who wants doors closing and calls going un-returned just because you have staked out a hard position that makes the NFL look bad?
Luckily, a few smart people out there aren’t just buying Goodell’s punishment hook, line, and sinker.
Randy Galloway of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram cuts to the chase….
When Goodell was finally finished, the New Orleans Saints were placed in a commissioner-induced coma for the 2012 season, and the beating was so severe recovery after even one season is certainly not guaranteed, or even expected.
Oohs and aahs were heard from a shocked yet pleased national media, and this was followed by appreciative standing O’s in print.
That’ll teach ‘em. That’ll also send the message that the NFL is no place for organized violence if it comes in the form of “bounty” incentives. Goodell stopped that stuff, huh?
The Saints, as an organization, received the toughest overall penalty in the history of the league, and the toughest in any sport since the death penalty ruling against SMU.
We can, of course, use that SMU thing as a guideline, because 25 years later, the death penalty has never been used again by the NCAA, which certainly indicates to me that any form of cheating in college football ended immediately when the ruling came down in 1987.
At least I can’t recall any cheating scandals in college football, can you?
Based on Goodell’s explanation, he said he was lied to by the Saints when the “bounty” investigation first began, and that his original order to end the bounties was ignored for two years.For that — the lying, and ignoring orders — Goodell obviously blamed Payton more than anyone else in the Saints’ organization.
Again, we’ve only heard Goodell’s side of the “lying” story, and because he’s the NFL version of judge, jury and also the appellate court (appeals are accepted by the NFL, but Goodell hears the appeal of his own rulings) is it wise for anyone found guilty to speak up in protest?
REACT: Thank you, Randy. THANK YOU. That’s EXACTLY it. For numbnuts who say “well, Payton hasn’t disputed any of this….” just think about it. IT DOES YOU NO GOOD! Not only do you have to re-try your case in front of the same guy who just bashed your head in, it makes you look feeble and dishonest trying to explain just YOUR side of the story, when the NFL is withholding some 10,000 pages of information that might actually make your side of the dispute look a whole lot better.
And of course, the worst, most nauseating part of the whole story, is the “player safety” issue. My sweet ass it is. Dave M. in Ohio properly dissects that one…..
This Sean Peyton thing cracks me up. I’m actually fine with the severity of the penalties.
What do I care?
But it’s funny how the “narrative” quickly becomes distorted. For every Jaworski or Platscke who says…”I applaud the move..it’s all about player safety” I just want to rip my hair out.
No.It.Isn’t.
If you were really concerned about player safety you’d drop that 18 game nonsense and mandate the newer/safer helmets for all players. You’d mandate mouthguards (the real kind proven to reduce concussions) and you’d fit the helmets properly so they can’t be removed like baseball caps. I know I sound like I’m channeling Easterbrook here and that troubles even me. But that’s the truth. Safest equipment available and less overall contact by way of fewer games.
That’s step #1.
Now onto his real motives and the illogic of the ESPN argument…Follow me on my logic train for a moment. The NFL new about this Saints stuff at least a couple years back. Their investigation fizzled without corroboration and all parties were warned to knock it off. Am I right? Peyton, Loomis, Benson? All warned to stop this a couple of years ago. But they were warned privately so as not to give the league a black eye on the issue. If you care about player safety then you do something at THAT point in time. Not now.
Now?
These penalties are as much, if not more, about having lied to the league, ignored the league, embarrassed the league. Ignoring the issue…failing to punish it THEN automatically negates the player safety cover for this. This is the parental equivalent of overlooking shoplifting of your tween and then sentencing them to 15 years in the pen when you find them still doing it years later.
And again if this is all for PR?, fine. Who cares? But just say so then is my take. You want perjury type penalties in place? Fine? Put in place automatic year-long suspension “lying to commissioner during investigation” penalties if you want to. What I can’t stand is the lack of consistency and feeling that the NFL deals with each new scandal from the seat of their pants. And it all comes back to Playmakers. They can’t acknowledge the craziness that happens on their watch, let alone PLAN for the inevitable consequences.
The NFL needs a starting point of penalties (with a range), a fairer appeals process, and to get their arms around what might happen next. How can these guys appear to get caught flat footed by every little thing?
REACT: Great points here about how the NFL’s FIRST instincts, were to keep the warnings ultra-PRIVATE, so as to avoid embarrassment. In other words, player safety was the LAST thing on their mind. Keeping a shiny gloss to the image of the mighty “Shield” was, however, the FIRST thing on their mind.
Also, the equipment issue is a huge one. The league’s crackdown on “illegal” hits is admirable – in theory – but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. And it’s the piece that costs the league the LEAST amount of money. In fact, it MAKES them money! Fine the players! There, that was easy! Not pushing for 18 games would COST money. Playing just two pre-season games would COST money. Purchasing and mandating new high-tech helmets would COST money. The league has very little interest in any of this.
Player safety. Pffftt. Get outta here with that.
The “net-net” of all of this, is that the league as we once knew it, is gone for good. It was once a legitimate sports league, operated by a central authority that knew the limits of its legal and ethical boundaries. There were rules and they were known and agreed upon. The Commissioner’s power was not as over-arching and limitless as it now, obviously is.
The league existed to make money before, of course, but now it’s lust for more and more profit, and less risk at any cost for its member teams is beyond insatiable.
The league is also in the greatest peril for lanscape re-shaping legal verdicts on multiple fronts that it has been for many years. Let me summarize them.
Player Lawsuits vs. NFL on concussions (actual and numerous)
Cowboys/Redskins Lawsuit on Salary Cap Penalty (possible)
Collusion Lawsuit by NFLPA (possible)
Blacklisting Lawsuit by Gregg Williams (possible)
And these are just a few of the legal storms currently on the extended radar. What we still can’t account for, is the “unknown unknowns” as they say in military terms.
In other words: “The shit we haven’t even seen coming yet.”
I will still watch NFL football, because the GAME is awesome. Fast, hard hitting, unpredictable. It’s a spectacle. And the athletes are just freaks.
But I am not going to worship the league like I once did. I won’t likely buy the NFL Sunday Ticket again either. I don’t need to burn an entire afternoon on Sunday when it’s 75 and sunny in September sitting in my mancave watching three TVs.
A good game at 4 p.m., plus highlights of the other games and then the Sunday nighter. One more for good measure on Monday. That, along with my local “free” NFL team on over-the-air TV is quite alot.
Plus, I hear there is something out there callled… “a highlight package.”
Hmmm. Do tell. Sound interesting.
Have fun with all of this stuff Roger. Looks like you and lawyers are going to be busy.
So just because my boss tells me to do something and I listen to him but I don’t act on it. I just go out and do my job, make legal hits, what are you saying I did wrong? If I received money for a big hit, how is that any different from other players saying they passed money around the locker room?
Chris Mortan
April 18th, 2012
1:30 pm
It totally amazes me to see all NFL team fans that are 1) either in the same division as the Saints or 2) lost to the Saints in a playoff or any meaningful game talk about how the Saints cheated, lied, bounted, or whatever after players in an NFL game. Are you guys that weak as a team that you have to come up with excuses as to why you lost and the Saints won? Lets face some facts here. ALL NFL teams try to take out players to win a game. The NFL is a violent sport otherwise it would not be as popular as it is today. At one time I remember NFL networks showing all the hard hits in a game during halftime on a Monday night. It is not touch football people, it is Tackle football people! You want your opponent to think about what will happen if they catch the ball over the middle. When did this EVER change? Are defenses suppose to now play in a prevent defense for fear of hurting someone? Lets just let them catch the ball and we will kindly place them softly on the ground. Boy, I would love to pay $2000 for a season ticket to see that. If you really want to read THE TRUTH about the culture of NFL football, I encourage everyone to look up Jason Whitlock’s article on the Saints about three weeks back. He tells the TRUTH. Also, how many players in MLB as pitchers are not told to throw a ball at a batter? Hummm, Lets start suspending managers and players for a year for that. And the NBA? Oh, its just a technical foul. a few games suspension in a season over a hundred games long. Should we suspend the coach for a season? Just saying. Where are we going to go with this? Its football. Now get a life. If you dont like to watch, switch the channel. If you dont like to play, dont accept hundreds of millions of dollars to play and expect no injuries to take play where performance pays those millions in the first place.
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
1:31 pm
Cathy………Do you think the union wants a safe environment for their members? If so, what are their recommendations? So this is not an issue at all?
WhoDatChick
April 18th, 2012
1:33 pm
Good Lord! All of you Falcan’t fans need to sit the hell down. Drew Brees is a model football player, father, and man. You can’t hate on the man because you guys are sitting with Matty Choke behind the Center. Goodell is trying to take us down. Not going to happen. We look forward to kicking your @$$e$ again this season.
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
1:37 pm
Chris………Did the saints violate the rules? Were they warned to stop? Did they stop? Did they lie about it? Did they confess to it?
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
1:49 pm
Drew Brees had to know something…….or Sean Payton and /or Loomis are idiots for having an illegal program that no players were involved. Which is it?
Hey, FAILCANT fans
April 18th, 2012
1:57 pm
Your only hope to beat the SB Champion Saints was for something like this to happen…sad thing is, hope is not a strategy so you still have no chance….your organization is pathetic….even with the faux bounty scandal, Saints are still a great team and feared and will win the SB this year….truth hurts, doesn’t it rednecks and ghetto dwellers….stay classy…..
P.s. Lofton sends his regards and looks forward to finally being with a WINNING team…he is now a WHO DAT…lmao….loosah Falclowns…..rise up….FALL DOWN!
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
1:58 pm
Ms. Chick that is pretty arrogant being that this is a falcon blog. Kind of silly of you actually. Saints are a good team, I think the Falcons are good too, but your team screwed up. They lied. Your players sound silly defending what your coaches and GM and being punished for.