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
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
2:06 pm
A saint fan telling others to stay classy…….? …..not that is funny!
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
2:10 pm
*now that is funny!
WhoDatChick
April 18th, 2012
2:22 pm
Mr. Redcoat if you are a fan of the game, you know that players are loyal to their coach, 100%. Maybe the Falcon’s don’t have that kind of loyalty, I can’t tell. I know over here, the players, coaches, owner, fans, the whole State of Louisiana defends our coach and our team.
I am just sick of every other team and half assed sports writer trying to demonize my team. Everyone does it; we were just unlucky enough to have a coach who Goodell despised. Can’t help the fact that Payton is 20 times the man, Go-To-Hell is. He couldn’t take it and decided to hang us out to dry for something that happens LEAGUE WIDE!
Since you posted nicely, I won’t rip you, but if we are being absolutely honest, the Falcons are not even in the same class as the Saints. We have been rivals since I was a little girl in the 80’s and that’s the game I look forward to the most every season. You guys have the players to get there, but something is missing to bring it home. I am not impressed with Matt Ryan at all, never have been.
Kim_Who Dat Fan
April 18th, 2012
2:36 pm
Well said Who Dat Chick!! Personally I don’t give a rats A$$ if this is a Falcon’s blog! The Falcon’s have and always will be SORRY!!!! As I said before the Saints will dig there way out of this and have a winning season this year! As much as I hate it that Coach Payton will not be with them, they will get beyond all this negativity and be the winning team they are. So, Falcon fans put a sock in it and get ready for you 2 losses!!!
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
2:59 pm
Ms. Chick……thanks for not ripping me….hahaha…..but 100% loyal in the case of rule breaking when someone could have his livelihood taken away is not seen as admirable. Payton shouldn’t have lied about it and if that is how you measure someone, we do have a very different outlook of things.
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
3:10 pm
Kim……….It will be seen if your saints will prevail on the field………but there will now ALWAYS be that air of cheating and lying with your organization…….there is nothing you can do about that.
C from Marietta
April 18th, 2012
3:23 pm
A) He knew. If you think he didn’t. You navie.
B) Who cares ? This article was a waste of time.
Kim_Who Dat Fan
April 18th, 2012
4:12 pm
@ red coat……do you really believe the Saints where the only team doing this??????????? Thankfully no players where carted off the field while this was going on. It’s over! They are paying for it. But, I still believe in my team. They have too much talent and they WILL prevail. I can’t wait for them to show everyone.
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
4:44 pm
Kim…..It doesn’t matter if anybody else believes that other teams had bounty programs, it’s still wrong and a rule violation. The worst part was the lying. There is simply no excuse for it. Yes, thankfully the “cart offs” didn’t happen but the evidence indicates some players received pay outs, that means some of the targets were reached. I guess we will have more on that later.
DM
April 18th, 2012
5:17 pm
The only thing sad is the NFL is picking on one team…seriously…I have often suspected as well as all close followers of the game that Pay per performance (Bounty) existed. I would love for the whole truth to come out and what other teams have done. Oh wait…we can’t do that? There would be no NFL to play a season.
Fell free to trash me, but only if you can prove to me that other teams did not do the same. Oh and that would be more proof then the Commish had when he attacked the Saints.
Kim_Who Dat Fan
April 18th, 2012
5:31 pm
@DM….I am 100% behind you. Other teams where doing it. And no it is not right, but it is what it is. I am really tired of hearing about it. Punish the rest of the Saints players and move on! But, it would only be right if the other teams where outed as well. We know that will not happen.
Mike mccoy
April 18th, 2012
5:59 pm
I find you also being bias just a little am I right? Tell me you don’t have a hint of a smile Mr. Atlanta Falcon. Hearing all the evidence does not make you stupid it makes you practical. So slow your roll my friend your Falcons will do good this year
redcoat
April 18th, 2012
6:15 pm
DM/Kim……..I’m sure any other team found running what the saints were will be dealt with even more severely now……should have stopped when warned …….right? DM, can’t prove a negative, so i guess you will never be satisfied, just bitter. Blame the ones who lied!
CHA-CHING
April 18th, 2012
7:22 pm
Stop hating! Every Falcon fan in Atlanta wishes that they had Drew Brees at QB. The Saints offense is the best in the NFL. Thats why they win some playoff games. They’re defense sucks, so how can the bounty be the reason for they’re winning ways? Yall wish yall had him on your team instead of “Matty Lice”(he sucks!0.
Laurie
April 18th, 2012
7:54 pm
Most of you idiots don’t know anything about what went on in New Orleans. You guys r just haters!
Because the Saints have a real chance to win the Superbowl in their own back yard. Saints are SCAPEGOATS for the NFL. Green Bay had the same thing going on in 2007, so why did he not do a thing to them, since he is so concerned about the players health. Why not release all the documents you have. I have read that most of the so called evidence was made up. So all you haters there is a lot of stuff out there. Keep on with the hate we as Saints fans can’t wait for this season.
Most of this guys writing this stuff hate the Saints too! WHO DAT!
jthiebaud
April 18th, 2012
8:23 pm
Aw, you guys are just upset because the Saints swept you last year, and made your team look like a bunch of nincompoops when Brees surpassed the passing yardage record.
jthiebaud
April 18th, 2012
8:32 pm
Mr. Schultz,
When Mr. Brees commented that the NFL had not provided any “meaningful evidence”, he was referring to a specific meeting which he attended as a representative of NFLPA. He was not speaking as the quarterback of the Saints, nor was he expressing an opinion of his personal beliefs regarding the situation. This is the difference between professional comportment in the execution of a duty, and personal interest being allowed to diminish such professionalism. After reading your slanted commentary, I think you should aspire to the excellent example made by Mr. Brees.
Also, men who wear rectangular eyeglasses should not cast stones about looking like a fool.
Kim_Who Dat Fan
April 18th, 2012
10:43 pm
Jthiebaud you are right! The Falcons have been upset since the last game when Drew hit his record and didn’t stop putting points on the board. Well, guess what?? If that had been ole Matty boy he would have done the same as well as any other quarterback in the NFL! I never did understand their crappy attitude about that! The Falcons and their fans are a bunch of cry babies!
Saintsation
April 18th, 2012
11:54 pm
You people are very stupid and not very intelligent talking all of this crap about drew Brees being classes! absurd !! So classless is running up the score if that is the case then there is a lot of classless people out there!!! Offense scores points. Defense is suppose to stop them right … Yes … Right !!! I bet if it was your teams qb you wouldn’t talk crap about him right!!! Get a life and educate youselves!!! Please !!!
Onlywishyoucouldbe#1
April 19th, 2012
12:00 am
This hilarious, how bout you guys beat us on the field.. At least score more then 2 Points in a playoff game, when ya dumped everything ya had on Julio.
DREGGSTA
April 19th, 2012
4:48 am
I think this falcon fan says it all: http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=6Pqs5Y_QDsE. Who dat.
DREGGSTA
April 19th, 2012
4:57 am
But I’ll summarize, y’all are horrible fans to your own teams so no one is surprised to find y’all trying to sling mud at a top tier QB. But what do I care? I don’t. Not bout y’all or this “fool” of a writer. Sweet pun!
redcoat
April 19th, 2012
6:25 am
Ca-Ching….. the “hater” thing is old and juvenile and totally predictable when there is nothing you can defend
jthiebaud……that’s laughable, a very convenient excuse, spoken like a true politician and we know how politicians are….haha
Kim…….the cry from saint land has already been heard from past losses so NO set the standard on whining as you continually provide proof on this blog……Thank you
Saintsation……..another juvenile remark, post says it all
Dreggsta……..I didn’t click your link, but see you provided a clue how much you care by even posting a comment here…….very laughable, do you argue with yourself much I wonder?
In conclusion…..all your posts, and especially coming to this site to do it, still doesn’t change what the saints have done and as I already posted, there will now ALWAYS be that air of cheating and lying with your organization…….there is nothing you can do about that.
Jason
April 19th, 2012
7:36 am
I am a Saints fan. It’s fun coming to ATL and watching the two teams play. I also come to Augusta to the practice rounds of the Masters every year. ALL NFL fans beware! If GODell can do this to the Saints, then your team may be next. This punishment is brought on because Drew and the NFLPA stood up to the machine. GODell couldn’t do anything to him, so what’s the next best thing? Think about it.
Kim_Who Dat Fan
April 19th, 2012
8:50 am
I’m out for now, but I will be back at the end of the season to say I TOLD YOU SO! Here is my prediction Saints/Patriots Super Bowl XlVll. Yes, that’s what I said! Drew Brees is going to get his contract, we have a new Defensive Coordinator(who has alot of experience under his belt) and the Saint’s have signed some good defensive free agents. Plus, we still have the draft. Mostly they are going to be hungry to show everyone and including GODell they can’t be stopped!!!! See ya in New Orleans 2013!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
April 19th, 2012
9:05 am
ANNUAL FALCANTS PRESEASON PREDICTIONS:
1. They will go 12-4
2. They will go deep in the playoffs
3. They will go to the superbowl
POST SEASON PREDICTIONS:
1. The refs wanted the other team to win
2. Matt is still young (5th season)
3. The offensive line didn’t protect Matt
4. The receivers sucks
5. Turner is too fat and slow
Translation: CHOKE is a BUST
BOO BOO And TT
April 19th, 2012
9:36 am
LOL at all of the new orleans aint fans arguing with each other on page 2, how about YOU all do us a favor and get off our blog site and get out of our city….. Been to new orleans a couple of times, it was okay, but if you take away the french quarter… What do you have? NOTHING!!!!!
E-rock
April 19th, 2012
11:10 am
Point not made! If u were at that meeting then you may discuss this but since you were not how do you know what was Introduced during that meeting. Yes those are facts and some opinions. Some of it is one man’s word verses another’s. Yes some may be considered evidence but just like in a regular court if the press assumes something or sees something but it is not produce adequately in that court then it is not true evidence. Stop assuming you know everything! You don’t know exactly what evidence Bree’s is looking for in evidence, maybe something that has not been pulled and yanked on by the media.
DREGGSTA
April 19th, 2012
11:25 am
@ redcoat: like i care if you clicked the link. is your response worth one of mine? for fun yes but unlike you i don’t take things personal. no one cares if you don’t change your mind. you’ll always be a hater & you’ll always be lame. just like all your comments. you need to be corrected factually tho. the saints “will now ALWAYS be that air of cheating and lying with your organization” (your quote). it will have that air to you & some others but not to everyone. especially when other players have said bounties have existed elsewhere, prolly even your beloved team too. do try to stop being a douche, if you can.
redcoat
April 19th, 2012
12:06 pm
Dregga……….a now predictable and laughable response by all saint fans it seems….nothing personal to me, you seem to be expressing bitterness toward me when your team screwed up. Yes i know that everyone will not think of the “air”, but what is done is done. You will see it less mention as time goes by, but it WILL always be there. Defending poor behavior is just what has me fascinated. Dregga, I’m sorry your team screwed up. If the saints take a nose dive this coming season, I hope you can handle it.
DREGGSTA
April 19th, 2012
12:13 pm
yeh the saints won the SB by cheating. lmao. that interception tracy porter put on p. manning was a lethal hit to the colts chances of making a comeback. he def shoulda got a performance bonus for that play. indeed he did get paid bc he can tout that on his resume.
Bigdog75
April 19th, 2012
12:16 pm
Mr. Shultz – If you have ever played football before then you and as well as any person reading this blog, knows that coaches tell there players to get hard hits. Football is and will always be a rought and tough sport. If we take these hard hits out of the game then we might as well take off the equipment, tie a flag around our waste and play touch or flag football. As far as Drew Brees, the man is busy learning and worring about his offense and what he needs to do to get the offense in the endzone. When I played, i never even heard what the defense were doing. We were getting ready to play. Leave the man alone. He knows only one thing………touchdown! If you look at your article a little closer, lets see who the real fool is. WHO DAT!!!!
DREGGSTA
April 19th, 2012
1:09 pm
another take on this subject: http://saintswin.blogspot.com/2012/04/are-saints-being-railroaded.html
& stop digressing redcoat.
michael
April 19th, 2012
1:26 pm
I guess we should all just take Roger Goodell for his word, right? Just bend over and accept his will and his word, and don’t ask any questions, right? Until he shows his evidence, this is all just heresay. FFS you would think that you all forgot about one simple thing, which is DUE PROCESS.
redcoat
April 19th, 2012
2:13 pm
dregga…..I see you still don’t care by posting….haha, What did i digress from exactly? The saints won a super bowl, falcons sux, everybody was doing it, you a hater, your just jealous,….that kind of stuff you mean?
Micheal……i guess he had enough for the coaches and GM……..3 yrs and warnings and some kind evidence I think and Goodell did it all by himself and made this whole thing up…..you don’t think player’s were involved?
Beth
April 19th, 2012
3:01 pm
Go figure….you Atlanta people are haters because the Saints are better than the cry baby Mike Smith and the Falcons!!!! LMAO!!!!
DREGGSTA
April 19th, 2012
3:26 pm
i don’t care. i just enjoy posting bc i get enjoyment from it. go look up the definition of digress. after that then i’d hope you could gather what i meant. stop being infantile. you intionally mispelling my name is lame. ain’t no one here can talk smack better than me so don’t try to get on my level. as for the dirty birds, i haven’t once bashed them. i like them actually. just like i root for sec teams in college. i root for nfc south teams when it’s one of us in the post season. so again, stop being childish lol. i rem watching matt ryan play for BC. chill out & takethe panties outta your ass. i ain’t worried about my saints. i was a fan when they were the aint’s & i’m a fan now. every team has their issues & this overrated bounty crap is just that, overrated. you wanna jump on a bandwagon that’s you. just know you sound idiotic doing so.
redcoat
April 19th, 2012
3:26 pm
Beth………dregga would say your digressing……….the subject is Brees looks like a fool for not acknowledging the bounty program with subject matter to back it up…….anyway the hater thing has been said Beth, Now what was it that Mr Schultz wrote that you disagree?
redcoat
April 19th, 2012
3:44 pm
Dregga…….was my digression from what you were saying or the point of the article? I don’t do the spelling checking thing to well thing either. If i was stepping in your smack talk territory , I’m sorry to have upset you like that. I’m sorry that the article has negative issues toward your team to which you can’t justify in any way. We have some common sentiments as far as regional NFL and college teams go, But I think you need to take your on advice on the chill , panty checking ,bandwagon, and idiot thing.
DREGGSTA
April 19th, 2012
3:50 pm
Enter your comments here
DREGGSTA
April 19th, 2012
3:51 pm
^^^ that’s for you red!no, beth isn’t digressing. redcoat is. lmao. the redcoats are coming the redcoats are coming. what a douche. it’s ok redcoat. apology accetpted & deposited. the advice was for you tho. it won’t work for me.
redcoat
April 19th, 2012
4:00 pm
dregga……you were doing so good there for a while and now you have lost it……..you are digressing you know….
Who Dat all the way!
April 19th, 2012
9:17 pm
That’s crazy and really, the whole article is an opinion because instead of saying he thinks the saints had no bounty program, or you could say he was supporting his team, and he had no part in this so there is no reason why you can say this about him. He is a honest quarterback and has earned his way here. Anyway, they’ll still make it to the playoffs.
BC
April 19th, 2012
11:18 pm
It all started with Williams long before he came to the Saints. It just so happens that the Saints are the fall guy. Makes me wonder if they just don’t want a home team in the Superbowl.. If this came out years ago why are they now speaking out…..
redcoat
April 20th, 2012
6:06 am
BC/who all………..you’re sounding foolish too………what in the article don’t you agree specifically?
sawyer bateman
April 20th, 2012
1:47 pm
Ok its funny that the second something negative goes down on a player as elite as Drew brees stupid people sit and say how horrible stupid and un qualified he is people you will never be as good of a leader player and person as drew brees is that is all i have to say imagine someone that only focuses on the positive and then look at what drew has said about the bounty he is so far above you guys that you even stoop to think that he has” lost it” Literally how stupid do you get i can’t believe that you can call yourself a professional writer when you publish a piece of work as terrible as this. Do you think that drew would ever stoop to your level ha no way bro! why do you think Brees is Elite, because he has a mind that is more positive and advanced then any of you peoples will ever be watch him come out next season and blow you guys all away guarantee you won’t see another post as stupid as this one he’s lost it give me a break you go out and try to tell your team through the media that you still believe in them and find a better way to do it then this man is doing right now.
redcoat
April 20th, 2012
2:36 pm
Mr. Bateman…..It is very admirable of Drew Brees to continue to look so foolish on behalf of his team.
Gellieman
April 20th, 2012
6:25 pm
Hey jeff, you seem to be an expert. Exactly how many players were involved? And no, i dont want a range, i want a number. Oh wait, you are being influence by other media outlets! how typical.
JBizzle
April 20th, 2012
11:18 pm
Sounds like another angry Atlanta fan…. zzzzzzzzzzz. Jump on the bandwagon, bash Brees now. Don’t recall any bounties on Matt Ryan…. oh yeah, your O-line LET us take his head off. Stop whining. You will always be second best in the NFC South. Deal with it
redcoat
April 21st, 2012
7:50 am
Gellieman………….More foolish remarks , an exact number? what’s that? That number is coming soon.
JBizzle………Angry sounding? and your rant had nothing but the typical juvenile saints retort of “my team is better than yours,na na na na” bitterness. You seem angry.
The evidence that your coaches and GM are being punished seems to be overwhelming, since they “confessed” So are they idiots too? Are you saying no players were involved even with what has been reported? Brees not even acknowledging a bounty program? Doesn’t that sound foolish?
Ok your response….. my team beat your team, we won a SB, Goodell has it in for us, everybody else is doing, you just a hater, falcons sux, your just jealous……….which will it be? Did i leave one out? I guess that’s all you can do when you have nothing else.