Bounties wrong and Saints, Vilma and NFLPA just don’t get it
Jonathan Vilma has some free time to admire this.
(4:10 p.m: Updated and rewritten)
The NFL Players Association needs to re-brand itself, perhaps as the Union of People We Feel Like Representing. Because how is it that a players’ union, whose stated mission includes looking out for the well-being of all its membership …
• Ignores all evidence uncovered in a two-year NFL investigation into a bounty program.
• Ignores the public admission of a former assistant coach, Gregg Williams, who orchestrated and partially funded the program.
• Ignores an audio recording in which Williams is heard instructing his New Orleans defensive players to deliver repeated head blows to the opposing quarterback and running back and then references a specific wide receiver, saying: “He becomes human when we [bleepin’] take out that outside ACL.”
Where’s their union?
The NFL did the right thing again Wednesday. Following the suspensions of coach Sean Payton and other team officials for “Bounty Gate,” commissioner Roger Goodell suspended linebacker Jonathan Vilma for the entire 2012 season and three other players: defensive end Will Smith (four games), linebacker Scott Fujita (now with Cleveland, three games) and defensive end Anthony Hargrove (now with Green Bay, eight games).
It could’ve been worse. The league initially stated “22 to 27″ players were involved in the bounty program. But Goodell, in his own little bounty program, focused on the Saints leaders who contributed money, demonstrated the greatest intent to participate “and/or obstructed the 2010 investigation.”
The union’s immediate response was indignation. It will appeal. I understand a union has members’ backs. But is Drew Brees’ back more important than everybody else’s? How about the guys targeted to be beheaded? Or is the NFLPA just somehow trying to save face after giving so much back in collective bargaining talks?
The NFLPA released a statement saying it has “not received any detailed or specific evidence from the league of these specific players’ involvement in an alleged pay-to-injure program.”
In legal circles, this is called The Bart Simpson Defense: “I didn’t do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can’t prove anything.”
Former Saint Darren Sharper said he read the NFL security report and saw no “proof” that bounty payments made. I love it when people go all CSI on us.
Fear not, I’m sure video of Williams and Vilma handing out $100 bills will surface because don’t you just know the Saints would want it for bookkeeping purposes?
Probably won't see this photo again: Payton, Goodell, Brees smiling
Exactly what would the players union and its muddled-brained leader, DeMaurice Smith, say to Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was among those targeted for $10,000 bounties by the Saints defense? Rodgers said recently, “I think the line is drawn when people knowingly take money for hits that cause injuries to another player.”
The Saints have now lost their head coach (Payton) for the entire season, their interim head coach (Joe Vitt) for six games, their general manager (Mickey Loomis) for eight games, two of their best defensive players (Vilma and Smith) and a second-round draft pick. Quarterback Drew Brees also remains unsigned and unhappy about being franchise tendered, so there’s a degree of uncertainty about his future.
The Saints will play up the Us-Against-The-World theme. But how can you not look at this and logically conclude that the Falcons have the inside track for the NFC South title?
We’ve addressed this before: Anybody who trivializes the bounty program with comments like, “Everybody does it” (not true) or the NFL loves violence (true, but they don’t love concussions and torn ligaments) is missing the point. There’s a difference between rewarding an athlete for an unscripted play and a premeditated assault.
Payments for “cart-offs” aren’t acceptable. We’re taking about people’s livelihoods. And lives.
There aren’t a lot of people around the NFL who feel sorry for the Saints. Along with the team’s success, New Orleans has been viewed as one the more arrogant organizations for a few years. Nobody wears that crown better than Vilma. He recent demonstrated that by changing the avatar on his Twitter account (@JonVilma51) to the Sports Illustrated cover with his picture and the headline: “Bounty Culture.”
I’m sure that went over well in Goodell’s office.
Clearly, there’s a level of acceptance that hasn’t taken place yet with Vilma or the NFLPA. It’s easy to understand a player who can’t get out of the way of his own ego. But a union that is supposed to be looking out for all doesn’t have that excuse.
By Jeff Schultz
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259 comments Add your comment
Jeff Schultz
May 2nd, 2012
9:39 pm
Who Dat Black — As previously stated, NFLPA is NOT protecting interests of all the players — and the fact is that some already have spoken out. Also, the fact that a player who knocked out Kurt Warner didn’t get suspended really means nothing.
Jeff Schultz
May 2nd, 2012
9:43 pm
Chub Rock and 10 of 12 — You’re both about to get banned. Take it elsewhere.
Jeff Schultz
May 2nd, 2012
9:47 pm
Eddie Ray — No Katrina/9th Ward type jokes permitted here.
SeenThisB4
May 2nd, 2012
10:43 pm
╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮
Norm Van Brocklin
May 2nd, 2012
10:48 pm
See, Seen talks to OPEN…………….proof M.O.
SeenThisB4
May 2nd, 2012
10:49 pm
@ norm
╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮
Kenny
May 2nd, 2012
10:54 pm
Not saying they did or didn’t do it, but you are quite ignorant to say they ignored evidence…Maybe the “evidence” shows exactly what the NFL is stating, but who has seen it?? all you haters and this columnist has seen as proof is “well goodell said….”
Saints players and staff have only admitted to a performance program..not BOUNTY program existing….again, I’m not saying it’s BS…but what is BS is that no one has seen a shred of evidence, only hearsay. Show the evidence and shut everyone, haters and me alike up
SeenThisB4
May 2nd, 2012
11:03 pm
@kenny- You are a wise man!! Do you want to join my alliance???
The Truth
May 2nd, 2012
11:06 pm
Section 242….moron,,they also lost the head coach for the season and the GM for 1/2 the season. That is a little more than the Patriots.
Who know what the Saints would have done this year without the suspensions. The bottom line is the Superbowl will be in New Orleans 10th time which ties Miami for the most (Atlanta..one time) and the Falcons will not be in it. Maybe the new billion dollar stadium will let Atlanta host it for a second time..then again, maybe not. NFL may not care for the Saints, but they sure love New Orleans.
Union misguided in fighting for suspended Saints – USA TODAY | Political Daily
May 2nd, 2012
11:49 pm
[...] CitizenSaints players will receive the “due process” for which the union bargainedNBCSports.comAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -ESPN (blog)all 1,582 news [...]
Norm Van Brocklin
May 3rd, 2012
12:07 am
OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen
OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen/OPEN/Seen
Cute little graphic there , ole “Taint huttin.”
doc
May 3rd, 2012
12:23 am
easy answer jeff …. this culture is the same as the one that fosters roid use protection instead of oversight to assure the health of its members rather than exploiting it.
doc
May 3rd, 2012
12:31 am
this comes out about the time one of the fiercest warriors shoots a hole in his chest to prove a point.
these guys better wake up as well as mamas who have kids playing this sport. folks a headache after practice is a grade one concussion. how many have these guys had in their lives really?
rally
May 3rd, 2012
1:21 am
quit worrying about the saints Jeff. The real story is Arthur Blank and the arrogance of trying to pass a 300 million dollar stadium the city of Atlanta does not have and to say we’ll be Super Bowl Eligible. Mr. Blank just ride yourself on out of here you piece of garbage, and take your Matt Ryan and Julio Jones with you. Exactly where does that money come from. A little journalism into this ordeal and actually bringing some accountablity back would be a good thing for starters. I forgot your on Blank’s payroll. What horsesqueez? I don’t give a crap up about no stinking saints:)
JSS
May 3rd, 2012
5:44 am
About to “get banned,” that won’t stop ‘em…
“But how can you not look at this and logically conclude that the Falcons have the inside track for the NFC South title?”
Pretty simple on that one, has the other division teams regressed enough that Falcons elevate to make them considerably better football than those other teams? No, that Saints team was light years better than the Falcons (not Mularkey, but talent)… The floor in this division has gotten better, that has always been the issue. Is your floor firmer than you opposition?
Jeff Schultz, you know how I feel about Goodell, he’s got bigger problems than those bounties (and its culture)… Junior Seau, poor Dave Duerson, poor Ray Easterling, and poor Jim Otto among others are evidence of the larger problems… This is no defense of bounty system, but this is a larger issue of a commissioner who did not learn about adversarial position he took last year regarding how he communicates with not just the union head but the NFLPA! He has quickly pushed aside going after one of the sacred cows of the league in this mess, Joe Gibbs. And what did Jack Del Rio know (when Williams was in Jacksonville)? I never thought I’d see the day when a person like Tim Hasselbeck would sound like a voice of reason regarding the bounty culture…
JSS
May 3rd, 2012
5:45 am
“you” = “your”
JSS
May 3rd, 2012
6:34 am
Who is this pretender?
“JSS
May 2nd, 2012
7:54 pm
tech fan, hold on a minute – Brees is overrated? If that’s true, what is Matt Ryan? Boy hasn’t won a playoff game yet, but people think he’s “elite”! You can have him – go Saints!”
Come on now, Matt Ryan isn’t a “boy” (he’s a man)… I tell you guys all the time, get your own user name and stand by the statements that you make here on these blogs… I may dislike Matt Ryan’s skill set; but I don’t sit here and lie on what he is… Next time you blog under my user name, I won’t be so nice… Thanks!
B
May 3rd, 2012
7:21 am
haha and you’re surprised jeff. typical of unions. they are mobs.
JSS
May 3rd, 2012
7:32 am
“typical of unions. they are mobs.”
Compared to what, the Gestapo? You’re the guy who used join in with State police at Edmund Pettus Bridge?
Hey, Jeffie and Failcantl fans
May 3rd, 2012
8:06 am
You JUST DON’T GET IT…SAINTS ARE BETTER THAN THE FAILCANTS….MORE TALENT, SMARTER COACHES, BETTER FANS….YOU DO NOT HAVE A SB RING AND NEVER WILL WITH YOUR CURRENT PATHETIC LEADERSHIP…..SAINTS WILL WIN IT ALL AGAIN THIS YEAR…YOU KNOW IT, WE KNOW IT, CURTIS LOFTON KNOWS IT WHICH IS WHY HE LEFT YOUR SORRY TEAM….everyone laughs at you…you just don’t get it…must be horrible to be a no ring FALCLOWN fan….stay classy, rednecks and ghetto dwellers…
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
May 3rd, 2012
8:38 am
No Schultz, scoring ZERO points in a playoff game is “WRONG”
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
May 3rd, 2012
8:39 am
As long as CHOKE is behind center, even the bull dogs are favored to win in games that matter
cajun criminals
May 3rd, 2012
10:09 am
Poor, poor saints fans. Leave it to them to try and paint this as a great thing getting rid of Vilma. What a bunch of Bluto Blutowski’s they are. Well son, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life. Unless of course you are a saints fan.
Falcons in 2012!
May 3rd, 2012
10:18 am
with the saints out, the falcons have the division title wrapped up. Look for a deep playoff run this year with a better D and O.
Old Scratch
May 3rd, 2012
11:30 am
Said it before and I’ll say it again, Katrina 2 can’t come soon enough.
mvkitchen
May 3rd, 2012
11:31 am
“Ignores all evidence uncovered in a two-year NFL investigation into a bounty program.”
- No one has seen this alleged evidence. Everyone makes assumptions that just because the NFL says it’s so, it’s so.
“• Ignores the public admission of a former assistant coach, Gregg Williams, who orchestrated and partially funded the program.”
- He admitted to administering a pay-for-performance system, not a pay-for-injury system.
“• Ignores an audio recording in which Williams is heard instructing his New Orleans defensive players to deliver repeated head blows to the opposing quarterback and running back and then references a specific wide receiver, saying: “He becomes human when we [bleepin’] take out that outside ACL.””
- Anyone who plays football knows that coaches say stuff like that all the time. Did he target specific injuries? Yes. But a lot of coaches do. That’s why coaches don’t release their injury reports until they absolutely have to, and often leave people off of them. Saints penalties during the 49ers game from which the audio originated? Zero penalties for zero yards.
I’m not saying that there wasn’t a bounty system. I’m just saying that fans of the team and the league deserve to see some of this “evidence.”
savannahga321
May 3rd, 2012
11:41 am
Can you tell us about “all the evidence”? Because apparently you’re the only one that’s seen it other than the NFL. You’re taking them at their word, but have no idea what that evidence is. Both Vilma and Will Smith both say it didn’t happen.It’s pretty bold for them to come out and flat out say in no uncertain terms ‘I did not do this” especially if there’s some kind of concrete evidence that no one can see but the NFL. That doesn’t make you pause even for a second before you write this? And let me quote William’s admission, since you seems to have forgotten the specifics: “I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the ‘PAY FOR PERFORMANCE’ program while I was with the Saints.” Did you get that part in all caps?
DawgDad
May 3rd, 2012
11:41 am
There is no gray area. Intent to injure is (1) unsportsmanlike and (2) criminal. The NFL should cooperate with law enforcement and if there is enough evidence the pepetrators and conspirators should be prosecuted.
Intent to injure an opponent cannot be condoned. Injuries will happen, it’s a brutal sport. But it must be a sport, not a display of barbarism.
savannahga321
May 3rd, 2012
11:42 am
Can you tell us about “all the evidence”? Because apparently you’re the only one that’s seen it other than the NFL. You’re taking them at their word, but have no idea what that evidence is. Both Vilma and Will Smith both say it didn’t happen.It’s pretty bold for them to come out and flat out say in no uncertain terms ‘I did not do this” especially if there’s some kind of concrete evidence that no one can see but the NFL. That doesn’t make you pause even for a second before you write this? And let me quote William’s admission, since you seems to have forgotten the specifics: “I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the ‘PAY FOR PERFORMANCE’ program while I was with the Saints.” Did you get that part in all caps?
savannahga321
May 3rd, 2012
11:43 am
Jeff Schultz: Williams admitted to a pay for performance system, not a pay-for-injury system. Both Vilma and Smith denied being involved in a pay-for-injury system. Please get your facts straight.
Turbo
May 3rd, 2012
11:54 am
No matter how outlandishly pathetic your writing gets, it will not save the falcons’ chances of beating the Saints. How does it feel to be a journalistic laughing stock even in the cities you don’t write for?
V Chip
May 3rd, 2012
12:05 pm
Thankfully, Schultz got into a career that doesn’t require logic or reason — otherwise he would be penniless and unemployed.
realitycheck
May 3rd, 2012
12:16 pm
Falcons in 2012……….You must be the typical 18 or 19 year old who hasn’t come down from your aircastle this morning. Deep playoff run? With Matty Melt? Dream on pal!…….just a few more years of winning nothing should start to cure you. Remember, you’re in the worst professional sports city in America……….eventually you will get used to the losing like everyone else!
Falcon James
May 3rd, 2012
12:18 pm
The NFLPA clearly has a double strandard, but lets face it, they are in a tough situation. It just seems to me that by appealing they are condoning the bounty program. By denying the bounty program by maintaining the Bart Simpson defense, is a ludicris as the Simpson’s show itself. In my opinion, they are taking this stance simply because they feel that can not side with the NFL on anything. The NFL is there oposition and by such, they must disagree with everything. What the NFLPA should do is say ” there is obviously a problem, and we will address it when we complete our own investigation. Our biggest asset is our members and their saftey is our highest priority. Any member who loses track of that objective is an embarrassement to our Union.” As for the rest of the Country, the Saints remain an embarrassment even if there was not a bounty program. A zebra will always be a zebra no matter how many stripes it has.
BigAlHeBDMan
May 3rd, 2012
12:22 pm
All of you falcon fans who believe you’re going to beat the Saints because of suspensions, Mr Lofton and I will be happy to sell you some prime swamp real estate in Louisiana. Ha Ha! Delusional people. You couldn’t score 1 TD in the playoffs this year. Why?
BigAlHeBDMan
May 3rd, 2012
12:28 pm
The answer to the previous question is “The falcons have always (make sucking sound).
Karma
May 3rd, 2012
12:38 pm
psst, Al, wake up. you’ve been dreaming.
BigAlHeBDMan
May 3rd, 2012
1:11 pm
karma: I will relay your comments to our new linebacker Mr. Lofton to give him extra motivation
BigAlHeBDMan
May 3rd, 2012
1:18 pm
If you recall, there were several QBs MENTIONED in the PFP by the commissioner. Unfortunately, Matttie wasn’t one of them.
you know he's lying cause his mouth is moving
May 3rd, 2012
1:45 pm
Love to see Vilma take a lie detector test If he’s so adamant about being completely innocent.
Norm Van Brocklin
May 3rd, 2012
2:07 pm
SEEN and OPEN……………………both minions of the devil (probably liberals, too.)
ricky seamon
May 3rd, 2012
2:53 pm
I love reading this stuff listen to all the haters we’re finally up there with the big boys when you got as many haters as u do fans, then you’ve accomplished great hood.Wow how great is to be a Saints fans.When soemetin like this happens you truly see how many people that a scared of our team.When they hear the Saints are coming the first thing that come to there head is (maybe we’ll get lucky this time) and maybe you will, but odds are you won’t so to all you little HATERS out there
THANK YOU ,YOU’VE SHOWN ME JUST HOW MUCH YOU FEAR US.lol A BET HALF OF YOU WISH BREE’s WAS ON DEFENSE THEN YOU WOULDNT HAVE TO GET BEAT BY HIM AGAIN
Hell to bad they just didnt suspend our whole team the whole year finally you would have chance.Im sure Goddell would love to control that part take our Super Bowl trophey away put a astrisk by our when and it should say.
We know everyteam in the NFL does it,but sense its not New England or the Giants or the Cowboys. so we can do what ever we want to them.then look at you haters coming out the wood works.DAM FINE DAY IT IS
BigAlHeBDMan
May 3rd, 2012
3:50 pm
That’s a great shot in Sports Illustrated of Vilma. Shows his intensiity. I wonder if I can get it on a “Fathead”
Mora less Petrino
May 3rd, 2012
4:29 pm
Nasty city, nasty team!
Karma
May 3rd, 2012
4:38 pm
keep telling yourself that ricky, maybe it’ll come true.
BigAlHeBDMan
May 3rd, 2012
4:42 pm
I’ll probably get cited for posting a link to a real article that disagrees with the writer’s philosophy, being on the 2nd rate falcons team, but here goes.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7883438/saints-lb-jonathan-vilma-becomes-nfl-scapegoat
At least there is a dissenting opinion because this is America, right?
Karma
May 3rd, 2012
4:44 pm
thanks for getting that meaningless information out there, Al.
10 of 12
May 3rd, 2012
5:36 pm
Hello Failclowns fans . Last night was great , the wings were hot-so were the ladies and the beer was cold and nobody even showed up to tell me hello. I didn’t think they would anyway.
AlanFalcon
May 4th, 2012
7:48 am
Money Grab, the Saints are being punished for bounty Gate (they should be), the NFL draft just concluded(how many college players joined the NFL), Now the players want to sue the NFL for all of their problems, I guess they are just stupid or they want to blame the NFL for their problems, its like they don’t have an ounce of sense-matter of fact I guess that says it all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Picture
May 4th, 2012
9:40 am
Realize that while the NFL is handing out these penalties to the Saints for bounty hunting that there is a much larger problem for the league that is showing itself more frequently- the rash of suicides of former players along with the brain injury lawsuit. This stance on bounty hunting by the league allows them to state that they are now and always have been interested in the safety of their players first. They are posturing, pure and simple. This is the first line of defense on a lawsuit that could severely damage the NFL as a whole, Neither the NFL nor the owners care about the players- they are a commodity in a football crazy country who are easily and eagerly replaced by the next crop of 22 year olds coming out of the collegiate farm system. The owners willingly pay them top dollar in exchange for the players damaging their bodies and minds while the value of NFL franchises grow exponentially and billion dollar stadiums are built. Sit back & watch how this plays out- the commissioner and the owners are not dummys, the players and fans are the ones being duped.