Bounty discipline from NFL could come Monday for Saints

Bounty discipline from NFL could come Monday for Saints
By Sam Farmer

April 30, 2012, 8:48 a.m.

Now that the NFL draft is over, the league will turn its attention to disciplining the New Orleans Saints players involved in the pay-for-performance bounty scandal. It's possible that suspensions could be announced Monday.

"With the discipline that involved the players, we hope to be doing that very soon and get that behind us," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday, before the start of the first round.

"We want to complete the work that we've been starting. We want to make sure that we're thorough and fair. ... Once we're done, we'll issue it. But we're going to probably be distracted here with the draft for the next couple of days, so I don't know how much time I'll be able to spend on it.

"We have others working on it full time, and I'll meet with them over the next several days. If we're done, we'll get it out."

It's telling that the NFL waited until after the draft to issue a ruling on player discipline -- another gut punch to the Saints, who weren't afforded the luxury of knowing what positions they might need to concentrate on to help compensate for the suspensions.

By the league's count, between 22 and 27 Saints players were involved in the improper program, including linebacker and defensive captain Jonathan Vilma, who offered $10,000 to anyone who knocked Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC championship game.

Other notable players facing discipline are safety Roman Harper and defensive end Will Smith.

Bounty discipline from NFL could come Monday for Saints - latimes.com

I for one hope the punishment is severe all across the board simply because Roman Harper got away with that dirty hit on Earl Bennett last season. Yep this is personal for me.

So much for the New Orleans "feel-good story" after Hurricane Katrina for me...as if it ever really existed. I was sick of the Saints' nut huggers before the 2006 NFC Championship Game because it was constant a talk of the "feel good story" of a team representing a city destroy by one of the worst hurricanes in history and at the same time talking about how bad the Bears were going to get beat. Well, we showed them in that game.

Now I'm even sicker of the Saints than I was before. Not just because of this scandal, but because of the eavesdropping scandal as well. They should force that franchise to forfeit the draft for an entire year.

This will tarnish this team for a long time. I like how all the dickheads of the world hide behind the " if u ain't cheatin u ain't tryin " saying. Like it's supposed to be half-way funny and justifiable at the same time. Nah. That's just the fuckers trying to shove their cheater mantra down everyone's throats. In addition Jonathan Vilma should shut the f up. Never seen a more self- serving steaming pile of BS then what he said on Twit-ster the other day. The NFL conducted the most thorough investigation imaginable before handing down their discipline ( which included an independent review by a former federal prosecutor who stated their facts are rock solid )- if anything some of these guys got off easy. Pretty disgusting when guys are caught red-handed but still have the gall to mouth off. Yet ANOTHER lie . Shows you where that mf is coming from. Someone with integrity woulda owned up and fallen on the sword. They oughtta tack a few more games on Vilma for next season . What a buncha pricks.

Punishment: Fair

I wonder if the league will dock them picks. If they go winless or in the tank they get pick of the litter status next season.

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Originally Posted by short faced bear

I wonder if the league will dock them picks. If they go winless or in the tank they get pick of the litter status next season.

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The Saints were already docked picks in the first two rounds, shorty. I'm just wondering what's going to happen to the organization now that the GM of the franchise has been accused of eavesdropping on opposing coaches.

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Originally Posted by Dagan81

The Saints were already docked picks in the first two rounds, shorty. I'm just wondering what's going to happen to the organization now that the GM of the franchise has been accused of eavesdropping on opposing coaches.

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I had remembered they got docked but if there's a elite player out next year the Aint's might get first dibbs. And with the eavesdropping scandal looming with federal charges pending it would seem weird. Is there such a thing as a pro type "death penalty" or is this the version?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by short faced bear

I had remembered they got docked but if there's a elite player out next year the Aint's might get first dibbs. And with the eavesdropping scandal looming with federal charges pending it would seem weird. Is there such a thing as a pro type "death penalty" or is this the version?

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It would appear almost politically incorrect to penalize the Saints organization after what they did for the city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, shorty. But at the same time, the league cannot allow this kind of cheating to go on with any team, whether it be the Saints, the Patriots, or yes, our beloved Chicago Bears. I hope the Saints get what's coming to them in the form of some kind of ultra-severe penalty, and if it is pro football's version of the "death penalty", then so be it.

EDIT: I forgot to add that they should also blow up the Superdome and make the Saints play in an arena league stadium for a year.