There goes next Saints season.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/77...-year-bounties

In my opinion the NFL went way over board on this one. Should their be suspensions? Yes, without question. They were told for three years to stop this practice as well as lying to the commissioners office for three years. BUT, as a former football player there isn't enough gold in Fort Knox that would have made me hit any harder. The NFL players always bring it as hard as they can in order not to loose their jobs. The complicating matter is the lawsuit against the NFL. If it weren't for the suit I believe would have been some suspensions, but nothing like this.

The complicating matter is the lawsuit against the NFL. If it weren't for the suit I believe would have been some suspensions, but nothing like this.

The NFL is positioning themselves for an upcoming lawsuit. If you listen to Goodell press conference he reiterated "The safety of the players" point all throughout it.

They were told for three years to stop this practice as well as lying to the commissioners office for three years.

The lying definitely didn't help. Remember Martha Stewart was put in jail for lying. Not insider trading.

BUT, as a former football player there isn't enough gold in Fort Knox that would have made me hit any harder.

I played football in junior high as well as high school. I was more afraid of not hitting hard enough than to hard.

Isn't the Super Bowl in NOLA next year? Sounds like someone wanted to make sure the home team didn't make it to their own party.

I wouldnt be surprised if they dont come back later and try to take the super bowl win away from them.... Aren't they claiming that most of this b/s happened in the year that the Saints won???

The whole thing is bullshit if thats the case then every team he Greg Willams coached for should be suspended to. I also think that they overboard with the punishments

I am crushed! It was going to be a great year. Perhaps I am naive, but do you think Coach Payton really condoned this?

Show me some video evidence that the Saints were playing the game different than anybody else. The game is all about trying to make big playes and in just about all work places people are rewarded for reaching goals. Show me where there was intent to hurt. Smack talk is all over the NFL. How many times do you think Ray Lewis looked into the QB's eyes and said I'm going to rip your head off.

When you are a totalitarian dictatorship you don't need any evidence.

I don't think Payton condoned this, but he certainly knew about it. IMHO Payton comes from the old school. What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.The NFL knew something about it when we won the Superbowl but they didn't have any hard evidence. So they closed the investigation. The NFL did what any investigator would do. Find a disgruntled little dickhead that is pissed off for getting cut. He snitches. Investigation reopens. Find a whole bunch of electronic communications. People lie. People get fined and suspended. The fines and suspension was way to harsh. The real sufferers are the fans. But Goodell is setting the NFL for their greatest defense from all of the future law suits. I can hear it now "Look at the penalties we enforced on the dreaded Saints when they was trying to injure you."

"Nothing's over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!

- Bluto (John Belushi)
Animal House

"Nothing's over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!

- Bluto (John Belushi)
Animal House Originally Posted by BarryPipes

Bluto... Classic!!

Yeah... we really fucked the little Kraut Bastards when we A-Bombed their ass!

Would be cool to thumb our nose @ Goodell and make it to the Superbowl, anyway!

GEAUX SAINTS !!

I have been a fan since the days of paper bags but this was justified.We were asked to stop yet continued after the league and Team Owner gave a warning.We also have Coaches with knowledge and one whom ran the program. Safety is this commissioners agenda and you went against it after warning.This is illegal per NFL rules if it was the players that did it away from a team site the league may have been lenient.Players around the league have been complaining we were a dirty team you knew it was a matter of time before the league investigates again.I hate to see what happened and the effect it will have on our team.

Reading the ESPN report was eye opening.You sensed some tension between Coach Payton and Williams and the report confirms it.Williams is probably done as a Coach.He is tainted.Those bounties did not work for the 2010 and 2011 season.They were terrible and often injured.

Most teams pay the same bounties. They probably don't write it down, hand the bonuses out on the field on TV ,or sing songs about Favre on the ground. Lol