Another Take on Bounty-Gate 2012

NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head Coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints looks during their pre season game against the Tennessee Titans dthe New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on September 1, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

By now most people know that New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton’s appeal has been denied and that the Saints are going to have to live with the punishments doled out to them by the NFL. The thoughts and reactions on these punishments are as expected. Some seem to think that the punishment is too much while others feel it’s exactly what is deserved and that all parties got what was coming to them.

And with the release of the tape recording of former Saints defensive coordinator Greg Williams’s speech to his players, the punishment appears to be well deserved.

Any party that knew about the bounty system that the Saints had in place while it was in effect is guilty and should be punished for taking part in that kind of activity. But this is something that other parties aside from the Saints organization had to know about and it’s assured that there have to have participated in something like this in the past. (See the Eagles when Buddy Ryan was their head coach) The Saints can’t be the only team to have done this but may be the only ones that get caught doing it.

We know that Williams has done this in the past with other teams that he has been on. He is a cancer that could end up trying to do this again if he doesn’t receive the lifetime ban from the league which some people are pushing for right now. The tape of his locker speech should be enough to force the NFL to ban him for life.

This kind of thing cannot and should not be tolerated in the league. Paying players to injure other players is one of the worst things that can happen in the NFL. With injuries taking its toll on the talent of the league any extra help from bounties injuring players on purpose just adds to an ever growing problem. Paying players to injure other players cannot be taken be allowed and it won’t be any longer.

The NFL has sent a message to every team, coach and player in the league letting them know that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated. Let’s just hope that this has been enough of a deterrent to keep other teams and players from doing this kind of thing.

The last thing that an NFL player needs is to go out on the field and worry about another player trying to injure him because he’s going to get paid if he succeeds.

So let’s hope that this punishment sends a message to the rest of the NFL that this conduct will not be tolerated ever and that everyone thinks twice before offering money to injure players again. This has already tarnished the league’s reputation and undermined the Commissioner’s call for better safety. If it happens again it could prove that there are things that cannot be controlled in the NFL and that there are events going on behind the scenes of the league that are twisted and dark and completely uncalled for.

Your message has been heard Commissioner Goodell and hopefully that message will be heeded by every single player, coach and team in the league.