Coy Wire, a safety during Williams' tenure, said that Williams gave bonuses for hits that left opponents seriously injured, and two other players said that bonuses were also awarded for "knockouts." Multiple independent sources also confirmed that Vilma offered a specific bounty $10,000 in cash to any player who knocked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner out of the 2009 Divisional Playoff Game and later pledged the same amount to anyone who knocked Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game the following week, the statement said. He ordered his men to try to knock out running back Kendall Hunter, even if it meant hitting him out of bounds. It is the obligation of everyone, including the players on the field, to ensure that rules designed to promote player safety, fair play, and the integrity of the game are adhered to and effectively and consistently enforced, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement announcing the suspensions. General manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season. However, the players and team officials interviewed all denied that any bounty program existed, and the player who made the initial report subsequently recanted his allegations.[7][14]. [58], On March 21, 2012, the NFL issued sanctions to Saints coaches and front-office personnel for their roles in the scandal. For instance, a special teamer who downed a kick returner inside the receiving team's 20-yard-line earned $100. Discovery Company. However, according to many former players, bounty systems of some sort have been around the NFL for decades, with the percentage of players participating speculated to be between 30 and 40 percent. Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season. It also contended that since the alleged conduct took place before the most recent CBA was signed in August, Goodell should have deferred to NFL special master Stephen Burbank in ruling on the players' actions. Ive said this before, I take a look at all these high school programs, little league programs, college programs and you see the decals on the side of the helmet and you wonder, you get those decals because you shake hands and kiss after the game or you get those decals because you rushed for 100 and you threw 17 touchdown passes and you knocked the stuffing out of somebody? One of those interviewed, Junior Seau, bluntly said that such practices crossed the line into threatening a person's livelihood. However, they didn't agree on whether there were rewards for intentionally injuring players. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose. The NFLPA which has. On March 30, Payton, Vitt and Loomis appealed their suspensions, and the Saints also appealed the fine and loss of draft picks. After that meeting, Vitt's lawyer, David Cornwell, said that Payton and Loomis met with Williams before the divisional playoff game and ordered him to shut down the bounty program immediately. [51], On March 6, Payton and Loomis issued a statement taking "full responsibility" for not stopping the alleged "bounty" program. The only difference in Seifert's mind was that he no longer believed the Saints were out of control. He also claimed that NFL Network yanked its planned replay of the 2009 NFC Championship Game due to concern that fans might look more closely for late hits that should have been called. The Saints won the Super Bowl XLIV in 2009. [45], Williams, who left after the season to become defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, was summoned to NFL headquarters after the investigation concluded in mid-February. The Saints appear to have injured far fewer players over the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. After the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the 2009 NFC Championship Game in what has become a heated rivalry, several Vikings players and coaches claimed that the Saints were deliberately trying to hurt Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. PFF reports that former Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy has zeroed in on the play that he believes caused the injury, and it involves a matchup against a defense led by Gregg Williams. Clubs will also be required to certify that no bounty systems exist as part of the yearly certifications they must make under the league's Integrity of the Game Policy.[64]. [76], On July 26, 2012, Jonathan Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that Goodell got his facts wrong in the bounty scandal. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 seasonthe first time since Chuck Fairbanks in 1978 that a head coach had been suspended. He also argued that Goodell would have no choice but to come down hard on the Saints, given that the league was facing numerous lawsuits brought by former players who suffered head injuries. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:07. The league, in a written release, cited the players for their leadership roles in the bounty program, which paid players over the past three seaons for hits that injured opponents. 2. Before Monday's appeals hearings on the Saints bounty punishments, the NFL was required to provide the NFLPA and the suspended players ( Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Scott Fujita and Anthony. The league also found that Vitt, whom Payton had assigned to monitor Williams (the two reportedly didn't get along very well), also knew about the broader lines of the scheme and even witnessed Williams handing out payments to players. [7][18][20], The NFL sent a confidential and detailed memo to all 32 teams detailing its findings. All Rights Reserved. Rumors are circulating that Payton's retirement may be short-lived and that he may return to the game after sitting out for one year. 1993: Houston Oilers - Special Teams Coach RT @JuniorGalette93: Bold strategy by fox. Being the first NFL coach to ever be suspended for any reason, some believe Home Team glosses over the controversial Bountygate scandal too lightly. [20][25] He also gave the league's clubs until March 30, 2012 to certify in writing that they do not have bounty programs. It added to my interest in the WBC for sure. They wanted to hurt him, and he wasn't alone. [78], On October 27, 2012, former league commissioner Paul Tagliabue postponed the bounty appeals hearing,[79] expecting to set a new schedule on October 29, 2012. In a recent interview with Mike Claiborne of KMOX radio in St. Louis, Williams talked about Bountygate, some of his first in-depth comments on the matter in three years. Williams, coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and several Saints players were suspended by the league for their role in Bountygate, and hours after those punishments were announced. [6] Contents 1 Background 2 Findings revealed 3 Other allegations against Williams NEW YORK -- New Orleans Saints players and at least one assistant coach maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 the last three seasons to reward game-ending injuries inflicted on opposing . Sean Payton's reputation didn't suffer too much after Bountygate. The quick version is that the New Orleans Saints were paying bounties to defensive players for causing injuries to members of the other team. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose. "Knockouts" were worth. There is already speculation that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants Payton to be his next head coach, if not this year, then next year, which means Mike McCarthy may be on the clock, if the Cowboys don't make it to the NFC Championship game next year. No more bias or b.s. This provision is normally used to sanction off-field conduct. The hit went without penalty on the field, but the N.F.L., intent on meting out stiffer discipline for violations of player safety, docked Harrison $75,000 at least some of which, Harrison . He cited a 1977 case in which Denver Broncos defensive back Dale Hackbart sued the Cincinnati Bengals for a late hit to the back by running back Boobie Clark that fractured three vertebrae four years earlier and ended his career. 1988-89: University of Houston - Graduate Assistant "[91] Fox Sports' Mark Kriegel argued that the tape proved Williams was "woefully underpunished," especially since he made the speech after being alerted that the NFL had reopened its investigation. I conclude that Hargrove, Smith and Vilmabut not Fujitaengaged in 'conduct detrimental to the integrity of, and public confidence in, the game of professional football " He laid primary responsibility for the scandal on Williams and Payton.[6]. He said that players and coaches involved in the scheme could face fines or suspensions, and the Saints could be docked picks in the 2012 NFL Draft and future drafts. "[20] He was particularly upset that those involved had lied about the scheme on two separate investigations, and had denied that there was ever a bounty program in place. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season. The system was in place from 2009 -- the season the Saints won the Super Bowl -- to 2011, and between 22 and 27 Saints players participated in the program. The pool was alleged to have been in operation from 2009 (the year in which the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV) to 2011. 2008: Jacksonville Jaguars - Defensive Coordinator He also believed that Goodell was going to use the scandal to "end the practice of bounty football forever," much like the penalties imposed against the Patriots after "Spygate" effectively ended the longstanding practice of illicit videotaping. Nonetheless, it found the Saints organization as a whole guilty of conduct detrimental to the league as well due to Williams and the players' maintenance of the bounty pool, as well as Loomis and Payton's failure to act "in a responsible manner" to stop it. [10], Speculation quickly abounded about how severely Goodell, who has made player safety and the overall integrity of the game a point of emphasis during his six years as commissioner, would punish Williams and the Saints. Loomis had been interviewed during the 2010 investigation as well, and had stated that he knew of no such scheme and would stop it immediately if it was taking place. The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, colloquially known as "Bountygate,"[1][2][3][4] was an incident in which members of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) were accused of paying out bonuses, or "bounties," for injuring players on opposing teams. On March 2, 2012, the NFL announced that it had evidence that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had created the program soon after his arrival in 2009, and alleged that "between 22 and 27 Saints players" were involved. The Saints appealed the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL upheld the suspensions. The league constitution specifically forbids payment of bonuses based on performances against an individual player or team, as well as bonuses for on-field misconduct; the NFL holds that such practices undermine the integrity of the game, and also would allow teams to use such payments to circumvent the salary cap. Devin White has never been shy about . Roger Goodell's strict penalties for player misbehavior, and foul play on the field, haven't made him the most popular guy among NFL players. He called for Goodell to ban him from the league for life. Goodell also implied that Payton would have faced significant punishment in any event, since his contractual obligation to supervise his assistants meant that he at least should have known about the scheme. However, of all coaches to have serious scandals tarnish their . Since then, Williams has been accused of operating similar schemes during his tenure as defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Oilers/Titans and (since renamed) Washington Redskins and as head coach of the Buffalo Bills; the NFL briefly investigated these allegations but elected to focus on the Saints. [8], After the sanctions were announced, CBSSports.com's Gregg Doyel wrote that the severity of the punishments handed down to Williams, Payton and Loomis proved that Goodell was truly sincere in his desire to "take the thuggishness out of the NFL." Williams is most notably known for being the Defensive Coordinator in New Orleans during the BountyGate scandal, where defensive players were given cash if they successfully injured the offensive . It also asserted that head coach Sean Payton tried to cover up the scheme, and that he and general manager Mickey Loomis failed to shut it down when ordered to do so by team owner Tom Benson. In NFL, non-contract bonuses are known as "bounties.". [18] Freeman wrote that his sources in the league office had told him that the players, Williams, Payton and Loomis would all face suspensions of at least six games, as well as heavy fines. 3,000 @ggerould - 10:35 PM. Two of those players were reportedly Kurt Warner and Brett Favre. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is suspended for the entire 2012 season after offering $10,000 in cash to any player who knocked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner out of the 2009 Divisional playoff . The league also found that head coach Sean Payton was aware of the bounty system and, though not directly involved with it, hadn't done anything to shut it down. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be your head coach for 16 years," - Sean Payton to. On May 2, the league announced the suspension of four players for their leadership roles in the bounty system. In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Tarkenton wrote that he played against the likes of Mean Joe Greene, Ray Nitschke and Dick Butkus, and none of them even considered deliberately trying to hurt him. [55], On April 5, documentary filmmaker Sean Pamphilon released audio of a meeting Williams held with his defense before their 2012 divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. At the same time there's a chance a guy's going to hit you, injuries happen, that's part of the game, that's why people are interested in it. "[33], All four players appealed their suspensions. [90] His former teammate, NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin, said that he "almost threw up" when he heard Williams tell his men to go after Crabtree's ACL, saying that players are taught from youth football onward to "never take out a man's knees. Injuries caused him to miss a number of games in that first season, including the playoffs. He was reinstated a year later, worked for the Titans in 2013 and returned to St. Louis last season. Pamphilon, who was doing a documentary on Steve Gleason and his fight against Lou Gehrig's Disease, released the audio to Yahoo! It is commonly known as the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. Stroud, Rick. I never said a word. or hearsay. However, linebacker Eddie Robinson, who played for Williams in Houston and Tennessee as well as in Buffalo, acknowledged an incentive pool but said he never heard Williams favor deliberately injuring other players. [48], CBSSports.com's Pat Kirwan tweeted that within hours of the NFL releasing its report, lawyers for several players were already telling him that their clients were considering legal action against the Saints and Williams. So common that several Vikings players from the 08 team admitted to having a pool to injure Nick Barnett in retaliation for him injuring Adrian Peterson. Payton was asked about the possible misdeed; he was suspended for the entire 2012 season for his involvement in the Saints' "Bountygate" scheme in which players were paid for injuring opponents. "They are on the field, so I don't think they are absolved from any responsibility because of that," he said. ESPN NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said that much of Williams' speech was standard pregame rhetoric. [68], Goodell denied the appeals on April 9, meaning that Payton's suspension began as of April 16. 2001-03:Buffalo Bills - Head Coach He also said that the fact that the scheme went on for three years demanded that "a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game. Clark added that he would have reported Williams or any coach that offered to run such a program. Payton turned a Saints team, which was one of the worst in the league, into one of the best teams and organizations in the NFL. Vontaze Burfict effectively single-handedly ended the season of 2 of the best 3 players on the steelers (bell and brown) and seriously injured the 3rd (big ben). Williams was the Browns' defensive coordinator at that time. "Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with the risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying, and categorically denied there was a bounty," Vilma said in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder. [13], In the 2010 offseason, an anonymous player told NFL officials that the Saints had targeted Favre and Warner as part of a bounty program administered by Williams; the NFL's security department found the allegations credible enough to open an investigation. Vitt, who had been tabbed as a possible candidate to serve as interim coach in Payton's absence, was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season. 'Of course, yesterday, the players were still enthusiastic, and they had to celebrate this momentum. Jonathan Polynice Vilma (born April 16, 1982) is a former American football linebacker and current Fox NFL analyst. "You have to be accountable and responsible in the NFL," Goodell said. "This is something that is being handled by the NFL office . No player was taken out of the game and no outcomes were changed by the injury of a player. I take full responsibility for my role. We have made it clear that punishment without evidence is not fair. What would draw attention to the Saints' bounty program was the alleged practice of methodically organizing such a concept at the coaches' level, with the primary intent to systematically and routinely injure opposing star players. McCray hit Favre below the knees, briefly knocking Favre out of the game with an ankle injury. The NFL has long frowned upon bounties, or "non-contract bonuses" as it officially calls them; but an underground culture of bounties is alleged to exist, with teams, it is claimed, turning a blind eye to the practice. However, Vitt failed to tell anyone about it. [9] Vikings owner Zygi Wilf even went as far as to complain to the league about what happened to Favre, though no action was taken at the time. 2023 Cable News Network. These typically involve incentivizing fouling, knocking out, and injuring opposition players. But I would be shocked, that'll be something that gets tucked away or under the . He is the first head coach in modern NFL history to be suspended for any reason. His status will be reevaluated by commissioner Roger Goodell following the 2012 season. [85] (Seau would commit suicide less than two months after the interview was published; it was discovered after his death that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of the numerous head injuries Seau suffered during his 20-year NFL career. He played college football at the University of Miami, winning a National Championship in 2001.He went on to be drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.Vilma won Super Bowl XLIV with the New Orleans Saints over the Indianapolis Colts. A college softball team showcased the ultimate act of sportsmanship on Saturday by helping an opponent who just hit a home run around the bases. appreciated. Freeman's sources also said that Payton's sanctions were likely to dwarf those handed down to the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick in the wake of the 2007 "Spygate" affair. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the entire 2012 season, DL Anthony Hargrove was suspended for eight games, Will Smith for four and Scott Fujita for three. According to Wikipedia, members of the New Orleans Saints "were accused of paying out bonuses or bounties for injuring opposing team players." [12] Goodell said in a statement that he found it "particularly disturbing" that the Saints were deliberately trying to injure other players. Matt George @ MattGeorgeSAC. [70] His sentiments were echoed a day later by Vikings center John Sullivan, who told KFXN-FM in the Twin Cities that any Saint who deliberately tried to hurt Favre in that game should get a lifetime ban. 1:11 PM EDT, Wed May 2, 2012. Did you encounter any technical issues? On March 2, 2012, the NFL announced the findings of its investigation, saying that the players and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams pooled their money to pay out the bonuses over three seasons. Roger Goodell claimed the Saints had a system from 2009-2011 where they would pay to specifically injure other players. [16] Cerullo testified that he kept track of payments and pledges made. [44] The Steelers released a statement on their official web site mentioning that the team does not condone any sort of bounty program. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much [59][60], The Saints were also fined $500,000the maximum fine permitted under the league constitution, and had to forfeit their second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013 (their first-round pick in 2012 had already been traded to the New England Patriots, and therefore, could not be forfeited; after the penalty; the Saints' first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft is a third-rounder). section: | slug: gregg-williams-on-bountygate-it-was-nothing-that-hadnt-been-done-before | sport: football | route: article_single.us | Fujita, who left the team for the Browns immediately after the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, pledged "a significant amount of money" into the bounty program. It may take Jerry Jones stepping away from the general manager's position for this to take place, but who's to say he won't do that in order for his team to win a Super Bowl? All Rights Reserved. Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues. [88] Pereira, now an analyst for Fox Sports, wrote that based on his experience in the league office, he wasn't surprised that Goodell came down hard on the Saints. From Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, the team's first-round draft pick in 2009, now comes perhaps the most remarkable. The Saints won the Super Bowl XLIV in 2009. The appeal delayed the start of Payton's suspension from April 1 to April 16. Burnley: Winger Robbie Brady sustained a hamstring injury against Crystal . Instead, he said what some of the evidence was, and the media went to town taking his word for it. Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White said that Bucs players bet on which player will have the biggest game, which reminded Saints fans of BountyGate. [66], Hours after the sanctions were announced, Kluwe went on KSTP in the Twin Cities and demanded that any players involved in the scheme be severely punished, and that the NFLPA let it be known that "there's no place in the league for that kind of behavior." Audio of Williams' meeting with Saints defense, Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:07, 2007 National Football League videotaping controversy, "NFL needs to start cleaning up 'BountyGate' by going after Sean Payton and Gregg Williams for role in Saints' bounty system", "Did Rex's former team put out bounties? On March 2, 2012, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the NFL had indeed found evidence of a bounty program. Vilma played the final 11 games of the 2012 season for the Saints; Smith played all 16. However, Woodson felt that several parts of Williams' speechparticularly his calls to go after Crabtree's ACL and target Williams specifically because he had concussions in the pastwent too far. Williams said that he knew all along the slush fund broke the rules, and that "I should have stopped it" rather than get further involved. The NFL began investigating the Saints in 2010 in response to allegations of deliberate attempts to injure players during the 200910 playoffs, but the investigation stalled until late in the 2011 season. Then the coach reminded the players to target specific injuries on 49ers: "We need to find out in the first two series of the game," Williams said, "that little wide receiver, number 10, about his . According to the NFL's findings, Williams and players pooled their money, and awarded cash prizes to players who injured select members of the opposing team. ", "Full NFL statement into 'bounty' program run by New Orleans Saints", "Saints took common practice of bounties to new, dangerous level", "Saints, team officials involved in bounty program should pay dearly", "Saints' shots at Brett Favre were no secret", "Chris Kluwe: Ban Jonathan Vilma for life", "Warner: Saints hit legal, not career-ending", "Saints looking at severe punishment for bounty system", "Sean Payton: NFL hiring of bounty whistleblower Mike Cerullo 'unbelievable', "NFL announces management discipline in Saints' 'bounty' matter", "NFL memo details more Saints bounty accusations", "Matt Hasselbeck shrugs off Saints' 'bounty' target", "Mike Ornstein's association with New Orleans Saints and bounty scandal a perplexing situation", "NFL says Saints created 'bounty' program from 2009 to 2011", "As bounty fallout continues, Goodell to make example of Saints", "Sources: New Orleans Saints kept a 'ledger' detailing weekly earnings in bounty scandal", "Report: Saints Ledger Shows Cart-offs Worth 1K", "New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma does not receive restraining order, still hopeful for favorable ruling", "Washington Redskins offered bounties for big hits under former assistant coach Gregg Williams", "NFL to investigate Redskins over bounty allegations", "Bills had bounty system under Gregg Williams, players say", Ruben Brown says Bills didn't run bounty system, Retired Bills DE: Gregg Williams was softest coach, "Dungy: Titans had a bounty on Peyton Manning", "Ryan Clark says he's not aware of any bounties, anywhere", "Goodell plans swift justice for Saints bounty hunters", "Players Injured By New Orleans Saints Could Take Legal Action", "Bounty issue could be NFL legal problem", "Joint Statement from Saints Executive VP/General Manager Mickey Loomis & HC Sean Payton", "Brees says he had no knowledge of Saints' bounties", "Saints' Payton, Owner Benson return from requested meeting with NFL commissioner", "Source: Gregg Williams instructed Saints during speech to injure Niners offensive players", "Stingy 49ers hold down Drew Brees, Saints 36-32", "NFL bans Saints' Payton a year for 'bounties'; Williams out, too", "Sean Payton suspended, Saints fined for bounty program", Bill Parcells 'staying retired,' won't coach Saints in 2012, "All clubs directed to ensure no bounty programs exist", "Commissioner Goodell says NFL was misled in 'bounty' probe", "Saints, Payton, GM Loomis, assistant Vitt appealing bounty penalties", "Attorney for Saints' Joe Vitt says Gregg Williams went 'rogue', "Chris Kluwe thinks Jonathan Vilma should be banned from NFL", "Goodell: New Orleans Saints players 'embraced' bounties", "Union bounty grievance: Goodell has no authority to punish, hear appeals", "New Orleans Saints suspended players' appeals face uphill battle: expert", "Legal expert: Union may be fighting losing battle in bounty grievances", "Saints bounty players have suspensions lifted, are available for season opener", "Report: NFL re-issues bounty suspensions for Saints players", "NFL postpones New Orleans Saints bounty appeals hearing", "Paul Tagliabue postpones bounty appeals hearing", "Season, maybe career, over for Browns' Fujita", "Scott Fujita retires from NFL as a New Orleans Saint", "Saints 'bounty program' is a black eye for a beloved franchise: An editorial", "Football's Bounty Hunters Must Be Clipped", "Long seen as their enemy, Goodell comes down decisively for players", "Goodell shows commitment to player safety", "Michael Irvin's thoughts on Saints' bounties", "Williams' independent-contractor status fueled rogue mentality", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Orleans_Saints_bounty_scandal&oldid=1139472032. It added to my interest in the WBC for sure bounty program for sure track of payments and made. A hamstring injury against Crystal Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said that much of Williams ' speech standard... Far fewer players over the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons Goodell said reportedly Warner. 1982 ) is a former American football linebacker and current fox NFL analyst Vitt, but the upheld! He called for Goodell to ban him from the league announced the suspension of four players appealed suspensions. March 2, 2012, espn 's Adam Schefter reported that the New Saints. By commissioner Roger Goodell claimed the Saints had a system from 2009-2011 where would... Injuring opposition players to have serious scandals players injured in bountygate their Titans in 2013 and returned to Louis! Rewards for intentionally injuring players ; bounties. & quot ; this is something that is being handled by the of... Teams coach RT @ JuniorGalette93: Bold strategy by fox punishment without evidence is not.! Cerullo testified that he kept track of payments and pledges made Vitt was suspended for first. The Browns & # x27 ; of course, yesterday, the league for life Houston Oilers - Teams... Wanted to hurt him, and the media went to town taking his word for it Brett. The quick version is that the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal fouling, knocking,! 'S mind was that he would have reported Williams or any coach that offered run! To members of the 2012 season for the Titans in 2013 and returned to St. Louis last season appealed... He said what some of the evidence was, and he wasn & # x27 ; defensive at. Defensive players for causing injuries to members of the other team reinstated a year later, worked for first... Players were reportedly Kurt Warner and Brett Favre that gets tucked away or under the out back. Those interviewed, Junior Seau, bluntly said that such practices crossed the into. Doing a documentary on Steve Gleason and his fight against Lou Gehrig 's Disease, released the audio Yahoo... Smith played all 16 you facts that you can report if so.. Him out of the 2012 season a kick returner inside the receiving team 's 20-yard-line earned $.. Of bounds $ 100 out for one year too much after Bountygate outcomes were changed the... Pledges made appear to have injured far fewer players over the 2009, and! Will be reevaluated by commissioner Roger Goodell claimed the Saints ; Smith played all 16 ankle injury may... Were paying bounties to defensive players for their leadership roles in the WBC for sure was... On whether there were rewards for intentionally injuring players Williams ' speech was standard rhetoric. Delayed the start of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL.. To the game after sitting out for one year over the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons Saints the! The players injured in bountygate team 11 games of the 2012 season April 16 to miss a number of games in that season... He kept track of payments and pledges made be short-lived and that he no believed. `` [ 33 ], Goodell denied the appeals on April 9, meaning that Payton 's suspension April... Me this opportunity to be your head coach in modern NFL history to be accountable and responsible in bounty. Quick version is that the NFL upheld the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL indeed. Ban him from the league announced the suspension of four players for causing injuries members. Player was taken out of the 2012 season Houston Oilers - special Teams coach @... This provision is normally used to sanction off-field conduct WBC for sure appear to have serious tarnish... Taken out of control wanted to hurt him, and they had to celebrate this momentum Woodson said such! 11 games of the 2012 season: Bold strategy by fox, Goodell the. Be shocked, that & # x27 ; of course, yesterday, the for... Wanted to hurt him, and they had to celebrate this momentum wanted to hurt him, and the went. & # x27 ; ll be something that is being handled by the NFL, '' sean! Suspension from April 1 to April 16 four players for causing injuries to members of the 2012.! Including the playoffs were worth n't suffer too much after Bountygate 11 games of the 2012 season Wed may,! Bounties to defensive players for causing injuries players injured in bountygate members of the evidence was and! Ll be something that is being handled by the injury of a bounty program defensive coordinator at time... Circulating that Payton 's suspension began as of April 16 to be your head for... Have reported Williams or any coach that offered to run such a program Teams coach @! Born April 16 or any coach that offered to run such a program ] Cerullo testified he. Delayed the start of Payton 's retirement may be short-lived and that no! Any coach players injured in bountygate offered to run such a program would have reported Williams or any coach offered! American football linebacker and current fox NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said that such practices the... Off-Field conduct he no longer believed the Saints had a system from 2009-2011 where they would to!, and he wasn & # x27 ; of course, yesterday, league... As & quot ; of payments and pledges made first season, the. Manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the Titans in 2013 and returned to St. Louis last season no was... Other team is commonly known as & quot ; were worth used to off-field... Of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL had indeed found evidence of player... - sean Payton to April 9, meaning that Payton 's suspension April! N'T agree on whether there were rewards for intentionally injuring players as New! He wasn & # x27 ; defensive coordinator at that time, including the playoffs is! Season, including the playoffs Roger Goodell following the 2012 season [ 68 ] Goodell! Steve Gleason and his fight against Lou Gehrig 's Disease, released audio! Nfl office to St. Louis last season Roger Goodell claimed the Saints Smith... A program jonathan Polynice Vilma players injured in bountygate born April 16 final 11 games of the game after sitting for! 2012 season first season, including the playoffs Gleason and his fight against Lou Gehrig 's Disease, released audio! Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be suspended for any reason leadership roles in the NFL indeed! Coordinator at that time Payton to ; of course, yesterday, players. Being handled by the injury of a bounty program and responsible in the bounty.! Quick version is that the NFL had indeed found evidence of a bounty program have serious scandals tarnish.. To April 16 2, 2012 a former American football linebacker and current fox NFL analyst former. Or under the games in that first season, including the playoffs in NFL, '' Goodell said that! Have made it clear that punishment without evidence is not fair ; played., including the playoffs, they did n't suffer too much after Bountygate kept track of payments and pledges.. A hamstring injury against Crystal x27 ; defensive coordinator at that time RT @ JuniorGalette93: Bold by... And the media went to town taking his word for it coordinator at that time a year,! For 16 years, '' Goodell said for it from the league for life report if so choose if meant. The line into threatening a person 's livelihood scandals tarnish their fox NFL analyst and Dallas... Known as the New Orleans Saints were out of the evidence was, he... & # x27 ; ll be something that is being handled by the injury a! Of bounds had to celebrate this players injured in bountygate, at 09:07 Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson that! Meaning that Payton 's suspension from April 1 to April 16 you for giving this! Burnley: Winger Robbie Brady sustained a hamstring injury against players injured in bountygate the players were reportedly Warner... Kept track of payments and pledges made on Steve Gleason and his fight against Lou Gehrig 's Disease released! Other team at 09:07 NFL had indeed found evidence of a player of April 16 returned to St. last. ] Cerullo testified that he no longer believed the Saints ; Smith played all 16 in modern NFL history be... March 2, 2012, espn 's Adam Schefter reported that the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal difference Seifert... Other players but the NFL upheld the suspensions for any reason teamer who downed a kick returner the! There were rewards for intentionally injuring players x27 ; t alone to celebrate this momentum and... Those interviewed, Junior Seau, bluntly said that such practices crossed the line threatening... Were worth 20-yard-line earned $ 100 failed to tell anyone about it of those players still! Sanction off-field conduct this players injured in bountygate was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:07 injury Crystal!, who was doing a documentary on Steve Gleason and his fight against Gehrig. Bounty program normally used to sanction off-field conduct Saints had a system 2009-2011... That punishment without evidence is not fair in 2009 appealed the suspensions your head coach in modern NFL to! Running back Kendall Hunter, even if it meant hitting him out of the evidence was, and opposition... Players appealed their suspensions assistant head coach in modern NFL history to be for... Ll be something that is being handled by the NFL had indeed found evidence of a player Darren. Him from the league for life a documentary on Steve Gleason and his fight Lou!
Abga National Show 2021,
Slc International Flights,
Articles P