Saints penalty

[Shuffler]

Wow. New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton was suspended without pay for the entire 2012 season and former Saints defensive coach Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely. Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt was suspended without pay for the first six regular-season games. General Manager Mickey Loomis was suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of the 2012 season.

The team was also fined $500,000, and the team will forfeit its second-round draft picks in 2012 and 2013.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/sport/football/saints-bounties-discipline/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

[kilo2]

 

[Rich52]

They are just relieved there was no ban on gangsta rap music in the locker room.

[Delirium]

I don't give a crap about football, but does anyone else besides me find this coming from a team called the 'Saints' ironically funny?

[mbailey]

I don't give a crap about football, but does anyone else besides me find this coming from a team called the 'Saints' ironically funny?

 

[caldera]

Tim Tebow's penalty is worse.  Elway could be the Anti-Christ.

[JunkyII]

Tim Tebow's penalty is worse.  Elway could be the Anti-Christ.

No the Jets are stupid for even looking at Tebow....wtg Manning

[caldera]

They are stupid.  Going into full implosion mode.  Manning is likely to re-injure his neck though and the Broncos will be SOL. 

[crazyivan]

Time to investigate the Steelers wondering how much Harrison makes to head hunt. <throws line in pond>

[Shuffler]

While there is talk that other team participated in bounties, they say that the other teams were not dumb enough to leave a paper trail.

I found that funny in the middle of this horrendous revelation.

[B4Buster]

I don't think there is any question that other teams participate in similar acts, the Saints were just unlucky enough to get caught. There is no need for it, and I think the penalties the Saints suffered are well deserved.

[Slate]

  Remember the NFL is selfproclaimed as an Entertainment Organization and will protect it's interests and Advertisers. It's not about protecting players but protecting Payers. 

[hyzer]

All the teams did it to a certain extent, the Taints took it to a new level and then were stupid enough to lie to Goodell about it. This statement from the NFL is why they came down so hard on them:

The league also chastised Payton for choosing to "falsely deny that the program existed" and for attempting to "encourage the false denials by instructing assistants to 'make sure our ducks are in a row.' "

[Drano]

Eagles fans might remember the Buddy Ryan era where we had the "bounty bowl". Here's the story on that good stuff:


On November 23, 1989, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan found himself at the center of yet another controversy. The Eagles defeated Dallas by a score of 27-0, Dallas' only Thanksgiving game shutout. During the lopsided game, vitriol came to the surface on the field as the rivals got into several skirmishes, most notably when Dallas placekicker Luis Zendajas left the game with a concussion following a hard tackle by linebacker Jessie Small after a kickoff.

Following the game, broadcast on CBS with Pat Summerall and John Madden calling the game, Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson alleged that Ryan had taken out a bounty on two of his players, Dallas (and former Philadelphia) kicker Luis Zendejas and quarterback Troy Aikman. Johnson said:[citation needed]

“ I have absolutely no respect for the way they played the game, I would have said something to Buddy, but he wouldn't stand on the field long enough. He put his big, fat rear end into the dressing room. ”


Zendejas claimed that when he was with the Eagles, a player had once received $200 – $100 each for hits on a punter and kicker. This is what led his coach Jimmy Johnson to make the accusation that a bounty had existed in this game as well.[citation needed]

Buddy Ryan responded to Johnson's accusations:[citation needed]

“ I resent that. I've been on a diet, lost a couple of pounds. I thought I was looking good. ”

[Drano]

Then there was the "Body Bag Bowl" against the 'skins. Ahh Buddy we miss ya so......


This was the second game of the year between the two NFC East rivals. The Redskins were two years removed from winning Super Bowl XXII, but were an aging team, behind a new quarterback, Jeff Rutledge. The Eagles were in their fifth season under defensive mastermind Buddy Ryan, but coming off two straight early playoff exits. In the previous game, on October 21, the 3-2 Redskins beat the 2-3 Eagles 13-7, behind a rushing touchdown by Gerald Riggs and two Chip Lohmiller field goals. The rematch would come three weeks later, on Monday Night Football, with the second-place Redskins being 5-3 and the third-place Eagles being 4-4.

The Eagles would score first, on a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive back William Frizzell. In the second quarter, the Redskins would tie the game 7-7 behind a Rutledge pass to tight end Don Warren. However, by the third quarter, the Eagles took control with three touchdowns. The first came on a trick play, with running back Keith Byars throwing a 9-yard pass to Heath Sherman. The second came via the defense, with defensive end Clyde Simmons returning a fumble 18 yards. The final touchdown was another pass to Sherman, this time by quarterback Randall Cunningham. The Redskins would finish the scoring in the fourth quarter, with Brian Mitchell scoring on a one-yard run, but it would not lead to a comeback, with the Eagles winning 28-14.[2]

During this game, eight Redskin players were injured, including starting quarterback Jeff Rutledge and backup Stan Humphries. Washington, already playing without quarterbacks Mark Rypien (who was injured earlier in the season) and Gary Hogeboom (inactive), had to end the game with rookie running back/kick returner Brian Mitchell at quarterback.

[edit] AftermathFollowing the Body Bag Game game the Eagles would go on to win five of their last seven under Cunningham, finish the season 10-6 and earn a wild card playoff berth, the fourth seed in the tough NFC. The Redskins meanwhile also would win five of their last seven to finish the season 10-6, losing the number four seed spot to the Eagles. Despite this, the Redskins would return to Veterans Stadium and defeat the Eagles in the Wild Card playoff game, 20-6. The Redskins would go on to lose to defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco in the divisional round. However, as told in the NFL Network presentation America's Game: The Story of the 1991 Washington Redskins, coach Joe Gibbs and others pointed to this game as the foundation for the successes of the 1991 Redskins, who would go on to win Super Bowl XXVI.