Thread: NFL: Saints paid players to hurt foes

I'm not surprised in the least. There have always been "dirty teams" and players who were obviously trying to do this.

Given the attempts by the league to address injuries in recent years, I would not be surprised to see them come down hard on this.
Maybe a one year suspension, something that could be career ending for a coach.

Only it happens all the time:

Jaguars call Texans a dirty team, warn, “We play them again” | ProFootballTalk

This isn’t the first time an opposing defensive line has said the Texans play dirty: After last week’s win over the Titans, the Texans were accused of taking shots at the knees of members of the Titans’ defensive line. But after this game, Jaguars defensive end Jeremy Mincey said what bothered him went way beyond just cut blocks.

“They’re some nasty guys,” Mincey said. “I was on the ground, and some guy stepped on my head. They’re very dirty.”

NFL.com news: Patriots guard Mankins brushes aside allegations of dirty play

Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora said last Friday he was bothered by Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light's playing style. On Sunday, Patriots guard Logan Mankins brushed off allegations that the offensive line bends the rules.

"That's all right," Mankins said in a news conference when told Giants defensive end Justin Tuck called the Patriots' offensive line dirty, according to the team's official website. "We don't mind being called dirty or cheap or any of that stuff. That's a compliment to us."

NFL: Detroit Lion Ndamukong Suh Should Welcome Dirty Reputation, Not Shun It | Bleacher Report

Ndamukong Suh was recently voted the dirtiest player in the NFL by his football-playing peers—a reputation he doesn't agree with.

Suh is a controversial player, known to body-slam, grab opponents' facemasks and play with a chip on his shoulder.

He needs to line up every Sunday and scare the other team into submission. He needs to be dirty.

What, 300-pound man that is paid to hurt people is also expected to be nice?

The only real revelation here is mentioning actual dollar amounts.

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

Only it happens all the time:

NFL: Detroit Lion Ndamukong Suh Should Welcome Dirty Reputation, Not Shun It | Bleacher Report

The only real revelation here is mentioning actual dollar amounts.

The columnist who wrote that piece is every bit as much of a douchebag as Gregg Williams is. Find me an article that verifies the authors accusation and we can talk about it but otherwise it's just spit in the wind.

I can definitely see big fines, suspensions, maybe a permanent ban for Williams and loss of draft picks over this. But it also makes the negotiations with Drew Brees pretty interesting. Brees and the Saints are reportedly about $5 million/year apart right now. If I'm Brees I start wondering do I want to sign with these guys for any amount of money. Whoever QBs this team is going to have a pretty big target on his back and stands a good chance of not finishing the season. on his feet.

There's a great big something to be said for that!

This could really wipe the team out. If my name was Colston, Sproles or Graham I wouldn't exactly be looking forward to the season either.

Originally Posted by lutherf

The columnist who wrote that piece is every bit as much of a douchebag as Gregg Williams is. Find me an article that verifies the authors accusation and we can talk about it but otherwise it's just spit in the wind.

Well, I don't personally rank sports talking head "douchebags" so I'll leave that up to those who claim to have a lot more experience than I do.

But given that the player survey link from the article makes it rather overwhelmingly clear, I really don't see how your argument has much basis at all based on this seemingly fairly balanced article:

NFL.com news: Suh would disagree, but peers vote him NFL's dirtiest player

1. Suh (36)
2. Harrison (9)
3. Finnegan (8)
4. Tyson Clabo (7)
5. Hines Ward (6)
6. Richie Incognito (4)
7. Brandon Meriweather (3)
8t. Harvey Dahl (2)
8t. David Stewart (2)
8t. Mike McGlynn (2)
8t. Casey Wiegmann (2)

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

Well, I don't personally rank sports talking head "douchebags" so I'll leave that up to those who claim to have a lot more experience than I do.

But given that the player survey link from the article makes it rather overwhelmingly clear, I really don't see how your argument has much basis at all based on this seemingly fairly balanced article:

NFL.com news: Suh would disagree, but peers vote him NFL's dirtiest player

I don't know how involved you are or have been in sports but there is a big difference between a dirty player and and sanctioned, graduated rewards for injuring someone.

When you're playing football and you hit someone you damned sure want them to remember you. You don't, EVER, want to see them get carted off the field and especially don't want to see them with a career ending or deadly injury.

Suh is a dick and he'll be taken care of on the field just like every other hot dog and cheap shot artist gets taken care of but the sheer audacity of a coach organizing a bonus for injuring an opposing player is well beyond run of the mill assholery.

The league and the team generally fine players for cheap shots. They do it for good reason too because if one of your guys is taking cheap shots then the other team is going to act in response and there is a good chance that one of your top guys is going to get fucked up.

What Miller did and Payton condoned is very, very far from ordinary and it's totally inexcusable.

Looks Roger is gonna drop the axe on them all - Peyton is suspended without pay for the entire season next year and everyone is hearing the same rumors right now, which is that the Saints will do anything and everything to comply with all of his punishments and penalties because it'll avert him deciding to revoke their SB win from a few years ago when this was apparently also going on. That works out well for him to, as it'd be difficult for him to take the title from them for a season more than 24 months ago.

The punishment for this is unprecedented and extremely harsh and I'M FUCKING PISSED OFF. Someone posted this on facebook:

So, Sean Payton gets suspended longer than Michael Vick got for gambling and murdering dogs....longer than Ben Roethlisberger got for multiple rape accusations...longer than Bill Belichek got for actually cheating...longer than Ray Lewis got for being part of a murder committed by his posse...longer than Michael Irvin got for cocaine possession.....longer than Chris Henry got for assaulting a teenager......longer than Tank Johnson got for his arsenal of guns and assaults........longer than Plaxico Burress got for illegally discharging a gun in a New York nightclub.........All for playing a little HARD hitting FOOTBALL!!!

Joe Horn has spoke out about other teams having the same bounty system when he played for them but of course, all evidence will be destroyed and all accusations denied. I think the NFL has chosen to make an example of N.O. but guess what...we're survivors and Who Dat fans for life and there's nothing the NFL can do to change that! Drew Brees will step up his leadership role and hold our team together and all the naysayers can kiss our asses!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Traveler

Looks Roger is gonna drop the axe on them all - Peyton is suspended without pay for the entire season next year and everyone is hearing the same rumors right now, which is that the Saints will do anything and everything to comply with all of his punishments and penalties because it'll avert him deciding to revoke their SB win from a few years ago when this was apparently also going on. That works out well for him to, as it'd be difficult for him to take the title from them for a season more than 24 months ago.

Good, it should be this way. With all of this talk about the NFL players all being a "brotherhood," intent to injure just does not fit. This is no different than a boxer or MMA fighter caught altering his gloves. There is no defense for the actions the Saints took, nor is there a defense that the punishment was too harsh. I would argue that some are not seeing enough punishment for this nonsense.

Originally Posted by Sluggo

Good, it should be this way. With all of this talk about the NFL players all being a "brotherhood," intent to injure just does not fit. This is no different than a boxer or MMA fighter caught altering his gloves. There is no defense for the actions the Saints took, nor is there a defense that the punishment was too harsh. I would argue that some are not seeing enough punishment for this nonsense.

If the hits made by the Saints had been cheap shots, don't you think the NFL would have fined more players over the past few years? I have no problem with cheap shots being fined but I do have a problem with penalizing people for playing football and we all know that from youth leagues all the way up to pro, players are taught to hit hard.
As for a boxer altering their gloves...there's no comparison between cheating and playing the game the way it was meant to be played...hitting the opponent hard is just a legal part of the game and even teams with no actual bounty program teach this.

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

If the hits made by the Saints had been cheap shots, don't you think the NFL would have fined more players over the past few years? I have no problem with cheap shots being fined but I do have a problem with penalizing people for playing football and we all know that from youth leagues all the way up to pro, players are taught to hit hard.
As for a boxer altering their gloves...there's no comparison between cheating and playing the game the way it was meant to be played...hitting the opponent hard is just a legal part of the game and even teams with no actual bounty program teach this.

Unsure, I'll admit that I do not follow the NFL near as much as I follow NCAA College Football. I would assume cheap shots would be fined. However, I would also assume a pay to injure program would warrant people being suspended if not kicked out of the league. It is not about hitting hard, nor do I have any problem with the nature of the game. Just as I have no problem with the nature of MMA fighting (something I also follow.) Football players get hurt, fighters get hurt, it is the nature of those sports.

The reason for the comparison on this pay to injure and boxers altering their gloves is they are the same in intent. The fact is the Saints sponsored harming, for pay mind you, players on the other team. I can appreciate you supporting your team, but it was a bounty system designed to reward players for going beyond to harm. They are already compensated for playing the game, and that alone has risks. This pay to injure is not about football, it is not about playing the game, it is about the reward for intentional harm. It is the same as a boxer altering their gloves. It is no longer about the fight, it is about the intent to cause severe harm. Win by a form of cheating, in this case win by injury.

All that the Saints accomplished here was show they sponsored with pay the worst football could offer. Ignore any sense of sportsmanship, comradery, and the sprit of the game as to pay extra cash to the players to harm others. Far as I am concerned the punishments handed down was light. All the Saints had to do was play hard and win, they sure have the talent to do it. But hell no, lets go another step and pay the players to injure others by target. A dollar reward for injury. What a buch of morons, all of them that were in on this. And if another team is found to have engaged in the same thing, my opinion would be the same.