Bielema Bountygate?

Submitted by Bryan Fuller on
Why is it that Bountygate is such a big deal in the NFL and Sean Payton is suspended a year for having knowledge of dirty play, yet nothing came of Bielema all but bragging that he told his players to try to injure Mike Martin?
 
You can read the full article here:
 
After the game Saturday, Bielema said his offensive line -- which grinds opposing defenses into dust by pulling its guards and ramming them into linebackers downfield -- was prevented from pulling by Michigan. He used the word "tactics," which is coaching code for "holding," to describe what Michigan's defensive line was doing.

"But we rectified the situation," Bielema said.

When asked how, Bielema recalled a chop-block penalty that went against his team -- and took a touchdown off the scoreboard -- in the second quarter. Wisconsin lost seven points but delivered a message.

 
 
I remember this when it happened and I have despised that Gomer Pyle looking mf'er Bielema ever since.

sarto1g

April 13th, 2012 at 9:30 AM ^

I didn't like it, either, but it could have just been Bielema talking out of his ass.  What the Saints did was organized and over a long period of time.  Bielema isn't the first coach to do something like this *coughDantoniocough* and he won't be the last.

JeepinBen

April 13th, 2012 at 9:36 AM ^

There are a few differences between a meathead FB coach telling his team to injure someone on the sidelines, or failing to discipline a player who deliberately does so (MSU) than an organization wide Pay-for-Injuries program that the NFL was investigating and told them to stop twice.

You're debating degrees of wrong, but if Bielema threw $10K around to his players for injuring people, I'm guessing this would have been a bigger issue.

maizenblue92

April 13th, 2012 at 10:07 AM ^

More of Bielema being an ass and nothing like a bounty. A bounty would bring about the wrath of the NCAA. So probably just a strongly worded cease and desist letter. 

Section 1

April 13th, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^

"Sixty minutes of unnecessary roughness."  And, Mike Martin was illegally chop-blocked so as to cause injury by Narduzzi's defense in 2010.

So yeah, I don't mind the comparison; it is a healthy smear of some guys (Bielema, Dantonio, Narduzzi) whose filthy players deserve it.  We just don't see the Badgers much anymore.  I suppose that we can presume that they weren't handing out thousand dollar bonuses to the offensive linemen who cut Mike Martin, but you never really know, do you? 

mgowin

April 13th, 2012 at 12:46 PM ^

What makes what the NFL situation different is all of the lawsuits by former players. The NFL cares about this now only because it is affecting thier pockets.

energyblue1

April 13th, 2012 at 12:52 PM ^

Say mike martin was injured and Beilema still said that, wouldn't that open up the same lawsuits by college players?  If a coach makes a statement they sent a message on an illegal play in the game and said player gets injured or career ended by injury that door is wide open! 

energyblue1

April 13th, 2012 at 12:55 PM ^

If you have your olineman chop block my dt, the next play you pull your olineman my dt can chop block him, it works the same way....................so message sent can be sent right back to the other staff!

 

Actually if a staff does that I hope our staff sends the same message right back!  That's just bogus.  Actually I hoped our dline would have done that to msu when they opened the game with the high/low chop blocks that weren't called. 

Gulo Blue

April 13th, 2012 at 2:37 PM ^

Seems like another opportunity to remind people about Breaston from the "Bielema is morally unfit to coach college football" writeup.  Old news, but as long as Bielema is coaching, I don't want to forget it.

This is not an isolated incident. In 2006, Bielema's squard came to Michigan and lost its only game of the year. During one play, Badger defensive back James Kamoku found Steve Breaston lying on the ground after a punt return. Komuku, thinking he was at the bottom of the pile and could act without consequence, viciously wrenched the prone Breaston's knee after the play. It was an act that had nothing to do with football and had no purpose other than to injury an opponent, perhaps very seriously.

When Ohio State linebacker Robert Reynolds attempted to injure a helpless player in 2003, Jim Tressel suspended him for a game and said the assault was "totally unacceptable and has no place in intercollegiate athletics." You can argue he was too lenient, but he did at least take some action.

Bielema, when informed of Kamoku's play, took no action whatsoever. Either he decided to send the message that such behavior should go unpunished, or he actually teaches it.

YoBoMoLoHo

April 13th, 2012 at 9:48 PM ^

BB teaches it. If you want to build your level of hate for BB, please youtube his postgame interview (on the field) after Wiscy beat U-M in 2010' (might have been 2009?)... His contempt for U-M is clear; He WANTS his contempt to be seen by the national TV audience. If you could define 'Hate for Michigan', you would have to include BB's face in your description. He IS the type of Caveman who would not discourage his minions from intentionally injuring a rival. Just ask Steve Breaston.

Hlprn302

April 13th, 2012 at 9:43 PM ^

BC our three biggest rivals in the big ten right now (ranked by my joy of defeating) all have head coaches I have little to no respect for. I know we all dislike great players or coaches on rival teams (as a Bears fan, I objectively know Aaron Rodgers is a great QB but I can't stand him), but we should at least be able to respect them. Dantonio, Bielema,, and Meyer are such blatant bottom feeders that losing to them honestly feels like a moral affront. Not that Michigan knows what it's like to lose to Meyer, but you know what I mean.

YoBoMoLoHo

April 13th, 2012 at 10:01 PM ^

Fitzgerald & Hoke are the tops in the Big Ten. They R Class coaches. Just recall how Hoke responded when Caveman tried to break DR's neck at the bottom of the pile.... Dantonio, & BB are the absolute dregs of the Big Ten, WAY worse than Meyer.... 1) Hoke & Fitz are tied. 3) Frank Beamer; I love that guy. 4) George Perles. Say what you will, but that guy was classy.... 9) Dick-Nose cornhusker. 10) Meyer. 11) Dantonio. 12) BB......427) Bobby Williams.