OT: New Orleans Saints had bounty system for injuring opponents
I can't say this surprises me, but it's still pretty awful. I mean, it's one thing to go as hard as you can, deliver big hits and all that, but it's an entirely different thing if the intent is to injure. Where there's smoke there's fire: I bet there's a bunch of teams, in many sports, perhaps even at the college level, that do something similar, maybe not even with money.
The N.F.L. said the total amount of money in the pool might have reached $50,000 or more at its height during the playoffs of the 2009 season, when the Saints won the Super Bowl. The system paid players $1,500 for a “knockout” and $1,000 for a “cart-off,” with payouts doubling or tripling during the playoffs.
EDIT: There's a Jay Feeley quote at the end of the piece:
“No place in NFL for bounties. Physical play is an attribute but malicious intent should be removed.”
There is a difference between man I want to hit that guy hard and man I want to put my helmet upside his knee and put him out of the game. Whats next hey Ill give you twenty grand if you Mike Utley Devin Hester.
will suck for the Saints next year. Stay tuned to see if THEIR injury rate skyrockets.
Great, another reason for Goodell to further kill defenses. Does an extra $1,000 really motivate these guys? Stupid coaching move, much better ways to encourage your players without giving Goodell another example of "football has gotten too rough, we need MOAR RULEZ".
Take their next two first round draft picks, prevent the Saints from using their franchise tag for two years, and knock 30% off of the salaries of any player/coach caught. That would be the end of that problem.
Proper (dis)incentives are key here.
I'd be 100% behind this, better yet: death penalty?
We frequenters at MGoBlog should have a bounty for good zingers and comebacks at new posters or lurkers from other skoolz. Like if some Ohio troll comes on the blog, the first MGB regular to say something spicy to put him in his place and make him cry gets 100 extra points, etc etc. Cuz, you know, "everybody does it." -- T. Pryor (referring to murder, but, that's close.)
but Brian took all our fun away.
Someone tell the Saints that just because they're in Louisiane they aren't in the SEC.
they don't oversign!
not oversigning is the only reason that the Saints can afford to pay their players more than the SEC does.
They only got caught because the money jar was still full at the end of the season,
their D was great this year /s
it was also done by him at Arizona
Everything within the rulebook is fair game, it's just incentive to do what they're supposed to do anyway, which is to inflict maximum violence.
If I were a NFL player that had suffered a career ending injury caused by one of Gregg Williams Washington or NO defenses (particularly NO)... I would Sue the Fuck out of that asshole as well as the organization that he was working for at the time. Id have an excellent case...
dont be surprised if this does not happen.. a player who suffered a career ending injury vs NO the past 3 years will be looking to hire an attorney fast....
There could be lawsuits to follow by players injured in games against the Saints during the 2009-11 seasons.Lawers have been texting me
There's a huge element of hypocrisy here. Players put a lot of blame the league's way for not protecting them from injury.... to go and do something like this (and I don't believe for a minute the Saints were the only one with a bounty pool) makes it ring hollow the next time a current player speaks out against the league about injury protection. Check your own ranks first.
amazing how everyone would be saying the exact opposite if it was their team "lions, etc." this goes on all over the league. Does it make it right? No. But NFL has been doing bounties way before you or I have started watching the game. That's what made the NFL successful. Why do people watch boxing or MMA? Don't think for a second that this practice hasn't occurred on your team. Physical contact belongs in this league and needs to stay in this league. Difference between the past and now is a bunch of sissy rules. If you don't want to get hit, go play basketball or baseball. Steelers & Raiders (past) are glorified for their physical contact. But the Saints are going to be abolished for making an extra incentive to do good/bad? Of course in the media, half of the story is the focus... They also got incentives for fumble recoveries and interceptions.I didn't see this bounty affecting the outcome of the Saints-Lions playoff game last year.... But someone of you suggest that they get a postseason ban? Give me a break....
The Steelers Kimo Van Oelhoffen's *hit* on Carson Palmer's knee on the first play of the game in the 2005 playoffs. I'm suprised Palmer still has a career left after that bullshit.
This is the beginning of the end for the NFL
Mike Martin might be even more NFL-ready than we already think (see: Bret Bielema 2010).
I deny all responsibility