The Saints also lied to the NFL over the past two years when an investigation was being conducted, so the punishment does seem to fit the crime. Kevin James stars in Netflix's 'Home Team', the movie inspired by Sean Payton and his "Bountygate" suspension. But I would be shocked, that'll be something that gets tucked away or under the . Both Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson had sanctions imposed by the NFL overturned through the court system, and there's the belief that should Patriots quarterback Tom Brady face suspension for whatever role he had in Deflategate, he too will pursue legal action. [26] The NFL found no club money had been used to fund the bounty pool, and praised Benson for doing what he could to shut down the slush fund. The NFLPA which has. [72], Earlier, Goodell had indicated that he was going to come down hard on the players involved, telling Eisen that they "enthusiastically embraced" the scheme. The Vikings were particularly angered when Saints defensive end Bobby McCray and defensive tackle Remi Ayodele knocked Favre to the ground with a high-low hit. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. [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. An @NFL player is injured let's start off by asking Sean Payton, who quite literally had a bounty system to Injure opposing teams players #BountyGate ask me how I know this to be True " Bold strategy by fox. . [66] Later, Schefter said on ESPN's SportsCenter that league officials felt Payton was at least as guilty as Williams, despite initial focus on Williams' role as the mastermind in the scheme. Matt George @ MattGeorgeSAC. via The Things. While most will remember Sean Payton for his success with the Saints, his involvement with Bountygate won't be forgotten anytime soon either. The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, widely dubbed " Bountygate ", [1] [2] [3] [4] was an incident in which members of the New Orleans Saints franchise of the NFL were accused of paying out bonuses, or "bounties", for injuring opposing team players. During his tenure, there was one incident that tarnished, if only for a brief time, his otherwise pristine record. 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. 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. 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. No more bias or b.s. April 15 - Payton holds his first team meeting at . There have been a few remarkable claims made in the five-plus weeks since the NFL first announced the discovery of a three-year bounty program in the Saints organization. Two of those players were reportedly Kurt Warner and Brett Favre. Your login session has expired. The players were paid $1,500 for a knockout, when an opposing player was not able to return to the game, and $1,000 for a cart-off, when an opposing player had to be carried off the field. 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. Its just one of those things that were always trying to find little bitty advantages in sport and it was unfairly and uncharacteristically portrayed the wrong way.. section: | slug: gregg-williams-on-bountygate-it-was-nothing-that-hadnt-been-done-before | sport: football | route: article_single.us | EN RU CN DE ES. 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. NEW: The NFL Players Association challenges the suspensions, Two of the suspended players are now with different teams, The suspensions are the latest by the NFL in the scandal over bounties, The league previously suspended a coach and a former defensive coordinator. Payton received a 1-year suspension from the NFL in 2012 for Bountygate -- when Saints players were getting cash payouts from 2009 to 2011 for targeting and injuring opponents during games. Smith, a captain of the defensive unit, helped Williams with the program and pledged money for it, according to the statement. )[86] Seau's sentiments were echoed by Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton. An @NFL player is injured let's start off by asking Sean Payton, who quite literally had a bounty system to Injure opposing teams players #BountyGate ask me how I know this to be True . The Saints appealed the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL upheld the suspensions. Being the first NFL coach to ever be suspended for any reason, some believe Home Team glosses over the controversial Bountygate scandal too lightly. [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." The program involved as many as 27 players and at least one assistant coach, the league concluded after an investigation. I never said a word. McCray hit Favre below the knees, briefly knocking Favre out of the game with an ankle injury. [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. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose. The NFL said payoffs went to 22 to 27 defensive players for inflicting game-ending injuries on targeted opponents, including quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. [5] The union lodged a formal grievance on May 4, contending that since the suspensions were for on-field misconduct, the players' appeals should be heard by Ted Cottrell and Art Shell, whom the collective bargaining agreement designates as the hearing officers for on-field sanctions. The Rams were driving inside. [8] According to these players, such bounty programs were usually informal and often between players only, more with intent at locker-room braggadocio than systemic malice. [51] However, several former players interviewed by Sports Illustrated said that while payments for good hits and sacks were indeed considered part of the game, bounties for intentionally injuring opponents violated an unwritten code. In an editorial, New Orleans' local paper The Times-Picayune called the revelations "an embarrassment for one of the most successful and beloved sports organizations of recent years," and that they were "particularly hard to take for (Saints') fans" in light of the Saints' rebound after Hurricane Katrina. The league discovered that anywhere between 22 and 27 Saints players were involved, and that head coach Sean Payton was both aware and involved in the program's cover-up. Nonetheless, the loss of Payton, combined with the distractions caused by the scandal, proved too much for the Saints to overcome. Sullivan called the Saints' treatment of Favre "despicable" and "the exact opposite of sportsmanship," and even called for the league to take some sort of action against players involved in that game who had since retired, such as McCray.[71]. Unsurprisingly, Walton was the top pick overall for the 1974 NBA draft, snagged by the Portland Trailblazers. The NFL previously suspended Saints coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season while levying an indefinite suspension on former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was accused of masterminding the bonus program. 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. Speaking of significant injuries, Joe Musgrove dropped a weight on his left big toe, causing a fracture. New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is one of four players suspended for their roles in the "bountygate" scandal. 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. Did the New Orleans Saints injure more players? 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. 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. This legendary status is probably why a team like the Dallas Cowboys would love to hire him sooner rather than later. The appeal delayed the start of Payton's suspension from April 1 to April 16. [12] Goodell said in a statement that he found it "particularly disturbing" that the Saints were deliberately trying to injure other players. Hargrove lied to league officials during the 2010 investigation, but later signed a letter to the NFL admitting that he was an active participant in the scheme. The NFL's retort is that with all due deference, you don't get to second guess (Goodell). The NFL's retort is that with all due deference, you don't get to second guess (Goodell). He also believes that Williams put a bounty on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning during Super Bowl XLIV, and targeted Manning on several occasions while with the Titans. But what people . Lombardi claimed that as a result, Williams operated essentially as "an independent contractor." The league has not yet announced any disciplinary action against the players involved. I. The pool was alleged to have been in operation from 2009 (the year in which the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV) to 2011. 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