New Orleans Saints Scandal Thread

[CJSchneider]

Originally Posted by Saints-Tigers

Vilma upped Gregg Williams' money, and I don't think there is any proof that Vilma was trying to knock people out of games with concussions.

I see proof that people are trying to knock people out of the game with a concussion every time I see them try to ram their face-mask through the other person's ear-hole. It is a violent game and that is why I enjoy it.

[prock]

I loved Darren Woodsen saying that suspending Vilma for a year is equivalent to suspending a corporate worker for 5 years. Not quite Woodsen... And if someone in the workplace was offering bounties, he would have been suspended for far more than 5 years. In prison...

[BeerBaron]

I hate it when people try to make comparisons between sports jobs and normal jobs. It's always completely ******** logic, as it was there.

It's why I don't feel bad when I say, for instance, a coach should/could be fired. I'm certain that every NFL head coach is making millions per season. Some coordinators too...and those that aren't are at least hauling in 6 figures.

And when you're fired, you just step down a level. Or go into the media. Or get a job with a college team where you, again, get paid ridiculous sums of money. I'd bet in 9/10 states, the highest earning "public employee" (or however it's worded,) is the biggest state schools head coach. I know it was true in PA with Joe Pa. I know it's true with Nick Saban.

Sports jobs are more like elected offices and the owner/boosters/fans are your constituents.

[Bert Macklin]

Originally Posted by jrdrylie

If everything I have heard is true, I am extremely disgusted. Coach Williams telling people to go after people's knees is despicable. That could end a guys career and if it was bad enough, maybe even make it difficult to walk. Vilma putting up money to knock quarterbacks out of the game with concussions is even worse. We have seen the effects of concussions on older players (mental illness, depression, suicide). The things alleged in the bounty scandals weren't just rewards for hard hits. They were rewards for doing things to other players that could ruin their lives.

Guess you hate Deacon Jones too?

With no remorse in my heart, I tried to put him in the hospital every time I tackled em

[WCH]

Originally Posted by Saints-Tigers

Oh, and Bert isn't nearly on J-Mike's level. He'd have to turn, say, a Junior Seau appreciation thread into something about the Saints, and he'd have to make new threads about other teams players, and how it relates to the Saints, to get on J-Mike's level.

That's true. I owe Bert a public apology. J-Mike might have posted something like "Junior Seau is dead. [Poll] Is Clay Matthews a better OLB than Junior Seau ever was?"

[jojo]

Originally Posted by CJSchneider

I see proof that people are trying to knock people out of the game with a concussion every time I see them try to ram their face-mask through the other person's ear-hole. It is a violent game and that is why I enjoy it.

CJ is correct, at least he admits it.

Did anyone btw try more than Harrison for the Steelers to earhole & concuss players? His whining about a mere half mil in fines is chump change compared to the rain of hell that came down on Vilma & the Saints.

Can Vilma even have contact with the team, like watch the games he's missing in their hdqtrs? I know he's barred from OTAs, but knowing Goodell he might even ban him from calling other Saints on his cell. Goodell would throw him in jail if he could, probably wanted to lifetime ban him but was talked out of it.

Most embarrassed player in the NFL today: Drew Brees. Not only did he have nada to do with it, but he now has a big target on him from 31 other teams & he is very well aware of it. His aggravation pissoff level must be off the charts this wk.

[Ness]

Originally Posted by jojo

Most embarrassed player in the NFL today: Drew Brees. Not only did he have nada to do with it, but he now has a big target on him from 31 other teams & he is very well aware of it. His aggravation pissoff level must be off the charts this wk.

I doubt it. I really don't think the other players from other teams' defenses are going to care that much. They aren't that concerned about defending the integrity of the NFL. Same for coaches.

[CJSchneider]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--do...-joe-vitt.html

Thank you, Mr. Hargrove. We will file this under "N", as in, "Not gonna change a thing."

[CJSchneider]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...154506012.html

I thought all the "squeaky-clean" 49er followers would like to read this.

[BandwagonPunditry]

Originally Posted by CJSchneider

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...154506012.html

I thought all the "squeaky-clean" 49er followers would like to read this.

Originally Posted by "Mike Sando"

Ben Roethlisberger did not accuse the San Francisco 49ers of outright dirty play against him in Week 15 last season

...

Lest this little implication get out of hand unnecessarily, I went back and watched every Steelers offensive play from that game. The stats crew credited the 49ers with eight quarterback hits. Most were straightforward. Defenders were not twisting Roethlisberger's lower body, rolling over onto his sore ankle or stepping on him blatantly

...


Smith and NaVorro Bowman had free shots on Roethlisberger late in the game. They did not exploit those opportunities at additional expense to Roethlisberger. Bowman specifically had an opportunity to fall on Roethlisberger on the Steelers' final play, but he did not.

Glad we could clear that one up.

[Dro]

pwned lmao.

[WCH]

Originally Posted by CJSchneider

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--do...-joe-vitt.html

Thank you, Mr. Hargrove. We will file this under "N", as in, "Not gonna change a thing."

Everything is 100% Gregg Williams fault!

[Complex]

The latest chunk of it comes from Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, who buries a bombshell in an article regarding the fallout of the Anthony Hargrove declaration.

Writes Triplett: “[A]ccording to a source close to [former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg] Williams, the NFL has also misrepresented what Williams said in interviews with the league. According to the source, Williams never admitted a ‘bounty program’ was in place and that the league ‘rephrased his statements to satisfy its needs.’ The source also said Williams never identified any players for their involvement in a pay-for-performance or bounty program.”

Those are strong, stunning allegations. Given the mounting attacks on the quality of the league’s evidence, the time has come for the NFL to disclose it. All. Publicly. Every piece and shred of it.

It’s far too late for the NFL to hide behind “personnel matters” and “privacy rights.” Through a series of detailed statements that the NFL has released containing summaries and characterizations of evidence, the reputations of Gregg Williams, Sean Payton, Joe Vitt, Mickey Loomis, Anthony Hargrove, Scott Fujita, Will Smith, and Jonathan Vilma forever have been sullied. The least the league can do at this point is share with all of us the evidence that justified publicly branding these eight men as cheaters, liars, and worse.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ms-interviews/

The league’s case against the Saints arises in part from an email message from Mike Ornstein in which Ornstein purports to contribute $5,000 to a bounty on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The league’s March 21 statement regarding non-player bounty discipline characterized the email as follows: “[P]rior to the Saints’ opening game in 2011, Coach Payton received an email from a close associate that stated in part, ‘PS Greg Williams put me down for $5000 on Rogers [sic].’ When shown the email during the course of the investigation, Coach Payton stated that it referred to a ‘bounty’ on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers.”

Yes, it referred to a bounty on Rodgers. But now Ornstein, the NFLPA, lawyer Peter Ginsberg (who represents Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma) are taking issue with the league’s broader characterization of the email.

According to the Associated Press, Ornstein claims that the reference to Rodgers, contained in an email sent by Ornstein from prison, was part of a “running joke.” Ornstein said that the subject of bounties had been a topic of periodic kidding in the wake of the Vikings’ claim that a bounty had been placed on Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC title game.

In reality, the Ornstein email wasn’t directly sent to Payton. Instead, it came to team spokesman Greg Bensel, who then forwarded it to the coaching staff with this message: “email from Orny (he asked that I send it) the dude is in prison so I told him I would.”

“When I wrote that email, I was in jail,” Ornstein said. “How was I going to pay for it? In stamps? I’m in federal jail in Florence.”

And so, now that more details are available regarding the Ornstein email, the players’ representative have pushed back.

“Ornstein’s email is just another example of the speciousness of the quote-unquote evidence that Commissioner Goodell claims to have to support his erroneous accusations against Jonathan and the other players,” Ginsberg told the Associated Press. “As more of the evidence is revealed in the media, it is becoming more and more apparent how irresponsible the NFL’s actions have been.”

Richard Smith, hired by the NFLPA to advise players regarding the bounty investigation, also complained about the Ornstein email message. “The NFL has not provided the players with any information like this,” Smith said. “It is unfortunate that they continue to withhold evidence that can show players’ innocence. This email proves what we have feared: what they’ve been selling to the media as evidence doesn’t match up with the truth.”

Between the Anthony Hargrove declaration and the Ornstein email, it’s hard to disagree with Ginsberg and Smith. Unless and until the NFL produces raw evidence that demonstrates player involvement in a bounty program or player funding of payments made to other players for knocking opponents out of games, suspicions will remain that the NFL is embellishing the bounty evidence in order to justify hitting the Saints hard enough to deter all teams, players, and coaches from using bounties in the future.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...rnstein-email/

The horror the horror I will never let my kids watch the NFL. They try to hurt people OMG.

Starting to look like most people overreacted

[diabsoule]

I agree with everything Triplett wrote. If there's evidence then let's see it.

[prock]

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

Guess you hate Deacon Jones too?

So you're saying trying to take out knees is the same as trying to hit someone so hard they go to the hospital?

[Ness]

Originally Posted by CJSchneider

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...154506012.html

I thought all the "squeaky-clean" 49er followers would like to read this.

I read that earlier. You know aiming for an injury isn't against the NFL rules right? We did it against Romo earlier in the season. Now when you are getting paid financial bonus incentives...that's different. So not sure why you are posting that. It's not even a story.

By the way, your Saints need to get Brees signed already. They are an unhappy quarterback away from being a 4-12 team.

[CJSchneider]

Originally Posted by Ness

I read that earlier. You know aiming for an injury isn't against the NFL rules right? We did it against Romo earlier in the season. Now when you are getting paid financial bonus incentives...that's different. So not sure why you are posting that. It's not even a story.

By the way, your Saints need to get Brees signed already. They are an unhappy quarterback away from being a 4-12 team.

1. Just because I felt like rustling some jimmies.

2. I have listened to the GW audio and other than "I got the first one", I didn't hear a thing wrong. Teams do target injuries. You are 100% correct.

[Bert Macklin]

Wonder why espn isn't reporting this?

ProFootballTalk ?@ProFootballTalk

Jonathan Vilma has sued Roger Goodell in federal court in Louisiana. More to come at PFT. #wheresmydamnpopcorn

[Bulldogs]

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

Wonder why espn isn't reporting this?

It's the #2 headline on ESPN. You're slowly being the JCBX/Thumper of the Saints.

[Bert Macklin]

Originally Posted by Bulldogs

It's the #2 headline on ESPN. You're slowly being the JCBX/Thumper of the Saints.

Shut the hell up.

This was reported way before anything was mentioned on espn considering they report **** without evidence all the time.

[Ness]

Originally Posted by Bulldogs

It's the #2 headline on ESPN. You're slowly being the JCBX/Thumper of the Saints.

LOL.........

[Brodeur]

Originally Posted by Bulldogs

It's the #2 headline on ESPN. You're slowly being the JCBX/Thumper of the Saints.

No he isn't........slowly becoming the JCBX/Thumper. It's a pretty quick movement.

[Bert Macklin]

Adam Schefter ?@AdamSchefter
Some believe US District Judge will void discipline imposed on current and former Saints, NFL will appeal and suspended players will play.

[Complex]

Ginger Roger Goodell wants to make a deal with Jonathan Vilma. If Vilma drops his lawsuits then he will reduce his suspension. Goodell must have a really strong case.

[Bert Macklin]

?@mortreport
NFL in settlement talks with suspended Saints players. Story up shortly on LINK and on @SportsCenter with @EdWerderESPN


Sources say league has proposed to reduce Jonathan Vilma's one-year suspension to 8 games but no agreement yet. Talks ongoing.

http://ESPN.com/

https://twitter.com/mortreport