Bounty dishonesty could bring down more than Loomis

[WoodysGirl]

Posted by Mike Florio on March 3, 2012, 10:39 AM EST

As Rosenthal pointed out last night, Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis faces serious consequences (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/02/loomis-could-pay-price-for-lying-to-league-owner/) for lying to both his in-house and out-of-house (“out-house” just didn’t sound right) bosses regarding the presence of a bounty program within the organization. But the league’s well-timed, late-Friday-afternoon, bad-news dump regarding the bounty system strongly implies that others lied, too.

“Our security department interviewed numerous players and other individuals,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the release. “At the time, those interviewed denied that any such program existed and the player that made the allegation retracted his earlier assertions. As a result, the allegations could not be proven. We recently received significant and credible new information and the investigation was re-opened during the latter part of the 2011 season.”

In other words, everyone interviewed about the situation initially . . . wait for it . . . LIED about the existence of a bounty program. All of them. Even the person who blew the whistle . . . wait for it . . . LIED by retracting the allegations.

Read more: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/03/bounty-dishonesty-could-bring-down-more-than-loomis/

[cowboy_ron]

If Goodell treats this lightly then all his talk about player safety is just a bunch of hot air

[davidyee]

...sad in an industry where players are typically paid much better salaries than the avg worker person that monetary bounties are used to get them to play harder or even worse play outside the bounds of the rules.

What happened to professionalism or integrity? If the end result for Williams was he had to resort to the bounties to get his players motivated (???) then he has truly fallen down as a coach.

As a coach you want to find new ways to get your players motivated, but as in everything in life you have to have boundaries, moral codes if you will, that govern your decisions.

If you have to win by putting someone in an ambulance did you really win?

[cajuncocoa]

...sad in an industry where players are typically paid much better salaries than the avg worker person that monetary bounties are used to get them to play harder or even worse play outside the bounds of the rules.

What happened to professionalism or integrity? If the end result for Williams was he had to resort to the bounties to get his players motivated (???) then he has truly fallen down as a coach.

As a coach you want to find new ways to get your players motivated, but as in everything in life you have to have boundaries, moral codes if you will, that govern your decisions.

If you have to win by putting someone in an ambulance did you really win?
Well said. :bow:

[bark]

It's seldom the crime, always the coverup that gets you. See watergate.

[JohnsKey19]

John Clayton seems to think they could lose their 2nd, 3rd round pick this year AND a future 1st rounder as well as hefty fine. How would that change their approach in free agency?

[AMERICAS_FAN]

The league should take away draft picks from teams who did this and suspend players and coaches who partook in it. The length of suspensions should be based on the injuries levied to opposing plyers.

[davidyee]

...what is the right punishment for this situation.

But in terms of Williams I believe this man is a good coach. He should be given another shot at the NFL, but more importantly he should take full public responsibility for his mistake and adjust his future behavior.

If this is rampant behavior in the league then there is no better way for Williams to make amends than to champion the removal of inappropriate motivations from the game of football.

If it was the difference between my ability to have a coaching job in the NFL or be an ordinary joe on the street with a considerably lower paying offer I would fess up and work to change my image and character.

[BraveHeartFan]

I don't see him taking this lightly. The Saints, the coaches involved, and Loomis are all looking at some very likely stiff trouble over this whole thing. As they should be. There is absolutely no place in the NFL for this kind of junk.

[cowboy_ron]

I don't see him taking this lightly. The Saints, the coaches involved, and Loomis are all looking at some very likely stiff trouble over this whole thing. As they should be. There is absolutely no place in the NFL for this kind of junk.
Too early to tell yet...if it's just a pick or two then yes Goodell is taking it lightly. An example needs to be set here if Goodell is serious....all those associated with it as well as those that knew but did nothing about it need lengthy suspensions and yes I mean Sean as well since he knew, as well as a HEFTY fine as well as loss of numerous draft picks. This should be as close to the death penalty as the NFL has ever levied.

[WoodysGirl]

Jay Glazer ‏ @JayGlazer

Sources now tell me Saints penalty will be handed down prior to NFL Owners mtg that starts last wk of March and possibly within next wk or 2

[cowboy_ron]

Jay Glazer ‏ @JayGlazer

Sources now tell me Saints penalty will be handed down prior to NFL Owners mtg that starts last wk of March and possibly within next wk or 2
If it's going to be decided that fast then I expect a slap on the hand

[burmafrd]

No it won't be a slap on the wrist. They will lose draft choices - just a matter of how many. There will be suspensions; just a matter of how long. The two most interesting ones will be on Loomis and Peyton

[Hoofbite]

If it's going to be decided that fast then I expect a slap on the hand

What punishment would be good enough for you?

[cowboy_ron]

What punishment would be good enough for you?
Being that it was an intentional, blatant, action of disobeying the rules, not to mention that it COULD have ended careers, this needs to set a precedent.

1. Greg Williams...suspended for one year

2. Sean Payton.....suspended for one year

3. Forfeiture of ALL 2012 draft picks

4. Loomis...one year suspension if Benson doesn't fire him for disobeying an order to stop such activities 2 years earlier.

The penalties have to be severe enough for teams to weigh the risks involved in ordering such tactics in the future.

[Joshmil53]

Should Sharper be punished? He tried lying and all.

[Hoofbite]

Being that it was an intentional, blatant, action of disobeying the rules, not to mention that it COULD have ended careers, this needs to set a precedent.

1. Greg Williams...suspended for one year

2. Sean Payton.....suspended for one year

3. Forfeiture of ALL 2012 draft picks

4. Loomis...one year suspension if Benson doesn't fire him for disobeying an order to stop such activities 2 years earlier.

The penalties have to be severe enough for teams to weigh the risks involved in ordering such tactics in the future.

Sean Payton probably wouldn't be suspended. Williams may be forced into a resignation.

And if current rumors are true, your draft pick punishment is weak compared to what's be rumored.

They don't have a 1st rounder this year so a 2nd, 3rd and 1st next year is much more damaging than this years entire draft.

I don't think you'll have to worry about Loomis.

It just seems like people are setting themselves up for outrage by expecting the Saints to be punished to an extent that they know won't happen.

[cajuncocoa]

It just seems like people are setting themselves up for outrage by expecting the Saints to be punished to an extent that they know won't happen.
I agree with this, I don't believe they will be punished as severely as some here think they should (including me).

[burmafrd]

Peyton will get suspended at least for some games. He was the HC and knew about it and did nothing. So he will get hit.

Williams I think is gone for the year.

Loomis- that will be interesting. I think Benson cans him.

[SDogo]

3. Forfeiture of ALL 2012 draft picks


The Saints are with out a 1st round pick this year, the league would be doing them a favor. I think they will lose at least multiple picks after round 3 and maybe their 3rd as well as the 1st next year which seems to be a no brainier at this point.