[49] Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, who has a law degree from BYU, suggested that anyone who had been injured during a Saints game during the scheme's existence has grounds for a lawsuit. [65] He reiterated this in an interview later that day with ESPN's Schefter, saying that the fact those involved "continued to mislead" the league about it was a significant factor in the sanctions. Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues. [52] Three days later, Drew Brees, the starting quarterback for the Saints, issued a statement denying any knowledge of or involvement in the program. He crippled them to the point that . I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation. DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, said the organization would help the players fight the suspensions. "[91] Fox Sports' Mark Kriegel argued that the tape proved Williams was "woefully underpunished," especially since he made the speech after being alerted that the NFL had reopened its investigation. 'Of course, yesterday, the players were still enthusiastic, and they had to celebrate this momentum. 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. The league also found that Vitt, whom Payton had assigned to monitor Williams (the two reportedly didn't get along very well), also knew about the broader lines of the scheme and even witnessed Williams handing out payments to players. Injuries caused him to miss a number of games in that first season, including the playoffs. Not only is De'Aaron Fox on a ridiculous scoring stretch, his shooting percentage is beyond efficient. The hit went without penalty on the field, but the N.F.L., intent on meting out stiffer discipline for violations of player safety, docked Harrison $75,000 at least some of which, Harrison . The players were vindicated, but from a league or coaching standpoint, there's no union, there's no representation. On Tuesday, Sean Payton decided to step down as the New Orleans Saints head coach. [58], On March 21, 2012, the NFL issued sanctions to Saints coaches and front-office personnel for their roles in the scandal. In a statement, Goodell said that the NFL would not tolerate "conduct or a culture" that put player safety at risk. He also said that unless the leagues themselves "come up with standards to make sure this isn't going to happen again," he may consider drafting legislation that would extend federal sports bribery laws to cover bounties. I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. In some cases, particular players on the opposing team were targeted, the NFL said. Since then, Williams has been accused of operating similar schemes during his tenure as defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Oilers/Titans and (since renamed) Washington Redskins and as head coach of the Buffalo Bills; the NFL briefly investigated these allegations but elected to focus on the Saints. Freeman's sources also said that Payton's sanctions were likely to dwarf those handed down to the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick in the wake of the 2007 "Spygate" affair. The NFL also previously announced the suspensions of Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games of the 2012 season and Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt for the first six regular-season games. Vilma played the final 11 games of the 2012 season for the Saints; Smith played all 16. [7][12], Benson issued a statement on the Saints' Website saying, "I have been made aware of the NFLs findings relative to the Bounty Rule and how it relates to our club. Kluwe has never shied away from making his opinions known, even when the topic may result in him shunning a fellow player, and "bountygate" has proven to be no different. Bountygate was alleged to have taken place from 2009 to 2011. "I. [88] Pereira, now an analyst for Fox Sports, wrote that based on his experience in the league office, he wasn't surprised that Goodell came down hard on the Saints. Saints assistant Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of 2012. [66], Hours after the sanctions were announced, Kluwe went on KSTP in the Twin Cities and demanded that any players involved in the scheme be severely punished, and that the NFLPA let it be known that "there's no place in the league for that kind of behavior." They wanted to hurt him, and he wasn't alone. But what people . [20][25] He also gave the league's clubs until March 30, 2012 to certify in writing that they do not have bounty programs. No penalty was called on the play, though NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira said one should have been called, saying it was "the type of hit we don't want." [10], Speculation quickly abounded about how severely Goodell, who has made player safety and the overall integrity of the game a point of emphasis during his six years as commissioner, would punish Williams and the Saints. 17 Feb 2023 00:46:36 All four players can appeal the suspensions and would be entitled to a hearing and representation by counsel, the statement said. 2. Loomis had been interviewed during the 2010 investigation as well, and had stated that he knew of no such scheme and would stop it immediately if it was taking place. Ornstein contributed $10,000 to the pot in 2009, and an undisclosed amount in 2011. In 2012, ESPN reported that former New Orleans Saints defensive assistant Mike Cerullo contacted the NFL regarding a bounty program after the 2009 postseason. [68], Goodell denied the appeals on April 9, meaning that Payton's suspension began as of April 16. We can joke about the recruiting-Ohtani part of Suzuki not being on Team Japan anymore, but in all seriousness, I just thought it was gonna be cool to watch Seiya playing on such a loaded team. 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. Nonetheless, it found the Saints organization as a whole guilty of conduct detrimental to the league as well due to Williams and the players' maintenance of the bounty pool, as well as Loomis and Payton's failure to act "in a responsible manner" to stop it. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much 3,000 @ggerould - 10:35 PM. "[46], On March 3, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that the NFL intended to hand down penalties before the owners' meeting in late March. [74] Goodell issued the suspensions as part of his power to sanction any "conduct detrimental to the integrity and public confidence in the NFL," a violation of Article 46 of the CBA. He also appeared to put a bounty on quarterback Alex Smith; according to Pamphilon, after Williams told his men to hit Smith in the chin, "then he rubs his thumb against his index and middle fingers the cash sign and says, I got the first one. Vilma, a linebacker who is still with the Saints, got suspended for a year, and teammate Smith, a defensive end, got a four-game suspension. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | This legendary status is probably why a team like the Dallas Cowboys would love to hire him sooner rather than later. [36], Several former Bills players subsequently told The Buffalo News of a similar system during Williams' tenure as Bills' head coach from 2001 to 2003. McCray hit Favre below the knees, briefly knocking Favre out of the game with an ankle injury. The quick version is that the New Orleans Saints were paying bounties to defensive players for causing injuries to members of the other team. Also Checkout: Kurt Warner super bowl wins, Be the first one to comment on this story. Go get it. "[87], Kevin Seifert, who blogs on the NFC North for ESPN.com, wrote that neither he nor most Vikings fans were surprised at the discovery of the bounty program. Players that faced suspensions included linebacker Jonathan Vilma, defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove, defensive end Will Smith and linebacker Scott Fujita. Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended by the NFL for the 2012 season for his role in the Saints bounty scandal, when he was the defensive coordinator there. However, Woodson felt that several parts of Williams' speechparticularly his calls to go after Crabtree's ACL and target Williams specifically because he had concussions in the pastwent too far. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Everybody got out there and pushed their information one way or the other and I didnt. Despite the controversy, Payton is still seen as one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time for what he has done with the New Orleans Saints. "After a grand slam by Moses and injury, SEU . Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White said that Bucs players bet on which player will have the biggest game, which reminded Saints fans of BountyGate. Multiple independent sources also confirmed that Vilma offered a specific bounty $10,000 in cash to any player who knocked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner out of the 2009 Divisional Playoff Game and later pledged the same amount to anyone who knocked Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game the following week, the statement said. On March 2, 2012, the NFL announced the findings of its investigation, saying that the players and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams pooled their money to pay out the bonuses over three seasons. The Rams were driving inside. Jack Willis has again left England's training camp early and is set to answer a back-row crisis for Toulouse, giving Steve Borthwick a sizeable selection headache before his side host France on . Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 seasonthe first time since Chuck Fairbanks in 1978 that a head coach had been suspended. [11], Favre's agent, Bus Cook, later said that he also felt the Saints were deliberately trying to knock Favre out of the game, and claimed that several hits on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner in the divisional round a week earlier crossed the line as well. It did, but monetary incentives for big hits and even injuries were and probably still is common place. Since the NFL unveiled its findings, Williams has been accused of running similar bounty programs during his coaching stints with the Titans, Redskins and Bills. According to the AP, the NFLPA has told the players involved in the case that they could face criminal charges and that the union has hired . At the same time there's a chance a guy's going to hit you, injuries happen, that's part of the game, that's why people are interested in it. While the NFL has punished general manager Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Peyton and former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the franchise itself, and could take action against some of the players involved, the culprits could also be liable for a number of different torts, including battery. Discovery Company. Williams is most notably known for being the Defensive Coordinator in New Orleans during the BountyGate scandal, where defensive players were given cash if they successfully injured the offensive . Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the entire 2012 season, DL Anthony Hargrove was suspended for eight games, Will Smith for four and Scott Fujita for three. Fujita, a linebacker with the Cleveland Browns, was suspended for three games while Hargrove, a defensive lineman now with the Green Bay Packers, got an eight-game suspension. "You have to be accountable and responsible in the NFL," Goodell said. . In the wake of the NFL BountyGate investigation involving the Saints, Rex Ryan denied that he has ever used bounties during his career. With an early 7-3 lead in their week 2 matchup against the St. Louis Rams, two Giants players both fell to the ground with injuries at nearly the exact same time. I take full responsibility for my role. The whole organization was fined $500,000, and they lost several draft picks. One of those interviewed, Junior Seau, bluntly said that such practices crossed the line into threatening a person's livelihood. His status will be reevaluated by commissioner Roger Goodell following the 2012 season. The league, in a written release, cited the players for their leadership roles in the bounty program, which paid players over the past three seaons for hits that injured opponents. In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Tarkenton wrote that he played against the likes of Mean Joe Greene, Ray Nitschke and Dick Butkus, and none of them even considered deliberately trying to hurt him. Being the first NFL coach to ever be suspended for any reason, some believe Home Team glosses over the controversial Bountygate scandal too lightly. The Saints appear to have injured far fewer players over the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. On March 30, Payton, Vitt and Loomis appealed their suspensions, and the Saints also appealed the fine and loss of draft picks. [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. "Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with the risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying, and categorically denied there was a bounty," Vilma said in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder. This provision is normally used to sanction off-field conduct. Sean Payton's reputation didn't suffer too much after Bountygate. It also contended that since the alleged conduct took place before the most recent CBA was signed in August, Goodell should have deferred to NFL special master Stephen Burbank in ruling on the players' actions. "[33], All four players appealed their suspensions. Rumors are circulating that Payton's retirement may be short-lived and that he may return to the game after sitting out for one year. I. Here's an explanation of "Bountygate," Payton's suspension and his brief youth football career that led to a Netflix biopic. [18][22][24][25], When Benson was informed of the league's findings, he called in Payton and Loomis and ordered the program shut down immediately. Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois announced he would invite Goodell and the heads of the other major American sports leagues to a hearing on bounty systems. He also believed that Goodell was going to use the scandal to "end the practice of bounty football forever," much like the penalties imposed against the Patriots after "Spygate" effectively ended the longstanding practice of illicit videotaping. I am truly sorry. Bountygate was alleged to have taken place from 2009 to 2011. 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 Saints appealed the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL upheld the suspensions. The data-driven answer is a resounding 'no.' [15] Cerullo was released after the 2009 postseason for poor performance and lying about personal leave according to the New Orleans Saints. [76], On July 26, 2012, Jonathan Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that Goodell got his facts wrong in the bounty scandal. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season. In NFL, non-contract bonuses are known as "bounties.". The Saints had . In May 2012, four current and former Saints players were suspended after being named as ringleaders in the scandal, with linebacker Jonathan Vilma also being suspended for the entire 2012 season. 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. Quarterback Jay Cutler was sacked six times, and nearly lost his voice when a Saints player kicked him in the throat. However, depending on the Saints' cooperation and that of the individuals involved, Goodell could restore the Saints' second-round pick in 2013 (though the Saints would still lose a lower-round pick), as well as reduce the fine on the Saints and restore Payton, Vitt and Loomis' lost pay. 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. Roger Goodell announces Wednesday that Saints coach Sean Payton will be suspended for the 2012 season due to his role in the team's Bountygate scandal. He is beloved by the city of New Orleans and will probably be a folk hero in that area for the rest of his life. [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." [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. The plotline begins in 2012, when Payton is suspended for the season by commissioner Roger Goodell for the Saints' bounty scandal, which gives Payton the chance to re-assess his life and put it in . 2012 season but the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation this provision normally. ], all four players appealed their suspensions, Loomis and Vitt, but NFL... Hits and even injuries were and probably still is common place step down as the New Saints! A Saints player kicked him in the wake of the 2012 season the pot in 2009, and undisclosed. Players that faced suspensions included linebacker Jonathan vilma, defensive end Will Smith and linebacker Scott Fujita Loomis Vitt... All four players appealed their suspensions members of the game with an injury... 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