Full statement from the NFL on the Saints 'bounty' program
 

A lengthy investigation by the NFL’s security department has disclosed that between 22 and 27 defensive players on the New Orleans Saints, as well as at least one assistant coach, maintained a “bounty” program funded primarily by players in violation of NFL rules during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons, the NFL announced today.

The league’s investigation determined that this improper “Pay for Performance” program included “bounty” payments to players for inflicting injuries on opposing players that would result in them being removed from a game.

The findings – corroborated by multiple independent sources – have been presented to Commissioner Roger Goodell, who will determine the appropriate discipline for the violation.

“The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for ‘performance,’ but also for injuring opposing players,” Commissioner Goodell said. “The bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity.

“It is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated. We have made significant progress in changing the culture with respect to player safety and we are not going to relent. We have more work to do and we will do it.”

Full article.
The full statement from the league on the Saints

Good lookin out 656!

I don't know if I want to or could understand what i'm gonna read.

Ok, but the investigation still has yet to show if any Saints players actually collected from the program for any 'knockout' or 'cart-off' hits.

Everyone understands pay-for-performance in the NFL is wrong, but was anybody ever actually taken out of the game because of a 'bounty' hit by the Saints?

I'm sure players received payments for fumble recoverys, interceptions, tackles, et ... every team does it, but to keep emphasizing intent to injure without citing the examples of it is inflammatory, IMO.

Seems to me the league office is more worried about the fact "Non-contract Bonus Payments" were made.

5. Although head coach Sean Payton was not a direct participant in the funding or administration of the program, he was aware of the allegations, did not make any detailed inquiry or otherwise seek to learn the facts, and failed to stop the bounty program. He never instructed his assistant coaches or players that a bounty program was improper and could not continue.

How can you prove this?
Only if ALL of the asst Coaches AND Sean Payton admitted that this was the case. One "Fly in the Ointment" kills this assertion!

I do believe that this junk happened but, HOW DO YOU HAVE AN AIRTIGHT CASE? The assumption of guilt by Goodell is enough in this case......

"Commissioner Goodell also advised the Saints that he is retaining jurisdiction and reserving his authority to impose further discipline if additional information comes to his attention."

And what if it turns out these accusations were overblown. Can he reserve his authority to reverse discipline? Doubt he'd ever do that...

The NFL's statement translated in English:

A rat with some grudge against the Saints organization went to the NFL office and told his side of the story, the NFL believed every word. They then used trumped up terminology to make their findings seem more legit.

Look, I'm not saying some of this stuff happened but I doubt that everything mentioned in the 50,000 page investigation is true. I just think if you're going to throw an organization under the bus you have to release more than just a vague statement. Show me some video, receipts, audio tapes with proof.

Dam were in trouble.

I think we are in big trouble. This is going to sting for a long time.

Yes Mr. Goodell, but the Saints were incapable of delivering those hits and in fact did not deliver those hits and therefore the bounties that you speak of were never paid because they were never earned so how is a bounty system possible when the players never actually got said bounties because they were incapable of actually making those types of plays?? Nor did they make those kinds of plays.

But SloMotion, it doesn't matter if anyone collected from the program or not. As bad as our defense has been the last couple of years, I doubt that anyone did collect. But the fact that money was on the table is what's wrong. I think this is not going away just because players didn't collect. This is going to be around and will be hurting us for a long time.

This whole situation reminds me of watching the Saints in the 90s. *Leading through the first half* "Man we are doing really great, now how are we gonna screw this up" *3 4th Quarter INTs and a safety later* "Yep, that's about right"

Roger Goodell is slowly changing the game to flag football.

That isn't a fair comment for this situation.

You don't pay a player to hurt another player... you pay them to play football.

I think its pretty easy to figure out who got paid for the knock outs are carted off bonus'...

No one.

There were not player taken out or carted off during these games. Close calls but most of the hits to them were legal hits.

However just because a player didn't get the money doesn't ok the situation.

You sure do, get back to work....

Locker Room conversation:

Player 1: Alright, big hits, you get $500 for lighting someone up on film. You get an extra G if they don't come back into the game

Player 2: If they get hurt?

Player 1: Nah, just out of the game

Player 2: What if they need the cart?

Player 1: Yeah, no bonus if they get the cart

Player 3: But hey, I knocked him out didn't I? If I hit him hard and he needs the cart, that ain't my fault, especially if it's clean...

Player 1: Fine...you get a G for knocking someone out, but you only get half if they need the cart. Now money in the hat! Le' go!

Yeah, I understand that just because the program was in place is a violation, but what I'm trying to grasp is the seriousness of the allegations if nobody was ever actually 'carted off' or 'knocked out'. It can't be an assault/battery type thing, more of a non-contractual bonus payments type thing.

I'm not thinking it's going away and realize it will hurt for some time, I'm just thinking the Saints are getting fried by the media for something (cart-off/knocked-out) that basically never happened. The payments did, the incentive program did, but the injuries or payment for injuries, did not.

It's like being convicted for thinking about committing a crime without actually doing it.

.... I got a headache ....

Or being convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime...which usually carries the same penalties as the crime itself...

... that sucks, didn't know they could do that. Guess I don't hang around enough lawbreakers, :lol: .... j/k.