I sort of leaning this way as well. I think this investigation uncovered more than they are willing to admit to.

Even every player I have seen on panels discussing this seem ignorant to the rule.

Panel after panel I have seen is that they all EVERYONE of them admitted to having a pool for play "incentive program" on the field which by rule even if its an INT or beheading someone its wrong and illegal according to the rule. So everyone in the NFL is guilty of breaking the rule. They skirt around the rule by saying "we players ran it in house within the players, ourselves". The only part that makes WIlliams part is that he was a coach running it not players and called for players being injured which I think morally is wrong.

Call it what it is... its an "incentive program". Notice most if not all the articles even the initial reporting from the NFL words it "BOUNTY". Which is negative but it really should be worded "incentive program"... which is still wrong.

So they are avoiding the bigger issue is the rule... and EVERYONE is in violation of it. So to start enforcing the rule is go after one team who really was in violation and then make everyone aware of the rule going forward but now I think its taking a life of its own now.

Its not an incentive program, its chump change side bets.

It doesn't change how anyone played their game.

The key thing about the punishment, and this is VERY IMPORTANT and almost no one is talking about it:

EVERYONE is saying that Benson is innocent in all this -- the league is saying it, Loomis and Payton have just said it, all the journalists agree that whatever is in this report, it's not on Benson. Therefore Goodell has to be very careful with dishing out his punishment. He can't just go crazy dishing out mad vengeance like Atillah The Hun. He CANNOT punish Tom Benson for something he is innocent of, and had no knowledge of, and he CANNOT punish the fans in the stands for something they are likewise innocent of. This means that whatever punishment Goodell doles out in this scandal, he cannot significantly impact the competitiveness of the Saints product on the field, or affect Benson's bottom line. Because everyone has been saying that Benson is INNOCENT. Think about it.

He can make the road harder for the Saints organization -- taking a draft pick is one way to do that -- but he can't possibly dismantle or implode the team so badly that the whole season craters and the FANS suffer! That is how the punishment for the Patriots for Spygate was designed, to make it harder but not impossible for them to win.

I think this is going to be fines, possibly big fines, for Payton and Loomis. I think the key players fingered (looking at you, Vilma) will be doled out lengthy suspensions/fines, as INDIVIDUALS. They may even stagger the suspensions to make them more manageable. And I think that when the spinner ultimately stops spinning, the dirty finger is going to end up pointing at GREGG WILLIAMS. They are reserving the right to keep investigating, and the Redskins are next.

I could see a situation where Williams is fined BIG TIME and suspended for so long (over a year) that he is forced to step down from the Rams early in the season (like right now, any day now) and the Rams can still get a new coordinator in there. Because Goodell also can't punish the Rams and their fans, who are also innocent. Just look at it rationally, that's how I see it all shaking down.

Agreed. How ever you or they , those players call it, incentives they made amoung themselves or the bounty pot with Coach GW, still wrong. We all agree on that.

I wish other teams like the Colts fans would read here what fans are saying. No one here has said that this was a nice, good thing to do. One pt. here for Saints ' fans being classy.
I might look in at Atlanta Fals fan page to see what they are saying. Most likely the same as the Colts.
Some of what Colts have said is just stupid. Recall SB win. Put * by N.O. SB. Fire SP from coaching in NFL.


I agree people and the media need to now calm down and look at the whole picture. GW, during his time at the Saints, Redskins, etc., will be made as a final example to end this . Players have said this thing has been a locker room secret for many teams.

Saints got mentioned and caught up in this. Thank goodness there is no proof to show how dangerous, brutal they were because , thank you God for working in mysterious ways, but the Saints defense has not been that good. Opposite really. Saints defense has looked asleep many games. No hustling for tackles. No big reach for tackles. It has seemed sometimes that if the opposing team , offense , did not come close to our defense, our defense wasn't going to go after them. Saints defense is not high in rank in the NFL. Saints offense is, up to now, one of your best in the NFL.

All this to say, I agree with Villian and others. GW will most likely get a fine. Cont. coaching there for his new team, St.L. Rams. NFL will do a clean swept of this so all teams will get the message . This will not be tolerated.
End of story.

Thank goodness Peyton Manning is all the news now and draft is coming up. All you need to take more media coverage off this is have Tebow do something .