The same NFL brass who will punish the Saints for their behavior will, in the next instance, happily market the violent hits that have fueled the NFL's popularity and turned it into a billion-dollar empire.

Some of the fans who are calling the Saints "dirty" are the same ones who replay vicious hits on YouTube or complain about referees' subjectivity in assessing penalties for such hits.

If you have chastised the NFL for being soft or pouted about defensive players being unable to graze the quarterback without warranting a personal foul, how can you even criticize the Saints with a straight face?