xan

There's no dispute on the fund itself, just the conditions of payout. It would be dishonest to label the pool an "injury bounty pool" if that were, in fact NOT a condition of participation. So far, no evidence has been presented on the injury side, just the "play of the game" side.

Just because some pundit makes an inference based on NO INFORMATION OR FACT, simply because the term "bounty" has been used, doesn't make the situation illegal or immoral.

Rugby Saint II

If only it were a salary cap violation?

Euphoria

LOL XAN, you are taking the denial approach still?

Yes there is evidence they have e-mails even of details about it and documents. As well as players and coaches accepting the blame for it. It indeed happened, my friend.

The only question anyone really has is who accepted money's for someone getting hurt. I don't think there was anyone who collected a reward for that. I mean there was no principal player hurt / I should clarify, 'taken out of a game' or by cart. Except for Warner who left the game but returned.

Also the fact that no one is denying that Vilma went into the locker room with 10K to take out Farve. Just that alone is a violation of the rule.

E U P H O R I A

xan

All I'm saying is let's see what the evidence is. I have no reason to believe or not believe. I've scanned for 4 days looking for "facts" and all that I've seen is the NFL's preliminary statement. If it were conclusive and irrefutable, then punishment would have been meted already. Since punishment has not, then there is clearly some dispute of fact.

I think that the NFL actually got the tapes of the Patriots cheating. If you're going to impose that scale of punishment on the Saints, the staff and the players, then I'd like to see that level of evidence presented. Even then, it would be necessary to correlate the program to illegal hits intentionally inflicted outside the rules of the game and whether there was statistically any more of those incidents relative to other teams and players.

This is not a black and gold problem. These guys are already rewarded for violence and mayhem inflicted on opponents. It's celebrated daily on every sports channel, even lionized by peers. In order to mete severe punishment, there has to be clear relationship between the "bounty" program and illicit play. Existence of the program, while not within NFL policy, does not straightline into immoral behavior, given the context of the game itself.

Obviously there should be consequences. I am in favor of appropriate punishment relative to the actual infractions, not the imaginings of the hypocritically offended followers of the NFL.

Calvin: "I wish I was a Tiger."
Hobbes: "Common lament."

Supertek

Like to listen to Bobby H. and he was saying and I agree the league would more or less look at it as an incentive for a competitive advantage. A violation of NFL rules. Either way safe to say that Williams will probably be suspended for a year so glad he is already gone. We could see Payton, Loomis or both having to sit out. For me Loomis is no big deal he could stay in the office and never be on the field anyway. Coach has a great offensive mind and this is where Brees running this would be the key to maintaining until he got back. At any rate lets have the verdict so this can be put behind us we know it is comming.