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.

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...