He apologized for pay for play or performance. Neither he, nor Payton, nor Loomis said anything about paying for injuries. It is explicitly against the rules to pay for sacks or picks or fumbles and the players were admittedly doing that amongst themselves. That's what the apologizes were for.

He also admitted that he himself provided funds into that pool and supervised it to some extent.

Stevie Johnson admitted pay for performance being done w/the Bills while he was on the Jim Rome show. Every team does it. Who knows what the extent it was with the Saints. The only thing that will haunt the team is that it was brought to their attention in 2009 and obviously still an issue up to 2011... This whole thing is being blown way further than it should have ever gotten, especially with Manning being able to be the headline during the off season...

This is true. Nobody is denying the fact that there was pay for performance going on. That is not what people are butchering the Saints over. Nobody cares about that. They are up in arms over paying to intentionally going out to injure players which this story points out was NOT going on at all in 2011 when the claims were that it was. Where's the proof that it ever even happened?

Maybe there's a reason to judge slowly?

Hmmm.

Bet there's more info that's not surfaced. And who'dathunk that?

Chill pills for everyone.

Stick that in your pipe Goddell and smoke it

Unless the NFL has a video Benson has a strong case in Federal court. Even if they do have a video it's likely illegal. I'm no lawyer but this he said she said stuff doesn't hold much weight. The 50K pages are not all on the Saints either. The Saints could generate 50K pages saying they didn't...it means nothing without irrefutable evidence. If it did go this route Benson could then go after the media because I know I've heard several reporters leave out the "alleged" word. This is much different than Spygate. The NFL confiscated years of illegal footage from the Pats. Goodell must have finally got a hold of some hard evidence is the only reason I think this is finally coming out.

I agree but if you remember the statement the NFL released, they specifically mentioned the words; "bounty," "cart off," and "knockout." These were the words that had everyone in the media going crazy. The NFL is all about player safety these days and these words go against that theory. If it is found that the bounty claims were false, our penalty very well could be much lighter. We all know that some punishment is going to occur, but with more people coming out and claiming "bounties" didn't exist, the more likely our punishment won't be as severe.

I know the Saints and Gregg Williams have come out and apologized but if it's only for "pay for performance" I think the organization doesn't come out looking as bad and we'll be able to move on quicker.

Honestly, if the initial NFL statement had only claimed a "pay for performance" system took place this story NEVER would have taken off like it did. The more people denying bounties, the better we look and the lighter our punishment will be.

Either that or he sh*t his pants at the prospect of adding a blockbuster trophy to his Pansy Football League wall of shame.

It's about time something went our way.