What would the NFL do if..
 

Saints Fans put bounties on opposing players, and advertised those bounties? There wouldn't have to be an award, just some sort of fan memorialization in the Dome, in clear sight of the opposing bench.

Would they kick fans out? Would they "secret police" them - take season tickets away, threaten prosecution? Petition the Feds for a suspension of Habeus Corpus, throwing the suspects into a cell in Guantanamo? How would they stop this?

Goodell officially declared war on Saints football and its fanbase. The nature of the punishment went entirely to justifying an extreme and tenuous "moral" position of intent to harm in a game where every interaction between opposing players is an intent to harm.

G504 noted in another thread that severe punishments have done nothing to deter the "crimes", just caused them to mutate. Revolution usually occurs when the punishment appears to arbitrary and severe, designed to subordinate one class in a way where remediation is not possible.

If the fanbase fights back, then what?

Not if dude, WHEN!!! We will have our say, and that Dome will be buzzing!!!

Very nicely put, Xan! Excellent post.

Alaska

If fans did something that arguably put players in danger, then the consequences might be similar to the 2001 MNF game at the dome vs the Rams. Arrests, losing your tickets, etc are all possibilities. Not a cool idea but I understand everyone's frustration.

Back in the Millen-era, "Fire Millen" signs and other fan signage considered less then positive was banned, removed or taken at the gates of Lions home games. That policy remains in affect to this day. Probably the same would apply in this case ... but there has to be a way.

As long as it's not vulgar, it should be allowed. You can bet the Dome will have it's say ALL YEAR.

I like it.

Revolution !

I seem to recall a former 49er player placing a bounty on Drew's head during the playoffs. Where was the almighty Goodell then?!

The NFL wouldn't do anything. The Saints organisation would, though, because in spite of everything the ownership doesn't actually want to be the team they all hate. If posters are to be banned, if season tickets are to be suspended, it's the New Orleans Saints' office that would do it. (Taking down the "Fire Millen" posters was Lions' policy, not the League's.)

Of course, if any player actually took the money, he'd get a life ban.

Different. It was the 49'ers.

Fans having their say...hmmm, if it is not vulgar, made to cause a riot, chaos, etc., should be ok.
However, everyone, lets breathe.
Let Benson, LeBlanc run their toy.
Let those people , Spags, Jabari Greer, PC and the rest run their careers. Show your support. Buy game tickets. Buy foods and drinks at the SD and remember, our citizens work at the SD and not the NFL head honchos. Have parties at home and do some big spending when you go make groceries. Our term for grocery shopping, :-)
I trust the Saints Club.
Go Saints:bng:

We've been the team they all hate from the inception. The NFL never wanted to give us a franchise. Huey P. Long forced them to give us one for our vote on the anti-trust laws so the league could combine the AFL and the NFL. They have held us back for over 40 years because we forced them to give us a franchise and you're surprised by this???

I wonder what would happen if Benson came out and made a statement in the news something like this: Myself and the entire Saints organization would like to appologize to all of our fantastic fans for the recent actions against us by Commissioner Goodell for using a practice that has been part of the league since it's inception and we regret using that practice just as every team in the league has, when told to stop by the commissioner while allowing 31 other teams to continue with impunity.

Regretfully, the unheard of sanctions against our team in the form of excessive coaching suspensions and coming player suspensions as well as losses of draft choices harsher than those imposed on the New England Patriots for their indrescresions, we find that we are unable to field a complete and competitive football team for the 2012 season. We will hold our fans season ticket payments and those fans will receive new season tickets for the 2013 season or may request a full refund which will also make it even more impossible for us to field a team for the 2012 season as we would be unable to sign players and free agents to assemble enough players to put together the full compliment of players required to stock a franchise. We are terribly sorry for this inconvienience but the matter has been taken out of our hands by commissioner Goodell and the NFL. We will do everything possible to make sure that we will be able to field a full compliment of players for our team and it's great fans for the 2013 season.

Betcha Goodell would lose a lot of money and rep. over something like that. I know it won't happen but one can dream.:D

One can indeed dream, but this is a nightmare. If the Saints didn't field a team in 2012, the franchise would be withdrawn and there'd be a team in LA in 2013.

How about this:

On the first play of this coming season when the Saints are on defense...

The opponents walk to the line of scrimmage and every player on the field on the Saints "D" simply lays down flat on their backs...and all the coaches and players and ball boys and everybody else on the sideline does too...just lay down...

And Benson should make sure Sean has a seat right behind the Saints bench...not to communicate...just to make the NFL work hard enough to make sure he doesn't. For that matter they should clear the entire first row for him on home games so he can run up and down the 'sideline' and yell plays in from the stands just like any other fan. Muah hah hah haaaaaaaaa

WHen you're suspended you can't even go to the games.

I wonder how long it would take to find a look alike for Sean?

A seat and a season ticket at the 50, could be an option.

Really? I was not aware of this. Even as a 'civilian'? That doesn't sound right Euph. I mean, I know it's the NFL and it's 'different', but really?

The NFL wouldn't have to do anything. I'm pretty sure that the Saints organization would crack down on that because of how bad it would make the franchise look. The public statement released by the Saints organization makes it pretty clear that they want to get past this as quickly as possible. The last thing they'd want is fans mocking what happened on national television.

LMAO. You will see evidence of it all over that dome come September. Hide and watch. Save Payton and any number of other tshirts will be on display. The only way to stop that is to stop people from coming in.

... yeah, pretty sure 'no contact' with the team/organization includes not visiting team facilities or attending games. It's like that at all levels of sports, when you're banned, you're banned. Period.

It sucks, but you get up, dust yourself off, continue to march. If I were Payton, I'd arrange huge viewing parties with the fans at large venues somewhere. It'd be like a SuperBowl party every week!

The NFL really has the authority to prevent somebody from not attending a game? Seriously? That's effed up if you ask me.