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Bradley Handwerger / WWLTV.com Sports Reporter
Email: bhandwerger@wwltv.com | Twitter: @wwltvsports

Opinion/Analysis

Arrogance, in part, brought down the Roman Empire, one that had spread itself over miles of land and sea for years upon years.

Today, we found out that arrogance can still cut through an empire.

The Saints have fallen, knifed at the head by the ruler of an empire even bigger than the one that had been building on Airline Drive.

Commissioner Roger Goodell’s powerful message to the Saints – and the rest of the NFL – is that you don’t cross him or the league’s shield.

As you’ve likely heard over and again by now, it’s never the crime. It’s always the cover up.

And with the Saints, it was lying to Goodell, covering up knowledge of the program time and again, that sliced the franchise apart.

The pay-for-performance program was certainly bad enough.

Goodell’s biggest project during his tenure is making a violent game less so (be it because of lawsuits or any other reason) and the bounties fly in the face of player safety.

The bounties alone would have carried a stiff penalty.

Yet, by repeatedly telling NFL investigators that the program wasn’t real, that they didn’t know anything about it, Goodell was left with no other option.

Are his penalties a bit vindictive? Possibly.

But do they make a point? Absolutely – don’t foster a bounty program and don’t lie about it when confronted.

Full read.
Handwerger: Lying, arrogance brought stiffer penalties than the bounty program | wwltv.com New Orleans

QBREES9

As you’ve likely heard over and again by now, it’s never the crime. It’s always the cover up.

Thats the truth. The bigger the lie, the worse the pentaltie. DUMB !

SaintsBro

People need to open their eyes a bit and get it into their heads -- in my opinion the penalties on Payton have <this much> (little pinch of the fingers) to do with the pay for performance program, and <THIS MUCH> (arms wide apart) to do with WHO SEAN PAYTON IS, and with Payton being close friends with Michael Ornstein, who is a person that the league especially does not like...

There is a grudge against Michael Ornstein going all the way back to the days of the Raiders and Al Davis. Remember that 1984 Super Bowl where the Raiders weren't supposed to win, they ran up the score, and Pete Rozelle did not want to hand Al Davis that trophy, he was physically uncomfortable handing it over after the game. Didn't want it to happen.

The Saints Super Bowl was another one they didn't want to happen, it was "supposed to be" Favre vs Manning, the QB showdown of the decade. THAT'S when they first investigated the bounties, and THAT'S when they changed the freaking playoff overtime rules, it was all after the fact, because the Saints and Payton were NOT "supposed" to win that game or the Super Bowl.

By suspending Payton for a year, they are trying to force Benson to fire him as coach -- Goodell and the league want to be rid of Sean Payton. They don't like him or the kind of rule-bending, old-school football organization that Payton (and Michael Ornstein) kinda represents.

That's why the penalty on Payton was so high -- it's not just for what happened here, but because they COULDN'T nail Payton on a bunch of earlier stuff -- and if you follow the rumors, you will realize the league and Goodell have been gunning to get Sean Payton and the Saints for a LONG TIME NOW.

This suspension was also about who Sean Payton's friends were, especially Michael Ornstein. Who is a person the league wants to wash their hands of, but for whatever reason, Sean Payton kept him around.

Being friends with Michael Ornstein was probably a poor decision on Payton's part, but the man (Ornstein) had a way of getting results. He was the man who got the crunk song played after touchdowns at the Super Bowl! Do you think the league liked that going out over the PA? Of course they didn't.

You can talk a lot about how Goodell wants the QBs to wear tutus and they want it to be flag football now, ballerina football, and that's part of it, yeah.

But what the REALITY is, is that the league wants there to never EVER again be an Al Davis type of person, who they can't control -- coach, owner, or even player, they don't want a fly in the ointment who does things his own way, the old way, and who criticizes them or shows the league up. That's why they went after James Harrison with the fines, it was because he clearly doesn't care about the guys in suits, and he shows them up by still playing his vision of tough football.

That's what the ridiculous YEAR SUSPENSION means. It makes NO SENSE as a penalty for the "bountygate," but it makes PERFECT SENSE as a penalty if you view it as, "we don't like this Payton guy, so we're gonna get him now for all this other stuff we couldn't nail him for earlier. "

Marlboro Man

Kinda like what's going on in Washington these days.

NOLA54

I firmly believe there is a grudge against our team ever since we went to the super bowl. I'm not sold on the "arrongance" angle being the reason for the severe penalty. I'm certain they could have figured out they would be penalized. There is more to this than we will ever know. There are some headhunters out there trying to destroy our team.

Rugby Saint II

Thou shalt not tell a lie......