Nice article with some fresh perspectives, but like everyone else that has covered this issue, the writer focuses on the overly-harsh and historic nature of the suspensions, but completely fails to discuss how Goodell's true colors, vindictiveness and lack of appreciation for Saints fans are displayed by the docked draft choices. Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime?? If so, what do draft choices have to do with bounties (even if they did exist)????


Williams set this up: he’s suspended. Payton, Loomis, Vitt let it go on and lied: suspended. Why should the Commissioner hurt the on-field future of the team for past actions when he’s already penalized…very harshly…those who did the dirty deeds? There’s at least 35 other players on that team that weren’t involved, so why penalize them…or the fans (who still have to pay full price for their tickets) by taking away draft picks and potentially hurting the team’s future performance? Affecting the competitive balance of the league is WAY BEYOND what a Commissioner should be able to do.

It’s like a high school suspending your kid for bad behavior and trying to garnish the parent’s future wages.

Should a Commissioner have the right to affect a team’s future performance for past actions AFTER he’s already penalized those responsible? Doesn’t it reflect that his motives go beyond punishing those responsible and toward ensuring the team is not as successful moving forward? And isn’t that a rather dangerous precedent??