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On Wednesday we noted that Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove received the second-harshest penalty among the four players suspended in the NFL's investigation of the New Orleans Saints' bounty program. In a news release, the league said Hargrove "actively obstructed" the league's original investigation in 2010 by "being untruthful to investigators."

On Thursday, an attorney hired by the NFL to provide independent analysis of the investigation revealed a surprising nugget. Namely: In his signed declaration, Hargrove said he had been instructed to lie by a party the attorney refused to name. Here is what attorney Mary Joe White said in a media conference call on that topic: "In [the declaration], he acknowledges the nature of the program and his participation in it. And, which was really the thrust of the declaration, that he was told to lie about it and he did when he was asked about it in 2010 by the NFL investigators."




Hargrove When asked if Hargrove revealed who advised him to lie, White said: "He did, but I don’t think it is appropriate to reveal that."

From the top, I'll say that every man must own his words. However it came to be, a lie is a lie and Hargrove told one. But I do think this revelation provides some important context for understanding why Hargrove acted in a way that was ultimately responsible for the severity of his eight-game suspension.

At the time of his 2010 discussion with the NFL, Hargrove had just wrapped up his first season after returning from a league suspension. The Saints were one of only a few teams that had expressed any interest in him, and with his contract expiring, Hargrove was hoping the Saints would offer him a new deal to return.

Hargrove likely would have severed his ties with the Saints organization and probably submarined his career if he had admitted anything in 2010 that would have implicated the Saints. He had a tough choice to make with potentially destructive consequences in either direction. I don't know who instructed him to lie, but conspiracy theorists could run wild given what we already know about the lying that went on during this investigation.

Again, Hargrove must take ultimate responsibility for lying. But there are a lot of layers left to be pulled back here, and the question of who instructed Anthony Hargrove to deny the existence of a bounty program is one of them.

NFL attorney: Hargrove was told to lie - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

Saintwho

he was obviously told to lie by Goodell about being part of something that did not exist and that would be a pay to injur or bounty program.

Srgt. Hulka

Well, there's ANOTHER son of a ***** I'd like to kick as hard as I can in the nuts!

Beastmode

Either bring forth evidence or shutup. That's what this whole thing comes down to in the end. If you can't do that then you can't prove anything.
It would be like telling a state trooper my buddy has a dead body in the trunk and him being arrested when in fact there never was a dead body in his trunk to begin with.

SmashMouth

Let me help ya.

NOLA54

He said, she said, they said, a person who can not be named, this one lied, that one lied & so on & so forth...Blah..Blah,Blah,Blah. First of all mary jo white is not a labor attorney. Sworn statements are not proof.
All of these signed statements and faceless & nameless accusers will be subpoenaed to appear before a Judge once this gets to the legal system.
It is unlikely to be settled at Goodell's level. Both Vilma & Smith are adimitally denying the charges. Why would they stick their necks out that far if they are not telling the truth. What? did someone pick up a comment on an open sideline mic? Perhaps something like, "that was a money hit!" or "a chaching interception" These are terms you can probably hear on any NFL sideline. In this day and age where everything you say or do can be instantly turned in a youtube video, why would any of these players say something that sounds increminating.

Ashley

So now here we go, let's pile on.

ScottF

So, again, a player is being suspended for a lie, not a bounty.
STILL not a shread of evidence that anyone was hit, or any Saint was paid.

That sanctimonious little b**** RG can preach player safety, but the reality is that we wouldn't kiss his ring and are now feeling the repercussions

Rugby Saint II

"I can not tell a lie.....I chopped down Favre's knee."

QBREES9

I just shake my head.