USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

By: Tanya Ray Fox| (10/03/2018 3:38pm CST)

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has mismanaged the disciplinary aspect of his job so egregiously over the last handful of seasons that BountyGate, news of which broke just six-and-a-half years ago, feels like it happened in an entirely different era.

The New Orleans Saints found themselves embroiled in the national scandal early in 2012 when the league alleged that their defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, had been running a bounty program in which players were rewarded financially for injuring opposing players in game. Per their investigation, the bounty system was in operation for the three seasons from 2009 to 2011 — the most successful stretch in franchise history.

Perhaps most damning was their conclusion that head coach Sean Payton had known about the bounties and had subsequently tried to cover it up once the NFL found out. For his role in allowing the payments, and his insubordination after the fact, Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season.

He recently sat down for an interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger to discuss the fallout from what he insists was a rigged investigation.

“One of the things that we’ve seen, and it’s just the truth, our league’s no different than a large political party,” said Payton. “They’re experts at pushing their message through the media. Look, it was in full force — ‘it’ meaning the league, the machine, in pushing their message out early.”

Payton continue to deflect, talking in circles after Bensinger asked him about his reaction to the report that he’d led a cover up.

“It was brutal. It was such a rigged – I can’t even begin to tell you,” Payton said. “The more and more people looked at it and the more and more people looked at where the information came from, you know the disgruntled Saints employee who happened to miss two weeks of work and never reported to any of us where he was, that we knew we were firing at the end of the season. The disgruntled employee who happens to work for the league now, like just got hired last year. And we get wind from former league employees saying that this was a deal done.”

Despite his implication that an angry former staffer had fed the league false information, Payton did admit that the team bore some blame for how they reacted to the ordeal.

“And the Saints, we knew better too. We’ve done a lot of things well, but as an organization we didn’t handle that investigation very well at all.”

Payton went on to acknowledge his anger after finding out he’d been suspended, and he claimed that former Saints owner, the late Tom Benson, told him that two NFL team owners had called to lobby for the head coach to be fired.

“When you say a year and you’re not able to talk to any other coach, and you’re not able to talk to any other player, and you know that the league office actually contacted two other owners to talk to Mr. Benson about finding a way to have you fired – like, they are trying to break you.

I just know that the late Mr. Benson to his credit came to me and said ‘I’ve just gotten two calls from two other league owners’ and I knew that came from the league office. I remember coming back that year and being at the owners meetings.”

While Payton doesn’t name the owners, the league’s report included details on how many players were allegedly involved in target hits over the years, and specific opposing players who were targeted — a list that multiple quarterbacks, notably Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Matt Hasselbeck.

Since BountyGate, Goodell and the NFL have been caught covering up the Ray Rice domestic violence video and have been lambasted for allowing Greg Hardy to play despite hard evidence that he’d violently assaulted his girlfriend. They forced the Patriots to endure the years-long DeflateGate saga, issuing historic sanctions just to make a point about cooperating with league investigations. They also successfully blackballed Colin Kaepernick while he was still in his physical prime just because he peacefully protested police brutality during the national anthem.

All of this is to say that while Payton is quite evasive and unwilling to take much responsibility for the whole affair, the league’s credibility when it comes to disciplinary action BountyGate is practically non-existent.

You can watch his full interview with Graham Bensinger below.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

All based upon some claims by that "disgruntled" employee. We all know who that piece of **** was that made that **** up. right?

Payton said it right.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Well of course other owners wanted him gone! Jealous they didn’t have him as theirs and/or they feared playing against him!


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Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Anyone want to bet that Arthur Blank was one of them?

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

I have a real good image of him walking up to those two owners and thanking them for their support. Bah hahaha

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Well that wasn’t very bright Sean. No way the league lets us win the Super Bowl now. Watch the flags start flying and the no-calls become egregious.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Zero doubt whatsoever he was one. I can't stand that guy and part of it is because Home Depot apparently can not afford to give Veterans a 10% discount like Lowes. So guess where I don't shop anymore.

And if I took a stab at who the other one was, I would say John Mara.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Lowes all the way here too, for years.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Hate they had to mention Kaperdick in the same article.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Blank and Jerry Jones guaranteed

Jones would have been on the phone calling for him to be fired and would have signed him up months later

Its the main reason i had no sympathy for Jones in his battles in the past few months. The guy was happy to sit back and back Goodell through all the past league attacks on the Saints and Pats but the second he went after Zeke Jerry threw his doll out the pram and wanted the normal special treatment that the Cowboys,Giants have benefitted from for year

Better stop before said rant starts to turn into a foul mouthed tirade

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

See above

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Now that you said that..makes perfect sense that an owner of a team, with a fan base of bunch of whiny little pussies, would do that. So maybe then he could go pass out tissues to everyone in the stands and tell them everything will be better now. Seems like a no brainer now.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Just thought I'd check your spelling...

:banana:

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

That was a pretty ridiculous & harsh penalty on Coach Sean Payton. I mean he was not able to speak to basically anyone for a year. A year?

Sean was right ... they tried to break him but failed.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

One of us needs to step up catch the Coach at one of his swinging dance parties. Offer to buy him a new drink called Juicy Fruit. He wont be able to resist this and make sure you keep his glass filled up. After a while he will be singing like a Jaybird. Ask him who the two Bastards were that tried to get him out. Oh and don't forget to tell us who they are.......

In case the Bartender doesn't know the drink.
Juicy Fruit-Ingredients
3/4 oz vodka
1/2 oz peach schnapps
1/2 oz banana liqueur
3 oz pineapple juice
Lime slice, for garnish
Steps:
Fill cocktail shaker with ice; add all ingredients (except garnish).
Shake well; strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
Garnish with a lime slice.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

This might explain while Payton seemed to be less intense for those first couple of years after his suspension. It's good to see that the swagger and intensity is back, especialy the last 2 years.

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Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Any time one of these talking heads jerks starts spouting off about the Saints wasting Drew Brees' career, needs to be reminded of this BS. If anything, I blame roger goodell for it. Said it then and I will say it now, that was virtually a death sentence.

Screw Goodell.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

I loved this article until they mentioned Kaeperdick(yes, I stole it). Karma is really going to hit Godhell hard! This will not end well.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

They do give a 10% discount for military.
Just show ID.
Oddly though, I went to buy some fence boards yesterday and was told that there is no discount on them.
I went to Lowes instead.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

I really doubt it was Blank- just not his style. He really is a fan-friendly owner who actually lives in the community- not a guy who jets in for games and just cashes the checks.

Jones and Mara are good choices, and maybe Krafy or Hunt. Blank isn't as involved with league dealings, and quite frankly, I don't think he has enough competitive spirit to do it.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

I think it varies by who is working when you are there, so for that, I just go to Lowes and not get aggravated.

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Thinking back......I just want to puke!

Re: USA Today/Saints Wire: Sean Payton says two NFL owners lobbied for him to be fired after BountyGate
 

Serious Ethics Question with the NFL's hiring of Mike Cerullo - but to whom are they accountable other than owners seeking non-irrupted revenue streams?...