In a straight up game that year, the Saints would have lost. It wasn’t just the bounties. It was the ref’s also.(Bought and paid for). The Saint knew it other wise the bounties wouldn’t been called for. The Vikings were strong in the playoffs. Loseing games in the regular season doesn’t count. The playoffs are different. It was the most noteable game of causalty and should lose a pick for each year continued. 3 picks including a 1st. And time off to reflect and go over ethics rules. A fine always makes you pay attention better. The new theme should be. “Who Da Wasn’t”.

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And there were several calls that weren’t called on the Vikes, including Jared Allen piledriving Brees into the turf. A call that *was* made against the Saints earlier in the night. But keep crying. The tears taste better when aged.

Saints – 1
Vikings – 0

Bounties didn’t change who the better team was. They didn’t give the Saints an additional man on the field (though I guess the Vikes thought that entitled them to 12?). You lost because of turnovers.

And even if you beat the Saints, Peyton Manning was waiting. Quit acting like beating the Saints = guaranteed Lombardi. The Saints earned it. The Vikes still haven’t.

Well obviously there wasn’t sufficient evidence if there was no investigation. Okay, I respect you defending your team. Your obviously a Saints fan in defense mode. However, no matter the situation, the Ravens aren’t in the same situation that the Saints currently got themselves into. I can’t stand New England, but they were stripped of their first round draft pick over Spygate. Bountygate is probably twice as bad, with notable players like Vilma admitting to throwing 10grand reward on a table to the player that injures the QB. It’s a fair penalty. It would be unjust to penalize the patriots and not the saints. I’m no saints hater, I only HATE the Steelers. Vikings fans have a right to be upset, but the past is the past. It wasn’t on all of the Saints players that year, they put on a hell of a season and earned their Super Bowl. However, this situation needs to be addressed and I believe the forfeit of the first round pick is satisfactory. I would say the same if the Ravens were in the same pickle now. Same for the Steelers, Bengals, Eagles, Cardinals, it doesn’t matter, your team messed up and now the saints must take responsibility for their actions.

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I’m fine with punishing the Saints, even though I’m a fan. They broke the rules *and* there’s apparently either evidence, witnesses, or both. My only problem is with all the sanctimonious, holier-than-thou pontificating going on by fans and the media. Bounties have been around for a loooooong time so the feign outrage over it is ridiculous. Especially when former NFL players write books with stories of bounties, when former *and* current NFL players take pride in what non-penalized acts go on in the pile, and when other teams have committed similar acts (regardless of whether there was evidence).

The NFL and their broadcasts (whether it’s on NBC, FOX, CBS, ESPN, or NFLN) celebrate big knock-out hits, both legal and illegal and they also celebrate NFL history, which includes teams like the 70s-80s Raiders and other notorious figures such as Ronnie Lott. Ronnie Lott would be banned for life if he played today yet he’s a celebrated HOFer (and rightfully so).

When Spygate hit, everyone jumped on their soapbox to condemn the Pats. And then we found out multiple teams were doing the EXACT SAME THING and Jimmy Johnson even admitted on FOX to doing it himself in 1989 and was taught how to do it by a Kansas City scout.

I have zero problem with punishing any team, even my favorite, for breaking the rules. But I’m tired of everyone else hopping on their pedestal to condemn them when there are many other offenders who simply haven’t been caught. The same thing happened with Spygate and it happens every time there’s a tampering claim and when any other rule is broken. It’s ridiculous, but we as a people just love any opportunity to judge others and to be outraged.

George Halas and Lamar Hunt were the pioneers of what so many in this thread term “cheating” and they’re both honored members of the Hall of Fame.

Heck, they name the AFC Championship Trophy after Hunt.

I actually suspect that a great many coaches, teams and players have had various forms of bounty/incentives now and throughout the NFL history. Like filming play calling every team does it.

It’s just fun to watch Goodell base his punishment not on reality but on how the perceived perception of what is and always has been is received.

You can take all their draft picks, you can add an asterisk, it still won’t change two facts:

1. The Saints have a Lombardi trophy.
2. The Vikings don’t.

First of all, watch your disrespectful mouth when you talk about Ray Lewis. Second of all, I was talking about OZZIE NEWSOME AND JOHN HARBAUGH. Also, your talking about Terrell Suggs, the 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the year. Yeah he may have said that, but wasn’t it Brady Quinn who intentionally took a shot at Suggs’ knee the same year? Once again, I was talking about our ORGANIZATION. Go somewhere else with that hate, sit down.
RAVENS NATION

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Exactly. Newsome and Harbaugh are in charge of the ORGANIZATION yet they did nothing to circumvent the bounty their players put out on other players. I don’t know if Quinn did that, but then I’m not condemning one team/player while defending others for the same behavior.

Truth be told, I like the Ravens. Ray Lewis is one of my favorite players for not only being a HOF-level player for his entire career, but doing it all for one team *and* being their emotional leader for over 15 years. But it’s ridiculous for you to bash the Saints about bounties when the Ravens had a very public issue with one a few years ago. The Ravens were lucky there wasn’t any substantial evidence, if the NFL investigated at all.

Viking fans, how many draft picks do you think a Lombardi Trophy is worth?

The penalty to the Saints should be no less.

Forfeit the first round draft pick. Though im a Ravens fan, im very disappointed in the Saints organization. Im remarkably glad the Ravens Nation has Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh on our side, a quality organization.

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This the same organization that employs Terrell Suggs, who in 2008 admitted on a radio show they put out a bounty on both Hines Ward and Rashard Mendenhall? And who also employs Ray Lewis, who after injuring Mendenhall in that game, gloated about it to Sports Illustrated? Just checking.

I read one fool who said this isn’t as bad as Spygate. Wrong. It’s much, much worse and needs to be dealt with as such. This goes for the Redskins and the Saints. The time to make an example for the rest of the league is now.

$0.02,

–Z

6burghgirl says:
Mar 3, 2012 7:44 PM
To all of you who consistenly call the Steelers ‘cheaters’, I suggest you rethink who you accuse of cheating. Cheating is not a call that you think is bad, cheating is not winning the game in the last seconds, cheating is not playing hard football.

Cheating is Spygate and Cheating is Bounty-hunting. Cheating is HAVING to do those things to win.

Don’t do anything to the Saints. Let Karma take care of it ~ right Brady-Boy?

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Cheating=steroids=Steelers. Clear enough for ya?

Shut up about the Steelers.. First of all NOBODY CARES Second This article has nothing to do with your team.. the only people who find the Steelers interesting live in pittsburgh.

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Actually, most of them have moved away because Pittsburgh is a cesspool. This is why there are so many terrible towels on the road.