Keep in mind, though, that the Saints engaged in a protracted web of lies to the Commish and his investigation team – and even involved directing others to conceal the truth.

It was a very elaborate scheme over a 3 year period with no end in sight. They had been playing the Commish like a fool for years – lying since 2010 and maybe earlier.

By contrast, another team may have used it for a portion of one season and immediately come clean when questioned about it.

BIG difference.

So if another team used a bounty system, yeah – it’s wrong and should merit punishment. But only if the transgressions are on par with New Orleans’ should it deserve the same punishment.

————————–

Oh shut up. Both of Roethlisberger’s “accusations” were clearly without merit. In the first case there are emails by the “victim” bragging to friends and co-workers about having slept with him. You can read them online. As for the 2nd case, the DA said publicly and on the record there was absolutely zero evidence of any kind that any crime had taken place, and that he had no hope of convincing any jury otherwise.

As for XL, Leavy said he regrets 2 calls…..in the 4th quarter. Neither of which affected the game. In fact, one of them was the “low block” call on Hasselbeck…….AFTER he had just thrown an INT. I can direct you to numerous photo sequences of uncalled holds by Seahawks players in that game.

Keep swinging for the fence. Maybe one day you’ll connect.

I keep seeing posters complaining about Goodell taking the physicality out of the NFL. I agree – he has gone too far in some cases.

However, this is not about “physical play,” it’s about a system designed to REWARD players for INJURING other players.

Not only is it against the rules, it goes against the entire concept of sportsmanship.

Not to mention the whole cover-up aspect.

Just saying…

“Reggie, you can’t put a bounty on a man’s head!”

“I just did”

And, yes, I am quite giddy about this.

Nobody had their career ended by the bounty system. Kurt Warner did not retire due to injury. Neither did Brett Favre. And please, criminals? Then why don’t the courts go after pro hockey players for assault when it comes to fighting? There is a clear distinction between sports and society as it pertains to violence.

And the monetary losses from fines and suspensions incurred by players for dirty hits are significantly greater than any cash reward a player might have received due to this bounty system.

Unreal how soft and passive this society has become.

This seriously wasn’t that bad, man. They didn’t cheat. They didn’t get penalized during the games. I don’t even think they got flagged for any of these “bounty hits”. They were all clean, hard hits. What is so bad about that?

The Saints defense was applauded for getting after Favre in that NFC title game. They were called aggresive, tenacious, and hardnosed. Now this comes out and all of those hits are suddenly dirty?

Now, if they had this bounty program and players were getting flagged for unnecessary roughness calls every other play, then that is a different issue. Then you have players actually breaking the rules to intentionally try and hurt a player. But, if a LB hits a QB cleanly with a hard hit and takes him out of the game, I don’t see anything wrong with that. Listen to old-school players like Deacon Jones and they will tell you that’s exactly how they played the game. It’s how it should be played.

—————-

This is true. What you see in the pro bowl every year is exactly where the NFL is headed. And that way Goodell can get the season to 18 games, and then 20 games, and then beyond. Thankfully the NFL will be taken down before then by a gambling scandal. Anybody who cares to really examine the money involved with the NFL and gambling would be unbelievably naive to believe it hasn’t permeated various levels of the NFL, from the league office down to the officiating ranks. Only a matter of time before it comes out, and before we find out about certain games being called in certain ways depending on the lines. I can’t wait for this to happen. And i’m going to take great enjoyment in watching the NFL and Roger Goodell burn.

In the meantime, MMA is growing more popular and some of us NFL fans are moving on to the NHL because we (apparently) unreasonable people will not accept watered-down Kool-Aid when we’ve requested the whisky we were promised.

Interesting sports involve skill and risk. Remove the risk and you’ve got nothing better than world-class ping-pong that requires a lot more equipment and commercial breaks.

Go Lions! Go Badgers!

On what planet ? The Pats did something that allowed them a marginal advantage in that the sideline taping allowed them to collate the same data they could get in other ways in a little bit easier fashion.

These people committed multiple felonies. They paid people to intentionally injure other people. That’s a criminal offense and the Saints management and players are damn lucky they aren’t facing criminal charges.

To try and claim what the Pats did is worse than this is ridiculous. No one was physically injured by the taping. No one had their career ended by it. What the Saints did is criminal, plain and simple.

Oh please. If I used the “everyone does it” excuse about the Pats and Spygate I’d get crucified here, yet there was open admission by other NFL coaches that they had engaged in the sideline taping practice before the Pats ever did.

These guys are lucky they aren’t facing criminal charges. They paid people to intentionally injure other people. That’s a felony by the way. If I paid another poster on PFT to injure you and we were caught, myself and the poster who hurt you would go to jail.

Kucf Roger Goodell for singling out one team.

Why didn’t he simply tap them on the wrist like he did with the Patriots then destroy the evidence!

That’s right, Bob Kraft wields too much power in the league. Tom Benson carries no weight in league offices. Therefore Goodell can satisfy his God complex and make examples of ONLY ONE EFFING TEAM when many are guilty.

Kucf Roger Goodell.

Anybody who actually believes Roger Goodell cares at all about player safety is delusional. The people that buy what Goodell is selling would’ve been great candidates for Jim Jones or David Koresh.