You pointed out how Saints fans are delusional and seem to lose loyalty towards Vilma. I don’t agree with you at all. I think you are basing your decisions on opinion and not fact.

Vilma was great for us, well worth what we traded to the Jets. At the time it was unknown…he was coming off his first micro-fraction knee surgery. But he proved the gamble right for the Saints.

However he has been since then, ongoing diminished returns. I give you FACTS which normally make the best arguments. Seriously, just look at the actual production over the past three years. The Saints added younger players who appear to be getting better each year. Vilma, unfortunately, seems to be going in the opposite direction. He still has football left in him. But please quit acting like the Saints fans are delusional…the STATS/FACTS speak for themselves.

FACT – both Loften and Hawthorne have played ALL 3 LB positions. Both were considered 2 of the top 3 LBs available in FA. True, they both settled at MLB for their respective teams last season. But both are versatile and capable of plugging in wherever needed.

STAT FACTS –
Vilma G GS TK Sck PD INT FF
2011 11 11 54 0.0 2 0 1
2010 16 16 105 4.0 3 1 3
2009 15 15 110 2.0 8 3 0
2008 16 16 132 1.0 6 1 2

Lofton G GS TK Sck PD INT FF
2011 16 16 147 1.0 7 2 1
2010 16 16 118 2.0 3 1 3
2009 16 16 133 0.0 2 0 2
2008 16 15 94 1.0 3 0 1

Hawthorne G GS TK Sck PD INT FF
2011 15 15 115 2.0 6 3 1
2010 16 16 106 1.0 4 1 3
2009 16 16 117 4.0 5 3 2

I also pointed out earlier that the NFL is asking the NFLPA for an idea on what would be acceptable. This is proof that the NFL fears any drawn out appeals process, litigation, etc, from cracking down on players. The union will appeal anything the NFL hands down. So they are much more likely to try and strike a “deal” that quickly handles this situation.

I fully expect to see multi-game suspensions for Vilma, Hargrove, Smith, Fujita, and Harper. Two of those players, play for other teams now however. If the suspensions range 4 or less games…the Saints should be perfectly fine. If Goodell gets crazy and does a Payton to these players…then that will be a different story. But Goodell already is on the defensive for the Payton ruling, I really don’t see him trying to add gas to that fire. If anything, the NFL now seems to be in the mode of trying to put the fire out as quickly as possible.

Saints will have do deal with suspensions, no doubt. But I really think it is wishful thinking on the part of fans of other teams, or as some call them, haters, that think this will be some crippling blow that makes the Saints non-competitive in 2012.

Goodell got the media and nfl fans brainwashed into believing there’s a bounty…lmfao!!! saints ignored and told goodell there’s no such thing as a bounty which is true…saints didn’t lie or cover anything…the truth is saints had an incentive program just like most nfl teams for extra motivational purposes to get extra cash for ints, sacks, legal big hits and game changing plays….when the truth comes out goodell and his goons will look foolish and goodell is an idiot who has never played the game and doesn’t understand the game of football

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You’re not going to find a bigger Saints fan on here than me,but you’re wrong here.

The Trophy and Ring won’t be tainted,but the Saints reputation certainly is. What Gregg Williams did was simply against the rules. No matter what you call it,that extra cash isn’t in the players contract and thus illegal.

I know it happens league wide and has been part of NFL culture since the 1950′s. I chuckled a bit at Peter Kings article where he said he stepped into the conference room at the NFL owners meeting. On the big screen,the NFLN’s 10 most feared tacklers was playing. #5 was LB Hardy Brown who admitted the Rams had a 500.00 bounty on him. King quipped if the NFL wants to stop this culture,it shouldn’t be playing this clip especially at the owners meeting.

That said, the length and severity of the punishment can be debated. The fact the program was illegal can’t.

I’ll also admit Gregg Williams behaved like a dirtbag during his time here. I am also glad he’s gone. Bountygate or not, our defense stunk overall. I wanted him gone after 2010 and replaced by a coordinator who played more sound and fundamental schemes. I’ll go to my grave believing if Williams had called a soft zone instead of 2 all out blitzes, the Niners wouldn’t have driven the length of the field in 40 seconds and we would have went on to the Super bowl and not the Giants.

Giant fans- You are the champs and deservedly so. I just believe the Saints would have beaten them had the NFCCG been played in the Superdome.

Perhaps I am not seeing it. How does losing one of the best MLB in football and even more than that one of the best leaders in the league on d and replacing him with two inferior talents make your team better ??? Or signing a guy Denver didn’t want ? But not signing your hof qb. Lost your second best wr. Lost perhaps the top guard in the nfl and again replaced him with inferior talent.

I think the saints may well have been in trouble before bounty gate. They better get an impact type guy in the first round this year.

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Vilma isn’t the same player anymore. He’s had chronic knee problems since he played at the U. He missed several games the past 2 seasons due to those. Age and the wear and tear of playing in the NFL has caught up with him.

When we first signed Vilma,he was making tackles on outside runs that used to go for long yardage the year before. He simply can’t run down those Rb’s anymore and can’t run with TE’s down the seam anymore. I am happy that he helped bring us a ring,but it’s getting close to the time he needs to retire.

The funny thing is most of it ,that is HEAD LINES ,is pretty much bad. All the brave bloggers comfortably behind their key custom key boards spewing all kinds of harsh, unkind words behind “BOUNTY GATE” and the SUPERBOWL season of ’09, In which after the season quarterbacks retired ,rules were changed (overtime), and apparently hell froze over……

to my p0int ….. FOR ALL THE HATERs AND ASTERISK GIVERs………Hows it taste? ??????….

the hate and jealously ….. always remember that the SAINTS did win the superbowl and have been a playoff team since SEAN ,DREW AND LOOMIS showed up! (and probably SMASHED your team as a routine) remember your talking from the base of
“MOUNT WHO DAT” speak louder i can barely hear you……..suckasaaaaas

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What a loser………

Petey and the Schneide? Clearly not so much.

WHO DAT!
WHO DAT!

WHO DAT UNDER DEM PAPER BAG HATS!!!

Go be smug somewhere else.
I prefer to be smug here thank you.

The funny thing is most of it ,that is HEAD LINES ,is pretty much bad. All the brave bloggers comfortably behind their key custom key boards spewing all kinds of harsh, unkind words behind “BOUNTY GATE” and the SUPERBOWL season of ’09, In which after the season quarterbacks retired ,rules were changed (overtime), and apparently hell froze over……

to my p0int ….. FOR ALL THE HATERs AND ASTERISK GIVERs………Hows it taste? ??????….

the hate and jealously ….. always remember that the SAINTS did win the superbowl and have been a playoff team since SEAN ,DREW AND LOOMIS showed up! (and probably SMASHED your team as a routine) remember your talking from the base of
“MOUNT WHO DAT” speak louder i can barely hear you……..suckasaaaaas

Perhaps I am not seeing it. How does losing one of the best MLB in football and even more than that one of the best leaders in the league on d and replacing him with two inferior talents make your team better ??? Or signing a guy Denver didn’t want ? But not signing your hof qb. Lost your second best wr. Lost perhaps the top guard in the nfl and again replaced him with inferior talent.

I think the saints may well have been in trouble before bounty gate. They better get an impact type guy in the first round this year.

Sorry haters? You mad bro?

Yeah, most of last year’s starters will be wearing a suspension instead of a uniform.

As long as Brees drops 400 yards and 3 to 4 TDs every week, players will sign….Parcells would be hard pressed to skip a chance at the limelight.

Bounty? Suspensions?

They’re no Saints, but after Katrina, NOTHING IS KEEPING NOLA DOWN!

Hope a tainted Super Bowl ring was worth it because
Vilma is getting the same as Gregg Williams. And they’re just lucky the league didn’t take away all their rings because Goodell could’ve easily been justified in doing so.

The Patricheats are the only team that was proven to have cheated!

Only dog-food eating morons like you call the so-called bounty cheating; even Kommisar Goodell hasn’t accused the Saints of cheating!

Go back to hating the Saints from the comfort of your Mom’s basement!