Vitt is a different story though. Williams is his boss. Are you responsible when your boss screws up? You could obviously make the argument that if he knew what was going on he should have reported it to the league or head coach, but to be honest he has a massive case of split loyalty here. While this bounty case is being blown up as a massive story by the media, those of us that have actually played football know that stuff like this goes on at a lot of teams. Is Vitt supposed to go to Williams and say “yo boss, I don’t like what you’re doing, even though we both know a lot of other teams are doing it as well if you carry on I’m reporting you to the league”. Seriously does anyone think this would have got him anywhere other than out of a job?

It’s all very well for us to sit here at our PCs moralising, but in actual real life imagine you knew your boss was doing something a bit shady that you didn’t exactly agree with, but wasn’t exactly criminal or something that didn’t happen elsewhere. Are you going to go to any lengths to expose him and blow the whistle or are you going to just keep your head down and do your job? Think about that before you judge others too readily.

Of course, if it turns out that he was a willing and active participant in the bounty scheme then throw the book at him, but let’s not just throw a big pot of paint over the Saints organisation and make all guilty until proven innocent.

If Payton is passing along the bounties to Williams, he’s explicitly participating in them, on top of failing his duty has a head coach to put a stop to the whole thing. A year is getting off easy as far as I’m concerned.

No more can Benson plead ignorance. He was TOLD by Goodell and the League that they were under investigation. He should have demanded Williams be fired the moment it happened. For conduct detrimental to the team and the game. No severance package. Instead they waited for Williams contract to expire and just didn’t renegotiate. They did NOT fire the guy at the end of the season as is being reported on NFL Network.

Oh and if you need further proof of culpability on Benson’s part they blew off the move to go away from Williams as his contract had expired. Should have distanced themselves from the very beginning of this playing out in ’10.

Mickey Loomis should be forced to resign because not only did Benson tell him “get your ducks in a row” he didn’t fire Williams. Nothing says Business as usual to a team when nobody’s head rolls.

Peyton had a responsibility to his owner and his team to dropkick that maniac off the team. He had a duty to his GM to communicate and delegate Williams dismissal. He fell on his sword instead.

Saints should lose more picks this year or next years first rounder in addition to the two 2nd rounders. And they should lose $15 mil in Cap Space for every year that Bounty Program is proven to have existed.

Nothing says don’t make this mistake again like this does.

The Saints LIED that a Bounty program was in place. They continued its practice after it was communicated to them to cease and desist by the Commish in 2010 and they continued it into the Division game.

If the Giants acknowledge that they did knowingly target a player they too should suffer the consequences. Hey if my team did the same thing I hope they too get jacked up. Every league from Minor League Ball to Pop Warner is watching this with keen interest.

I personally do not want this to change the game to that of flag Football. But at the same time I don’t want to see this game treated with such blatant disrespect. Play hard, hit hard but do so showing the other guy the respect they’re due. If you knowingly target players and their injuries you shouldn’t be on that field. That’s not what the game is about.

What possible reason could they have for keeping the guy on?

It speaks quite loudly about the type of people Jeff is and the organization the Rams are.

You don’t have any direct knowledge that he sat on his hands.

Maybe he was the one that reported it to the NFL because no one else was doing anything about it.

They’ve have over 40 games to prove themselves dirty with Gregg Williams. Before this whole bounty situation the average NFL fan would have probably found Detroit, Baltimore and Pittsburg to be the dirtiest teams on the field. I think in the last three years the Saints ranked 19th in personal fouls, but I’m not sure where I read that. I’m not excusing the Saints, just saying it doesn’t look like the players were following their coaches’ orders.

Peyton & Vitt addressing Goodell:

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Honor doesn’t matter when you are out of a job and no one will hire you because you it is widely known that you cannot keep your mouth shut.

And I think Payton took responsibility as the head coach.

I think what everyone has been questioning is everyone in the media saying that Payton got a year for a 3 year coverup and lying to the commish.

And is a lack of control worth a year and 6-8 million?

He should be banned from America, for life, for blatantly attempting to ruin our countries greatest sport (I’m not specifically talking about bounty penalties with that comment.)