Comments on: Hargrove emerges as key figure in bounty probe

By: nawlinslady1970

nawlinslady1970 — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:14:59 +0000

Why is this so hard for people to understand? Lawyers coach witnesses and people to be deposed all the time. They want to make sure that they say only what needs to be said and not offer any other information that can be taken out of context. That doesn’t mean the lawyer is telling them to lie. Hargrove never says there’s a “bounty” program, he just says that Williams coached him on what to say. It was the NFL that says that he “established not only the existence of the program with the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it,”. That’s a big leap for the NFL to make from what was really said.

By: mark0226

mark0226 — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:49:19 +0000

Let me guess, the NFL lawyers wrote the declaration?

By: 69allday

69allday — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:04:23 +0000

Glad to hear he is out of our hair for half a season

By: sdisme

sdisme — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:12:13 +0000

I can now give you a good idea of why Joe Hummel resigned.

Hargrove was probably offered a fairly reduced penalty for cooperating. The NFL likely had nothing on other players and ended up giving Hargrove the 2nd hardest punishment because he made the mistake of writing a statement.

That makes the work of NFL investigators next to impossible next time they have to investigate something.

By: theodorethompson

theodorethompson — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:46:21 +0000

Hargrove…”but it was coach Williams who ordered the code Red! We did what we were ordered to do! We did nothing wrong!”

By: tweeter75

tweeter75 — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:29:55 +0000

A two year investigation and these degenerates still won’t shut up and accept some responsibility. Do they think everyone else is a stupid as they are?

By: ajpurp

ajpurp — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:28:15 +0000

And people what are you talking about? The players get the information when they file an appeal and it is not only heard by Goodell but they can take it to an “independent” arbitrator. The players can see the evidence once they file a formal complaint just like any company, but cannot see the entire investigation launched against them, just like any company, because that includes thousands of man hours and lawyer work product doctrine protects most of it. They get that evidence when they file suit against the company in a court of law, like when a corporation fires you, you can file a grievance with the EEOP and then they approve it you can take it to a court of law, but when the employee is sitting in his managers office and he’s telling him he’s fired does that manager ever hand over to that employee the entire investigative case against him? No, double F-in no. Come on, seriously. Theyll get the evidence at some point when they appeal and we will if it’s taken to a court of law or when the corporation’s public relations decides they’re good and ready

By: ajpurp

ajpurp — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:16:21 +0000

Thank you Jrsmits, I have been saying that all along. When does a private company ever have to disclose to its consumers the evidence against, say someone who chooses to embezzle money from it, to the public BEFORE it goes to court?!?! NEVER. We find out little bits and pieces just like here, and finally get the majority of the issue when the case goes to court. Hell even shareholders of class B stock don’t have to be informed of any evidence and sometimes even stakeholders in a company, outside the board of directors, don’t get the evidence against the person. The idea that the media OR the public have a right to know the evidence before there is even a grievance, appeal or lawsuit file on behalf of the player is absolutely absurd. The law simply does not work that way, and while public relations wise, it might be in their interest, what private company would give away it’s case, evidence or anything before a likely or even remotely possible lawsuit? Oh yeah, that’s right. None! Any lawyer worth half a grain of salt knows this, and apparently so does a second year law student. Hell a first year law student would know this.

By: marcinhouston

marcinhouston — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:53:53 +0000

A disgruntled ex-employee with a documented history of drug abuse. What a great witness to prove everything.

By: neauxgeaux44

neauxgeaux44 — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:52:03 +0000

There is no bigger loser poster than lolb23….must be terrible to be a jealous saints hater living in your mom’s basement and working at Walmart….

By: westclaims

westclaims — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:47:09 +0000

Another wannabe attorney post

By: stevenfbrackett

stevenfbrackett — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:40:33 +0000

Have the Packers cut him yet? Because I would be very surprised if they didn’t soon.

By: gingerkid2000

gingerkid2000 — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:57:18 +0000

I understand wanting full disclosure of the evidence, but how do you go about that and protect the so-called whistleblowers? And if there is no evidence, why would Williams admit to it and apologize? Why would the NFL go to extensive lengths to punish all these guys if there wasn’t some evidence of it? Someone here reminded us that this is not a court of law. It’s a corporation that has rules & regulations that it’s employees must adhere to if they want to work for it. My company has rules and regulations that I must adhere to or I get fired. The Constitution protects you from the government infringing on your rights. It does not protect you from disobeying a company’s “code of conduct” on or off the job. And playing football within the rules is their job. If the NFL wants to release all this evidence they must be able to protect the names of those who cooperated with the investigation. But even then I don’t think that any amount of evidence released by the NFL will satisfy the haters or deniers.

The media is only interested in the number of TV viewers or website hits. Public perception of the NFL is the least of their worries. If it was, they’d do a better job of researching their topics before releasing them to the public that they say they are so concerned about informing.

By: gordocb

gordocb — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:56:33 +0000

I know it’s apples to oranges but anyone proclaiming that he should get some kind of a less harsh penalty because he signed a “declaration of guilt” is ridiculous. If I commit murder but I admit to it does that get me a lesser sentence? No. The punishment should be whatever the league feels is necessary regardless of his admission of guilt. We all know this goes on in the NFL, but lying to investigators and continuing to offer bounty’s after you know the league is investigating is just plain stupid. Take your punishment, serve your suspension and get on with your career. Quit your crying and deal with it.

By: vikingamericann

vikingamericann — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:26:58 +0000

youallrfools | May 3, 2012, 5:10 PM EDT
@ Vikingamericann – Not sure if you were aware of this, but you’re referring to rumors propogated by sports media (the arm pit of news broadcasting, if you can call it news). Nothing came out until yesterday. Another 7 out of 10′

I’m aware of the quality cough cough of the news. If the sports news is the arm pit . National news media is where you stick the thermometer to check the worlds temperature. No one reports news anymore they forecast news and tell you what to think. I choose to question everything instead.

By: lbrad413

lbrad413 — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:18:22 +0000

All I’m saying is when you take almost 2 million dollars out of a man’s pocket by suspending him for a year (vilma).. I think he has the right to see the “evidence” and “50,000″ pages of documents.. If it were you in that position wouldn’t you want the same?

By: Shawn

Shawn — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:17:09 +0000

The people involved say then NFL doesn’t have proof, sounds pretty juvenile. They obviously do and need to stop lying to Goodell because that will only make things worse.

By: vikingamericann

vikingamericann — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:16:06 +0000

There are always three sides to the truth. Your side, my side, and what really happened. The NFL needs to prove their case to the players. If they lack evidence or are covering up a bigger issue, the players will and should fight. This helps us all, either we learn the NFL secrets, and improve the safety of the game, not just for pros, but for the amateurs too. Or the players serve as a role model of what not to do. Either way force the NFLs hand.

By: amaf21

amaf21 — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:15:14 +0000

You too need to shut your blabber mouth. If I was The Commish I would’ve hammered you with a one year suspension at least. Shut up and be thankful your suspension was so short. I used to think Albert Haynesworth was the biggest turd in the NFL punch bowl. These Saints have proved me wrong.

By: tangysizzl

tangysizzl — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:10:35 +0000

From what I understand, most of the evidence of the bounty program comes from the mouth of Greg Williams and I guess Tony Hargrove. Whoever blew the whistle initially gave the NFL the ammo to get those two men to confess to their involment in the program.

I also remember hearing that Williams may have in fact kept records of the payments made to the players and what the payments were for.

If true, thats really all the evidence they would need to justify all these suspensions.

By: vikingamericann

vikingamericann — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:06:39 +0000

lolb23 | May 3, 2012, 5:26 PM EDT

Don’t you have a lemonade stand near the MOA? Some free business advice, be Minnesota Nice to your customers. Peasant.

By: vikingamericann

vikingamericann — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:02:08 +0000

notdemfalcons | May 3, 2012, 4:40 PM EDT
Funny, but no one has uncovered the REAL whistleblower in all this. Brett Favre was looking for a way back into the news, clearly. After all, he DID post pictures of his bruises did he not?

Too bad he did not stop at sending pics of bruises for attention.

By: flannlv

flannlv — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:59:22 +0000

The NFL doesn’t have to give the media or the public any information. It should provide that information to the players and their attorneys if they really expect the players to challenge the suspensions. How else are the players going to challenge the suspensions? They can’t.

By: whodat2

whodat2 — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:55:15 +0000

I am pretty sure this horse is dead now….nothing new will be uncovered unless an article is written about a 50,000 page report about the bounty program resulting in 4…repeat 4 players.

By: chiefsfan88

chiefsfan88 — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:43:12 +0000

For those of you who keep saying they are sick of hearing and reading about the bountys I found this new thing that seems to work really well if you don’t want to hear or read about it skip past the article its going to keep being brought up I dont need to see you complaining about no one forces you to use the website or make you watch tv

By: bearsandjazz

bearsandjazz — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:39:06 +0000

Dannybramowitz—your ridiculous scenario makes no sense. I’m sure you spent an hour thinking of that but come on. The hypothetical scenario you just blabbed about is not even close to whats going on with the bounty program. There is a big difference between laws and collectively bargained rules. Just another idiot who refuses to look at the basic facts. Anyone not blinded by their own idiocy knows the saints coaches and players engaged in activities not allowed by NFL Rules. Goodell didn’t just pull all of the air, why would he want negative light on Americas most popular sport. How does that benefit him or the NFL. He’s doing what he’s supposed to do. Enforce rules and punish those who break them.

By: paulitik74

paulitik74 — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:36:54 +0000

I think the fact that only 4 were suspended is telling. This isn’t a case of one snitch, this is a case of a dozen or more snitches selling out Jonathan Vilma. The NFL had Hargrove on tape. I think they threatened him with a game suspension until he broke. It got up to 8.

If Vilma, Hargrove, and Smith came clean and were honest, I don’t think the suspensions would be this harsh. Vilma’s current defiance will only guarantee he won’t take a snap in the NFL anytime soon.

If the NFL is withholding evidence, it’s only to prevent the swarm of trial lawyers waiting on it’s release from getting their hands on it.

By: lolb23

lolb23 — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:26:39 +0000

vikingamericann says: May 3, 2012 4:28 PM

Then NFL case is falling a part.
_______________________________

Don’t you have a /lawn cuttingsnow removal business to run? Get those K1′s ready bro!

By: prrebel

prrebel — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:24:40 +0000

He was probably going to be suspended the whole season and was told we’ll give you 8 games if you sign a “declaration”.

By: youallrfools

youallrfools — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:10:06 +0000

@ Vikingamericann – Not sure if you were aware of this, but you’re referring to rumors propogated by sports media (the arm pit of news broadcasting, if you can call it news). Nothing came out until yesterday. Another 7 out of 10′er.