[Editor’s note: On Monday, the NFL repeated for members of the media covering the bounty appeal hearings the presentation of evidence that had been used during the hearing itself. PFT previously obtained a transcript of the session. The full discussion regarding the video of former Saints and current Packers defensive end Anthony Hargrove allegedly saying, “Bobby, give me my money” appears below.]
Mary Jo White: NFL footage from the NFC Championship Game confirms that the Saints players were keenly aware of the existence of the bounty on Mr. Favre during the game. We’re about to show a couple of things: game footage of several plays to give you context during a third-quarter possession by the Vikings, followed by sideline footage captured by NFL Films in which Mr. Hargrove’s voice and picture are captured on the sidelines. For ease of understanding, his remarks are actually shown in captions that we put on the clips. Phil, if you could show first the game footage for context.
[Video footage of the Saints-Vikings 2009 NFC Championship Game produced by FOX and NFL Films is shown]
Peter King: ‘Bobby, give me my money.’ Is that what was said?
Jeff Miller: We’ll show it again, but now you know what you’re looking for.
Greg Aiello: There are a couple of things to look for. He winks and smiles when he hears that Favre broke his leg.
King: I didn’t see that. I need to hear the ‘Bobby pay me my money’ or something so it’s clearer.
White: Let me actually tell you what the NFL investigators saw in this, and then we’ll go back to the clip again. Does that make sense?
King: Alright.
White: What this film footage showed to the NFL investigators was that after Mr. Hargrove and others obviously are told that Mr. Favre may have broken his leg and may not be returning to the game, he smiles and winks and states, ‘Bobby, pay me my money.’ When taken together with the evidence that we’ve already reviewed of the bounty for knocking Brett Favre out of the game, the league investigators understandably drew the inference that Mr. Hargrove’s statement references the bounty on Brett Favre. Bobby is former Saints player Bobby McCray, who had made the hit on Favre on the previous play, from which it appeared that Favre would not return to the game because of an injury. So let’s play it again.
[Video footage of the Saints-Vikings 2009 NFC Championship Game produced by FOX and NFL Films is shown]
King: Is it give me my money?
White: It’s ‘Bobby, give me my money.’
Jim Varney: How do you know it’s Hargrove’s voice?
White: Because you can see his lips moving.
Varney: I missed that. You go on the right there?
Miller: He’s the one who winks and smiles.
White: And listen to the voice.
[Video footage of the Saints-Vikings 2009 NFC Championship Game produced by FOX and NFL Films is shown]
White: You can see his lips moving right at the end. Everybody OK on that one?