1) The bounty players have no motivation to keep dragging out the appeals process and making the NFL’s investigation look bad, to keep on dragging Goodell’s name in the mud, etc.

2) The ruling says Goodell was justified in making the decisions he made, even if the punishments were too harsh. This statement is designed to let Goodell save face and give him some defense in case the defamation case goes forward.

3) The players get off free. The league lets Goodell save some face. Sean Payton, the only party here without any clear legal recourse or union to help him, gets screwed and scapegoated again, when he probably had the least to do with the bounties of anyone involved.

Goodell basically destroyed the Saints chances of hosting the superbowl in their home town. I do believe the rumors that he and Payton personally don’t like each other. I can’t think of any other realistic reason why Payton would be suspended for a full year for “loss of institutional control” when no other coach in history has gotten a suspension even close to what he got.

” I find there is more than enough evidence to support Commissioner Goodell’s findings that Mr. Vilma offered such a bounty.”

BUT, he also says…

“Adding to the complexity, there is little evidence of the tone of any talk about a bounty before the Vikings game. Was any bounty pledged serious? Was it inspirational only? Was it typical “trash talk” that occurs regularly before and during games? The parties presented no clear answers. No witness could confirm whether Vilma had any money in his hands as he spoke; no evidence was presented that $10,000 was available to him for purposes of paying a bounty or otherwise. There was no evidence that Vilma or anyone else paid any money to any player for any bounty-related hit on an opposing player in the Vikings game.”

Which is it, Tags?

Get over it. While all teams probably do it, the Saints got caught. Tag said he believes the charges are true, but the Saints lied, cheated and stole so much, that the entire case has become corrupted. That is a far cry from “innocent”. Don’t hold your breath for that apology. The owners will probably give Goodell a raise this summer because he is doing what he is pid for – to keep the heat off of owners.

So they have absolutely no conclusive evidence and basically nuked the Saints season because Goodell had some sort of personal vendetta against New Orleans?

I hope Vilma, Smith and Fujita sue the pants off Goodell.

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Reading comprehension…Tags says he agrees in principle that Goodell had proof that the players did what they were accused of, and should have been fined.

I hope Goodell now comes back and fines them an equal amount as if they had been suspended. Vilma can give up a year’s salary.

I don’t know what team you’re a fan of. But,if it was you team that was wronged I’m not sure you would be in such a hurry to move on

Now Goddell has got to go. It was all a sham. He cannot just get awsy with this.

Why? Tags agreed that Goodell had proof enough to punish the players.

When you don’t have evidence to prove the bounty program existed, how can you even punish the team.

The order of justice is wrong.

This is a phony sham.

Saints should be given back draft pick and given an extra one and a formal apology by the league.

They should also demand RG resigns. Or puts a samurai sword in his own belly for his shame.

All this says is if you have a fair legal system where the accused can defend themselves, you tend to get justice. How can you hold up the coach and team penalties when they didn’t have such rights?

I predict two things.

The league will go into a tailspin until they end RGs reign.

RG will not make it thru the Superbowl as commissioner. Either he is fired or is capped in new orleans.

If the owners thought Goodell was doing a bad job, he would have been fired already.

Goodell is safe from a defamation suit from Benson, Lumis, and Payton. But, the genie is out of the bottle where Vilma is concerned and the suit will not be withdrawn.

I know we all wish this would go away, but if these allegations were made against me, I would ride the train all the way into the station for the sake of my defense. The only way I’d drop the suit now would be if Goodell came out and made a public apology. He could still do this in a face-saving way and come out looking all the better for it.