Comments on: Will Smith: Tagliabue got the facts, Goodell rushed to judgment

By: pongonfl

pongonfl — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:09:32 +0000

any other officials on any other day and the Saints lose to the vikes just based on the results of roughing calls. And then we would not have to had to listen to these vile clowns for the last 3 years.
That would have been so nice. Consider it your penance for that game Roger.

By: mullman76

mullman76 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 04:29:28 +0000

Rooney, Mara and Kraft run this league. They saw an opportunity to slap down a franchise that could threaten their chances of collecting more rings. Goodell is their puppet.

These owners have been doing this for years- just ask Al Davis. Nevermind- RIP AL

Go Raiders

By: silentcount

silentcount — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 02:55:49 +0000

The key is this — Tagliabue would have given Sean Payton a big fine instead of suspending him. Why? Because by suspending him (along with Vitt and Loomis) he would have taken away any chance for the Saints to have a competitive season, which would have effected so many thousands of people who had nothing to do with the bounty thing. Is it fair that the Patriots were allowed to compete on a level field after they were punished (for actually cheating), but the Saints weren’t given the same chance?

By: phreakin

phreakin — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 02:13:29 +0000

Notice how every player always make sure to include “I didn’t participate in a pay to injure program”…ya me too

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 02:01:37 +0000

Obviously Tagliabue took time to carefully weigh the evidence and make a sound decision. But why would Goodell do that? Since the CBA gives him sole discretion to be judge, jury, and executioner, he's a modern-day Judge Roy Bean. His decisions don't have to be sound. He can decide in advance of seeing any evidence how he wants things to go, then write an opinion to make the "facts" fit his judgment. Goodell's decisions are corporate. They have nothing to do with evidence or justice and never have. If they did, then the fact that none of these men were fined or suspended based on the game film would have automatically ruled out fining or suspending them for trying to hurt someone during a game. It's time for this football kangaroo court to end.

By: smokehouse56

smokehouse56 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:56:24 +0000

This has become very much like the 1919 Sox scandal. ‘Showless’ Joe and the other 8 fixers were found not guilty by a judge and jury but Landis exercised his power and threw them out of baseball with a lifetime ban.

By: numba1dunna

numba1dunna — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:30:21 +0000

I cant wait for 3 new defamation lawsuits to come against RG…you dragged these guys through the mud with little or no proof (that they have shown the public anyway) and no, i will not take roger’s word for it.

I hope the other 3 file defamation suits against him and the owners realize that this guy went too far and is not good for their business at this point.

Bye Bye Roger

By: gbmickey

gbmickey — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:15:49 +0000

Where are all the saint whiner fans who said it was just a conspiracy bringing in tags to review this? Just to make it clear the team was not exonerated and there was a bounty program. To continually deny it just confirms the failing educational system in Louisiana.

By: yourignorancespreads

yourignorancespreads — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:52:58 +0000

The only thing saints did wrong was have a pay for performance and they def did not play to injure anyone so all you haters out there just knock it off. It’s very clear that your biased opinions only make you look dumb

By: marcinhouston

marcinhouston — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:40:51 +0000

Goodell lied, Falcons fans who wish it was true need to grow up and give up the lie.

By: andrewfbrowne

andrewfbrowne — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:38:43 +0000

These guys are like mob bosses who got off on a technicality. That is all. Our coaches made us do it, really?! Not a single one stood up and said it was wrong to anyone. Goodell’s mistake was making this public and punishing the players. If you had just punished the organization and the coaches he would have been fine.

By: whoopteedo

whoopteedo — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:37:07 +0000

So far, nothing has been reported on what Tagliabue said about Payton. Did Tags say Payton was suspended because he was a part of the scheme or because he should have been aware of it or that he was part of the cover-up? I’ve NEVER heard anything bad EVER about Payton and yet he’s suspended for an entire year and we still have no explanation.

By: lennydpocketqb

lennydpocketqb — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:36:18 +0000

trbowman says:
Dec 11, 2012 7:32 PM
Anyway, nobody really liked Tagliabue when he was commissioner. Being a commissioner is the most thankless job in all of sports. No commissioner has been or will ever be popular. You’re the target of all the irrational hatred of unintelligent fans.

You take heat for things that either, A) Aren’t your fault or B) Are actually good ideas, but fans with room temp IQ (re – 80/90% of them) hate.

_______________________

Spot on. Kudos trbowman.

By: trbowman

trbowman — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:32:14 +0000

Anyway, nobody really liked Tagliabue when he was commissioner. Being a commissioner is the most thankless job in all of sports. No commissioner has been or will ever be popular. You’re the target of all the irrational hatred of unintelligent fans.

You take heat for things that either, A) Aren’t your fault or B) Are actually good ideas, but fans with room temp IQ (re – 80/90% of them) hate.

By: justintuckrule

justintuckrule — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:29:34 +0000

Unbelievable that 32 owners continue employing this dope to run their 9 billion dollar business. His handling of this nonsense would be a fireable offense if any other CEO committed it

By: billbrasky72

billbrasky72 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:29:10 +0000

Looks like the fresh prince got fat.

By: trbowman

trbowman — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:28:47 +0000

The anti Goodell crowd lets their dislike/hate towards the man cloud their judgment.

If you think bounties have a place in the NFL and/or that these players shouldn’t have been suspended, you’ve got no credibility.

By: jerlee7

jerlee7 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:23:01 +0000

Our coaches made us do it = the devil mad me do it.

By: lennydpocketqb

lennydpocketqb — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:15:11 +0000

If we had one positive thing out of this it is the phrase, “he’s the coach on the field” is now dead. A coach is necessary to the players on the field who implement the game plan.

By: cags777

cags777 — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:07:30 +0000

Advice to Smith: Don’t go back and sue the NFL over “player safety” concerns when someone takes you out.

By: snaxdsp

snaxdsp — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:02:08 +0000

No such thing as luck when a case is mishandled. If you are accused of something falsely and it comes back that you didn’t do it….are you lucky?

By: stew48

stew48 — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:57:32 +0000

Tag did exactly what was wanted. He got the NFL off the hook and eliminated the ridiculous penalties inflicted by RG’s gross incompetence.

By: mungman69

mungman69 — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:53:41 +0000

Let it end.

By: brenenostler

brenenostler — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:47:23 +0000

Will Smith, Tags did not say you were innocent. He just doesn’t think you should be punished. Dummie.

By: mn2long

mn2long — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:47:10 +0000

What Tags is saying is basically “yes, there was a pay-for-performance system” and “no, there is no proof the Saints were trying to injure anyone”. Bottom line, this type of thing have gone on since the beginning of the league and nobody has ever been penalized for it. It was highly publicized that Reggie White had this type of system going in Green Bay, which makes it funny to hear Favre fans still whining about it and saying the Saints Super Bowl has been tainted. Pot meet kettle…

By: jasons81

jasons81 — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:37:26 +0000

My question is what if a coach tells a player to, for example, take steroids… by Taglibue’s logic that player shouldn’t be punished

By: gizzmonic

gizzmonic — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:36:15 +0000

Can we get Tag’s to take a look into spygate.. The Pats could use that number one pick they forfitted

By: geauxjay

geauxjay — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:31:31 +0000

You people who STILL talk trash about the Saints are just bitter, ignorant fools.

The Saints won the Super Bowl. Deal with it.

By: geniusfan

geniusfan — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:31:13 +0000

“Goodell is awful. Saints get banned, but Belicheat doesn’t get kicked out of the NFL?”

Belicheat? 2007 called it wants its joke back.

The tears of Patriots haters taste so good, enjoy your 5-8 team Saints fans.

By: patfanken

patfanken — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 23:24:39 +0000

That was a pretty self serving interpretation of Tags report.

Very simply what he said was that the Saints ran a bounty program. The Saints brass actively tried to hide what they were doing and hindered the investigation. BUT this was a crime run by the coaches and management and the players, though they participated, shouldn’t have been held responsible for what their leaders were sponsoring.

Doesn’t sound like a rush to judgement to me.