Four past or present New Orleans Saints players were suspended Wednesday by the National Football League for their roles in the "bountygate" scandal involving bonuses for trying to hurt. Photo Credit: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images Who is Sean Payton? Brighton: Midfielder Adam Lallana was replaced at half-time against Aston Villa on 21 November because of a groin injury. Within two years he was back to form and named MVP of the Finals, but a serious foot injury during the playoffs in 1978 ended his season. In 2012, Paul Tagliabue, Goodell's predecessor as commissioner, was brought in to hear the appeals of four Saints players who were suspended by Goodell for their roles in the pay-for-injury . I am truly sorry. Matt George @ MattGeorgeSAC. He was reinstated a year later, worked for the Titans in 2013 and returned to St. Louis last season. The revelation of the bounty system also caused renewed speculation about a 2006 game between the Redskins and Colts, in which Manning was knocked down by a high-low hit from the Redskins' Phillip Daniels and Andre Carter and appeared to lose some feeling in his neck. Saints assistant Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of 2012. Since then, Williams has been accused of operating similar schemes during his tenure as defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Oilers/Titans and (since renamed) Washington Redskins and as head coach of the Buffalo Bills; the NFL briefly investigated these allegations but elected to focus on the Saints. This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:07. "They are on the field, so I don't think they are absolved from any responsibility because of that," he said. The pool was alleged to have been in operation from 2009 (the year in which the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV) to 2011. Then the coach reminded the players to target specific injuries on 49ers: "We need to find out in the first two series of the game," Williams said, "that little wide receiver, number 10, about his . It did, but monetary incentives for big hits and even injuries were and probably still is common place. The Saints organization was penalized with a $500,000 fine and forced to forfeit their second-round draft selections in 2012 and 2013. [19] Later that day, the NFL announced it had obtained irrefutable proof of a bounty pool dating back to the 2009 season, based on a review of 18,000 documents. "I don't think you can be too hard on people that put at risk our players' health and safety," Goodell told Eisen. It is the obligation of everyone, including the players on the field, to ensure that rules designed to promote player safety, fair play, and the integrity of the game are adhered to and effectively and consistently enforced, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement announcing the suspensions. Its just one of those things that were always trying to find little bitty advantages in sport and it was unfairly and uncharacteristically portrayed the wrong way.. Four past or present New Orleans Saints players were suspended Wednesday by the National Football League for their roles in the bountygate scandal involving bonuses for trying to hurt opponents. [45], Williams, who left after the season to become defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, was summoned to NFL headquarters after the investigation concluded in mid-February. "[30][31], However, on July 26, 2012, Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell got his facts wrong in the bounty scandal. Clark added that he would have reported Williams or any coach that offered to run such a program. [53] On March 12, WWL-TV in New Orleans reported that Payton and Benson met with Goodell in New York for much of the morning to reiterate that the Saints would continue to cooperate fully with the NFL's investigation. However, Warner later said that the hit which knocked him out was legal, and had nothing to do with his decision to retire. [51], On March 6, Payton and Loomis issued a statement taking "full responsibility" for not stopping the alleged "bounty" program. An injured Vilma does not play but leads the "Who Dat" pregame chant before the Saints' 40-32 season-opening loss to the Washington Redskins. In NFL, non-contract bonuses are known as "bounties.". The system was in place from 2009 -- the season the Saints won the Super Bowl -- to 2011, and between 22 and 27 Saints players participated in the program. Nonetheless, the loss of Payton, combined with the distractions caused by the scandal, proved too much for the Saints to overcome. [16] Cerullo testified that he kept track of payments and pledges made. [10], Speculation quickly abounded about how severely Goodell, who has made player safety and the overall integrity of the game a point of emphasis during his six years as commissioner, would punish Williams and the Saints. [50] Louisiana State University law professor William Corbett told Fox Sports that any legal action by players has a chance of succeeding. [15] Cerullo was released after the 2009 postseason for poor performance and lying about personal leave according to the New Orleans Saints. In the summer of 2017, the NFL hired Mike Cerullo as Director of Football Administration. I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. Nonetheless, it found the Saints organization as a whole guilty of conduct detrimental to the league as well due to Williams and the players' maintenance of the bounty pool, as well as Loomis and Payton's failure to act "in a responsible manner" to stop it. Fujita played the first four games of the season for the Browns before suffering a season-ending (and ultimately, career-ending) neck injury;[81] he would sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Saints in the offseason and retire with the team. No, the Saints didn't want him to play for them. He recalled that Goodell was always upset when officials didn't penalize hits on defenseless players. Given the circumstances, King said, Goodell had a lot of incentive to "issue a string of suspensions the likes of which the league has never seen. [70] His sentiments were echoed a day later by Vikings center John Sullivan, who told KFXN-FM in the Twin Cities that any Saint who deliberately tried to hurt Favre in that game should get a lifetime ban. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is suspended for the entire 2012 season after offering $10,000 in cash to any player who knocked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner out of the 2009 Divisional playoff . As a result, he went to Texas to coach his son's youth football team. [54] On March 22, U.S. The numbers are striking."[94]. He also said that there would be zero tolerance for payments for in-game performance in the future, saying that payments for good play eventually escalate to bounties for deliberately injuring players. Home Team focuses on Sean Payton and his too-good-to-be-true story before he was brought back onto the Saints in the 2013 season. The data-driven answer is a resounding 'no.' [51] However, several former players interviewed by Sports Illustrated said that while payments for good hits and sacks were indeed considered part of the game, bounties for intentionally injuring opponents violated an unwritten code. After the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the 2009 NFC Championship Game in what has become a heated rivalry, several Vikings players and coaches claimed that the Saints were deliberately trying to hurt Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. The Saints had . . He also argued that Goodell would have no choice but to come down hard on the Saints, given that the league was facing numerous lawsuits brought by former players who suffered head injuries. Given what he did for the Saints, Sean Payton may be worth the wait for the Cowboys. We have made it clear that punishment without evidence is not fair. "Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits all saying the same thing. "I. According to the NFL's findings, Williams and players pooled their money, and awarded cash prizes to players who injured select members of the opposing team. Please logout and login again. [92], NFL Network analyst Michael Lombardi wrote that the scandal happened in part because during Williams' previous stops as a defensive coordinator, the head coaches under which he workedFisher, Joe Gibbs and Paytonessentially ceded him complete authority over the defense. However, Vitt failed to tell anyone about it. [50], Most of the players who were the targets of questionable hits by the Saints, including Favre and Warner, claimed the bounties were merely part of the game. . Lombardi claimed that as a result, Williams operated essentially as "an independent contractor." "[33], Shortly after the Saints' bounty system came to light, four former Washington Redskins players, as well as a coach, told The Washington Post that Williams operated a similar system while he was the Redskins' defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2007. or hearsay. 1984-87: Belton High School - Head Coach, Chadiha: Players shouldn't be only fall guys, Kreidler: Explaining Roger Goodell's actions, Howard: Retired player has second thoughts, TMQ: Saints set bad example for lower levels, Hill: Misplaced outrage over NFL bounties, Jacobs: Williams must be banned for 5 years, Clayton: Saints bounties worse than Spygate. Did the New Orleans Saints injure more players? Later in the game, offensive tackle Frank Omiyale yanked a Saints defender off Cutler when he saw what he later called "some dirty stuff. He called for Goodell to ban him from the league for life. [8], After the sanctions were announced, CBSSports.com's Gregg Doyel wrote that the severity of the punishments handed down to Williams, Payton and Loomis proved that Goodell was truly sincere in his desire to "take the thuggishness out of the NFL." Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much For instance, a special teamer who downed a kick returner inside the receiving team's 20-yard-line earned $100. (Scott Boehm/Getty Images) ", "Full NFL statement into 'bounty' program run by New Orleans Saints", "Saints took common practice of bounties to new, dangerous level", "Saints, team officials involved in bounty program should pay dearly", "Saints' shots at Brett Favre were no secret", "Chris Kluwe: Ban Jonathan Vilma for life", "Warner: Saints hit legal, not career-ending", "Saints looking at severe punishment for bounty system", "Sean Payton: NFL hiring of bounty whistleblower Mike Cerullo 'unbelievable', "NFL announces management discipline in Saints' 'bounty' matter", "NFL memo details more Saints bounty accusations", "Matt Hasselbeck shrugs off Saints' 'bounty' target", "Mike Ornstein's association with New Orleans Saints and bounty scandal a perplexing situation", "NFL says Saints created 'bounty' program from 2009 to 2011", "As bounty fallout continues, Goodell to make example of Saints", "Sources: New Orleans Saints kept a 'ledger' detailing weekly earnings in bounty scandal", "Report: Saints Ledger Shows Cart-offs Worth 1K", "New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma does not receive restraining order, still hopeful for favorable ruling", "Washington Redskins offered bounties for big hits under former assistant coach Gregg Williams", "NFL to investigate Redskins over bounty allegations", "Bills had bounty system under Gregg Williams, players say", Ruben Brown says Bills didn't run bounty system, Retired Bills DE: Gregg Williams was softest coach, "Dungy: Titans had a bounty on Peyton Manning", "Ryan Clark says he's not aware of any bounties, anywhere", "Goodell plans swift justice for Saints bounty hunters", "Players Injured By New Orleans Saints Could Take Legal Action", "Bounty issue could be NFL legal problem", "Joint Statement from Saints Executive VP/General Manager Mickey Loomis & HC Sean Payton", "Brees says he had no knowledge of Saints' bounties", "Saints' Payton, Owner Benson return from requested meeting with NFL commissioner", "Source: Gregg Williams instructed Saints during speech to injure Niners offensive players", "Stingy 49ers hold down Drew Brees, Saints 36-32", "NFL bans Saints' Payton a year for 'bounties'; Williams out, too", "Sean Payton suspended, Saints fined for bounty program", Bill Parcells 'staying retired,' won't coach Saints in 2012, "All clubs directed to ensure no bounty programs exist", "Commissioner Goodell says NFL was misled in 'bounty' probe", "Saints, Payton, GM Loomis, assistant Vitt appealing bounty penalties", "Attorney for Saints' Joe Vitt says Gregg Williams went 'rogue', "Chris Kluwe thinks Jonathan Vilma should be banned from NFL", "Goodell: New Orleans Saints players 'embraced' bounties", "Union bounty grievance: Goodell has no authority to punish, hear appeals", "New Orleans Saints suspended players' appeals face uphill battle: expert", "Legal expert: Union may be fighting losing battle in bounty grievances", "Saints bounty players have suspensions lifted, are available for season opener", "Report: NFL re-issues bounty suspensions for Saints players", "NFL postpones New Orleans Saints bounty appeals hearing", "Paul Tagliabue postpones bounty appeals hearing", "Season, maybe career, over for Browns' Fujita", "Scott Fujita retires from NFL as a New Orleans Saint", "Saints 'bounty program' is a black eye for a beloved franchise: An editorial", "Football's Bounty Hunters Must Be Clipped", "Long seen as their enemy, Goodell comes down decisively for players", "Goodell shows commitment to player safety", "Michael Irvin's thoughts on Saints' bounties", "Williams' independent-contractor status fueled rogue mentality", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Orleans_Saints_bounty_scandal&oldid=1139472032. [67] Payton, Vitt and Loomis met with Goodell on April 5. However, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, saying that "the general customs of football" do not include deliberately attempting to injure opposing players. It determined that Williams had initiated the fund soon after he arrived in New Orleans in 2009, in hopes of making the defense more aggressive. [42], Former safety Ryan Clark, who played under Williams in Washington from 20042005 and himself was fined by the NFL $40,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit against Baltimore Ravens tight end Ed Dickson during the 2011 season,[43] defended Williams, saying that he never ran a bounty program with the Redskins and has yet to see one during his time in the NFL. Comedy Sport New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton coaches his son's 6th-grade football team while he is being suspended for the entire 2012 season as a result of his role in the Saints' Bountygate scandal. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. He even went as far as to call for Vilmathe only player specifically named as being involved in the scheme in the NFL's initial announcementsto be banned from the league for life. "Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits all saying the same thing. Players also received "bounties" for "cart-offs" (plays in which an opponent was removed from the field on a stretcher or cart) and "knockouts" (plays that resulted in a player being unable to return for the rest of the game). Payton was asked about the possible misdeed; he was suspended for the entire 2012 season for his involvement in the Saints' "Bountygate" scheme in which players were paid for injuring opponents. Quarterback Jay Cutler was sacked six times, and nearly lost his voice when a Saints player kicked him in the throat. The NFLPA which has. [7] Every year, the NFL sends a memo reiterating this ban to every team before training camp opens. During the 2010 investigation, Payton told Williams and Vitt to "make sure our ducks are in a row" when the league interviewed them. Also Checkout: Kurt Warner super bowl wins, Be the first one to comment on this story. 2:34 pm ET, would vacate the suspensions of those Saints' players on appeal, Agent's Take: Rodgers' trade value, logistics, best fit, McCarthy discusses taking over Cowboys' play-calling, Brett Favre welfare funds scandal explained, Reich says Carr 'checks a lot of boxes' after meeting, Gregg Williams on Bountygate: It was 'nothing that hadn't been done before', Mock: Carter falls amid warrant, Ravens take QB, Rodgers' trade value, logistics and best fit, Best team fits for top FAs at each position, Ex-NFL GM on ramifications of Carter's legal issue, NFLPA issues team report cards: Commanders fail, 49ers GM says he contacted Brady as team seeks QB help, Jalen Carter issues statement amid charges. Williams, coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and several Saints players were suspended by the league for their role in Bountygate, and hours after those punishments were announced. Jonathan Polynice Vilma (born April 16, 1982) is a former American football linebacker and current Fox NFL analyst. We have spoken with our players and their representatives and we will vigorously protect and pursue all options on their behalf.. This provision is normally used to sanction off-field conduct. 1:11 PM EDT, Wed May 2, 2012. The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, better known as "Bountygate" was a major incident in the NFL that resulted in members of the team being paid off for deliberately injuring opposing team . In his weekly "Monday Morning Quarterback" column on March 5, SI's Peter King wrote that he believed Williams faced at least an eight-game suspension, and that Payton and Loomis would almost certainly be suspended as well. In May 2012, four current and former Saints players were suspended after being named as ringleaders in the scandal, with linebacker Jonathan Vilma also being suspended for the entire 2012 season. Fujita and Hargrove had left the Saints by the time the suspensions were handed down. According to Woodson, when Williams called for his men to "attack the head" of running back Frank Gore, he was saying that the 49ers' offense would be rendered ineffective if they managed to shut Gore down. Actions like this are what makes Goodell sick. He'd been at the helm for 16 years. So today's legal victory for four players whom Goodell suspended for their role in the New Orleans Saints' Bountygate affair is particularly satisfying no matter how fleeting and temporary it may be. Go get it. Such practices are forbidden and strictly punishable. [80] On December 11, with three games left in the regular season, Tagliabue vacated the players' suspensions, saying in his ruling, "I affirm Commissioner Goodell's factual findings as to the four players. "[27] In an article written for the March 12 edition of SI, King wrote that league officials were so outraged that they were likely to hand down penalties similar to the season-long bans Paul Hornung and Alex Karras received in 1963 for gambling. However, according to many former players, bounty systems of some sort have been around the NFL for decades, with the percentage of players participating speculated to be between 30 and 40 percent. An estimated 22-27 total New Orleans Saints players participated in the bounty program, though. Yes, Bountygate is a real scandal that emerged in 2012. Vilma was a captain of the defensive unit under Williams and assisted in creating and funding the bounty program, the NFL statement said. 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