I wonder how they are going to do that. Because not all of the players involved still play for the Saints. This is going to effect multiple teams.
Do we have any former Saints defenders?
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I don't think it will matter at all if the player(s) that are suspended end up being former Saints.
Just because it happened a while ago doesn't prevent the league from handing down punishment. Replace the bounty with legal trouble. If player X commits a crime while on the Dolphins but then gets moved to the Bears (I'm looking at your Marshall), the league can still punish him once he's found guilty.
Combine that with this being the very topic the NFLPA has been wanting to see the league do something about -- player safety.
a few sources saying Jeremy Shockey was the whistle blower. Not sure why they let it out or if it leaked.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/W...-snitch-032112
I actually respect Shockey a lot more if this report is true. I always thought he was a punk - but if he had the guts to do this as an act of conscience, I will be th first to say that I was wrong. If he did this in order to do the right thing, he deserves respect.
Here's Billick's comments on bounties and nfl.com has
Payton's reaction. He is utterly shocked, of course.
Maybe Goodell will do something about mal-funtioning
score boards on final drives next-lol. I always hated
Belicheat.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-networ...content_stream
As I understand it, the NFL tried but it was Warren Sapp who let the cat out of the bag (on NFLN though). And you are right. He will be seen as a snitch - which is why I think it was gutsy for him to do this. But his outing will make it much harder for the next guy to blow the whistle.
I'm glad Payton and the rest got the book thrown at them. Shameful to the max, allowing a bounty system to injure players. What if someone had been paralyzed or otherwise permanently injured? If Flacco had gotten injured against the Saints I would hit the roof now.
Goodell said the investigation has gone on for 2 years and started in 2010. They didn't have much evidence then.
He said now they have plenty of evidence from multiple
sources. They have released that evidence. They were also lied to and mis-led during the investigation which added to the punishment. That along with a serious infraction of the rules and policies to purposely injure people caused such a serious punishment.
They are going for the players involved now and are waiting for the union to get back to them on their recommendations on how to deal with them.
It was the union during the lockout that demanded safety for their players and this comes under it.
If Shockey snitched, he wasn't the only one.