It did, but monetary incentives for big hits and even injuries were and probably still is common place. Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season. New light is being brought to the career altering neck injury suffered by Hall of Fame passer Peyton Manning. "Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits all saying the same thing. Go lay that motherfucker out." Burnley: Winger Robbie Brady sustained a hamstring injury against Crystal . I. or hearsay. Ive said this before, I take a look at all these high school programs, little league programs, college programs and you see the decals on the side of the helmet and you wonder, you get those decals because you shake hands and kiss after the game or you get those decals because you rushed for 100 and you threw 17 touchdown passes and you knocked the stuffing out of somebody? "[33], All four players appealed their suspensions. (Scott Boehm/Getty Images) I remember over at Excelsior Springs when Im 16 years old I had a big hit in a ballgame and all of a sudden I got a movie certificate and it wasnt because I helped the guy up, its because I knocked the guy down. "It was a terrible mistake, andwe knew it was wrong while we were doing it. [77] Two days after the fifth game of the season, on October 9, 2012, the league re-issued the suspensions without any changes or reductions; the players' appeals continued. Vilma, a linebacker who is still with the Saints, got suspended for a year, and teammate Smith, a defensive end, got a four-game suspension. The data-driven answer is a resounding 'no.' I got the first one. [56][57] However, the Saints were not penalized for illegal hits during that game, which they lost 3632. While the NFL has punished general manager Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Peyton and former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the franchise itself, and could take action against some of the players involved, the culprits could also be liable for a number of different torts, including battery. Freeman's sources also said that Payton's sanctions were likely to dwarf those handed down to the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick in the wake of the 2007 "Spygate" affair. [16] Cerullo testified that he kept track of payments and pledges made. [73], The NFLPA released a statement calling the suspensions unjustified, claiming that Goodell had not furnished them with any evidence supporting the sanctions. [44] The Steelers released a statement on their official web site mentioning that the team does not condone any sort of bounty program. 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.. After finishing 133 and reaching the Divisional round of the playoffs a year earlier, they finished 79 and missed the playoffs. "They are on the field, so I don't think they are absolved from any responsibility because of that," he said. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reduced the bounty-related suspensions of two New Orleans Saints players while upholding the punishments of two others. 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. GM Mickey Loomis was suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of 2012. Vilma was a captain of the defensive unit under Williams and assisted in creating and funding the bounty program, the NFL statement said. No, the Saints didn't want him to play for them. In addition to the suspensions of Williams and Payton, the Saints were fined $500,000 and required to forfeit their second-round selections in the 2012 and 2013 NFL drafts. I never said a word. Sean Payton's reputation didn't suffer too much after Bountygate. He led them to their first and only Super Bowl win in 2009 and took the Saints to 9 playoff appearances, more than any coach in Saints history. No player was taken out of the game and no outcomes were changed by the injury of a player. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | [18] The investigation continued during the 201112 playoffs and continued through the 2012 offseason. [39][40] Chidi Ahanotu, who played one year under Williams in Buffalo, indicated that such a program was not within his character at the time and that Williams was "the softest coach I've been around. 1994-96: Houston Oilers - Linebackers Coach Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much After seeing the NFLs decision letters, the NFLPA has still not received any detailed or specific evidence from the league of these specific players involvement in an alleged pay-to-injure program, Smith said in a statement. 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. The NFL began investigating the Saints in 2010 in response to allegations of deliberate attempts to injure players during the 200910 playoffs, but the investigation stalled until late in the 2011 season. On March 2, 2012, the NFL announced that it had evidence that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had created the program soon after his arrival in 2009, and alleged that "between 22 and 27 Saints players" were involved. "Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits all saying the same thing. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose. At the same time there's a chance a guy's going to hit you, injuries happen, that's part of the game, that's why people are interested in it. However, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, saying that "the general customs of football" do not include deliberately attempting to injure opposing players. [66], Hours after the sanctions were announced, Kluwe went on KSTP in the Twin Cities and demanded that any players involved in the scheme be severely punished, and that the NFLPA let it be known that "there's no place in the league for that kind of behavior." 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 Williams, who had moved on to the Rams, issued this statement: I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the 'pay for performance' program while I was with the Saints,"Williams said in March 2012. "Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with the risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying, and categorically denied there was a bounty," Vilma said in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder. [74] Goodell issued the suspensions as part of his power to sanction any "conduct detrimental to the integrity and public confidence in the NFL," a violation of Article 46 of the CBA. As a result, he went to Texas to coach his son's youth football team. [7][18][20], The NFL sent a confidential and detailed memo to all 32 teams detailing its findings. 2. The collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association also forbids this practice, as does the standard NFL player contract. They wanted to hurt him, and he wasn't alone. Between 22 and 27 Saints defensive players were involved. 'Of course, yesterday, the players were still enthusiastic, and they had to celebrate this momentum. The whole organization was fined $500,000, and they lost several draft picks. Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White said that Bucs players bet on which player will have the biggest game, which reminded Saints fans of BountyGate. Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues. The quick version is that the New Orleans Saints were paying bounties to defensive players for causing injuries to members of the other team. [50] Louisiana State University law professor William Corbett told Fox Sports that any legal action by players has a chance of succeeding. The Saints appealed the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL upheld the suspensions. Preparations for Saints games included warnings to offensive players to keep their knees protected, especially on plays near the sidelines. Cerullo also states in the article, "I was angry for being let go from the Saints". Jonathan Polynice Vilma (born April 16, 1982) is a former American football linebacker and current Fox NFL analyst. An @NFL player is injured let's start off by asking Sean Payton, who quite literally had a bounty system to Injure opposing teams players #BountyGate ask me how I know this to be True . [47] The NFLPA asked the league to delay any sanctions until the union could conduct its own investigation. [18] Freeman wrote that his sources in the league office had told him that the players, Williams, Payton and Loomis would all face suspensions of at least six games, as well as heavy fines. While the findings may be troubling, we look forward to putting this behind us and winning more championships in the future for our fans. Saints GM Mickey Loomis had been ordered by owner Tom Benson to shut down the program, but failed to do so. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 seasonthe first time since Chuck Fairbanks in 1978 that a head coach had been suspended. 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. In the 9 of the last 10 games he . Unsurprisingly, Walton was the top pick overall for the 1974 NBA draft, snagged by the Portland Trailblazers. However, all appeals were denied. In addition, the Saints franchise was fined $500,000 and docked second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts. Yes, Bountygate is a real scandal that emerged in 2012. Beckham, then with New York Giants, suffered a serious ankle injury on a low hit by Cleveland CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun. Here's an explanation of "Bountygate," Payton's suspension and his brief youth football career that led to a Netflix biopic. What would draw attention to the Saints' bounty program was the alleged practice of methodically organizing such a concept at the coaches' level, with the primary intent to systematically and routinely injure opposing star players. In an editorial, New Orleans' local paper The Times-Picayune called the revelations "an embarrassment for one of the most successful and beloved sports organizations of recent years," and that they were "particularly hard to take for (Saints') fans" in light of the Saints' rebound after Hurricane Katrina. [25] Goodell told Schefter, however, that he would hand down punishments to the players involved very soon once he gets feedback from the NFLPA. The league also found that head coach Sean Payton was aware of the bounty system and, though not directly involved with it, hadn't done anything to shut it down. By CM Lucas. Also Checkout: Kurt Warner super bowl wins, Be the first one to comment on this story. Jonathan Vilma placed a $10,000 bounty on Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC title game. [66] Later, Schefter said on ESPN's SportsCenter that league officials felt Payton was at least as guilty as Williams, despite initial focus on Williams' role as the mastermind in the scheme. Your login session has expired. [34] Chicago Tribune NFL analyst Matt Bowen, who played for the Redskins at the time, later wrote in one of his regular columns that the bounty pool was funded by fines for mistakes made during practice and in games, and insisted similar systems operated on other teams. 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