Doyel also said that while many players had chafed at what they saw as Goodell's heavy-handed approach to discipline, he was actually standing up for their safety in the Saints' case. [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. Coy Wire, a safety during Williams' tenure, said that Williams gave bonuses for hits that left opponents seriously injured, and two other players said that bonuses were also awarded for "knockouts." The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, widely dubbed " Bountygate ", [1] [2] [3] [4] was an incident in which members of the New Orleans Saints franchise of the NFL were accused of paying out bonuses, or "bounties", for injuring opposing team players. "Josh Freeman says Tampa Bay Buccaneers were warned about New Orleans Saints' 'cheap shots'". GM Mickey Loomis was suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of 2012. With New Orleans coach Sean Payton appealing his year-long suspension to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, a hearing that will occur Tuesday, there are other worries for those who were involved with the Saints bounty program.True legal worries, perhaps. He also said that he discussed the issue with several players from his era, and they unanimously agreed that players who put bounties on opponents were "cowards. However, they did not do so. For instance, a special teamer who downed a kick returner inside the receiving team's 20-yard-line earned $100. The program involved as many as 27 players and at least one assistant coach, the league concluded after an investigation. Vilma was a captain of the defensive unit under Williams and assisted in creating and funding the bounty program, the NFL statement said. [73], The NFLPA released a statement calling the suspensions unjustified, claiming that Goodell had not furnished them with any evidence supporting the sanctions. 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 . In 2012, ESPN reported that former New Orleans Saints defensive assistant Mike Cerullo contacted the NFL regarding a bounty program after the 2009 postseason. Advertisement Bountygate Evidence and Audio 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. "I don't think you can be too hard on people that put at risk our players' health and safety," Goodell told Eisen. Injuries Injuries Injuries; Transactions Transactions Transactions; . [9] Vikings owner Zygi Wilf even went as far as to complain to the league about what happened to Favre, though no action was taken at the time. [6] Contents 1 Background 2 Findings revealed 3 Other allegations against Williams The Saints won the Super Bowl XLIV in 2009. He'd been at the helm for 16 years. An estimated 22-27 total New Orleans Saints players participated in the bounty program, though. Multiple independent sources also confirmed that Vilma offered a specific bounty $10,000 in cash to any player who knocked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner out of the 2009 Divisional Playoff Game and later pledged the same amount to anyone who knocked Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game the following week, the statement said. The NFL said payoffs went to 22 to 27 defensive players for inflicting game-ending injuries on targeted opponents, including quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. [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. 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. Keep up to date with the latest player injuries, suspensions and absences in the English Premier League, from the most comprehensive source of football injury statistics. It also contended that since the alleged conduct took place before the most recent CBA was signed in August, Goodell should have deferred to NFL special master Stephen Burbank in ruling on the players' actions. These typically involve incentivizing fouling, knocking out, and injuring opposition players. I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. [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. "[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. [11], Favre's agent, Bus Cook, later said that he also felt the Saints were deliberately trying to knock Favre out of the game, and claimed that several hits on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner in the divisional round a week earlier crossed the line as well. Yes, Bountygate is a real scandal that emerged in 2012. I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation. [84] ESPN columnist Gregg Easterbrook claimed that the Saints' behavior threatened the very integrity of the sport since high school and youth players have long emulated what they see in the NFL. 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. All Rights Reserved. 17 Feb 2023 00:46:36 [55], On April 5, documentary filmmaker Sean Pamphilon released audio of a meeting Williams held with his defense before their 2012 divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. [76], On July 26, 2012, Jonathan Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that Goodell got his facts wrong in the bounty scandal. He also told at least one other player that the Saints had put a bounty on Favre in the 2009 NFC title game. "Seven people testified, 2 sworn affidavits all saying the same thing. After the program was reported on, Payton and Loomis said they took full responsibility for the practice, which they said happened under our watch.. It added to my interest in the WBC for sure. A college softball team showcased the ultimate act of sportsmanship on Saturday by helping an opponent who just hit a home run around the bases. He specifically directed them to try to tear wide receiver Michael Crabtree's ACL, injure tight end Vernon Davis' ankles and go after kick returner Kyle Williams specifically because he had a history of concussions. [5] However, former commissioner Paul Tagliabue overturned all sanctions against the players in December 2012 after finding that despite the players being "very much involved," the coaches and the Saints organization were primarily responsible for the scandal.[6]. "[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. [54] On March 22, U.S. Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended by the NFL for the 2012 season for his role in the Saints bounty scandal, when he was the defensive coordinator there. 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? In announcing the suspensions, Goodell said that while a large number of players took part in the program, he chose to suspend those players who "were in leadership positions at the Saints; contributed a particularly large sum of money toward the program; specifically contributed to a bounty on an opposing player; demonstrated a clear intent to participate in a program that potentially injured opposing players; sought rewards for doing so; and/or obstructed the 2010 investigation." In addition, the Saints franchise was fined $500,000 and docked second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts. Did the New Orleans Saints injure more players? Loomis had been interviewed during the 2010 investigation as well, and had stated that he knew of no such scheme and would stop it immediately if it was taking place. Being the first NFL coach to ever be suspended for any reason, some believe Home Team glosses over the controversial Bountygate scandal too lightly. Not only is De'Aaron Fox on a ridiculous scoring stretch, his shooting percentage is beyond efficient. Clark added that he would have reported Williams or any coach that offered to run such a program. 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. 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 . Audio of Williams' meeting with Saints defense, Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:07, 2007 National Football League videotaping controversy, "NFL needs to start cleaning up 'BountyGate' by going after Sean Payton and Gregg Williams for role in Saints' bounty system", "Did Rex's former team put out bounties? 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). 1988-89: University of Houston - Graduate Assistant On May 2, 2012, the NFL suspended four then-current or former Saints players for their involvement in the bounty scandal: Vilma's suspension took effect immediately, while the other three players are allowed to attend training camp. 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 | [56][57] However, the Saints were not penalized for illegal hits during that game, which they lost 3632. Despite the controversy, Payton is still seen as one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time for what he has done with the New Orleans Saints. Beckham, then with New York Giants, suffered a serious ankle injury on a low hit by Cleveland CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun. [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. Background 2 Findings revealed 3 Other allegations against Williams the players injured in bountygate won the Super Bowl XLIV 2009. `` Josh Freeman says Tampa Bay Buccaneers were warned about New Orleans players! Fined $ 500,000 and docked second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013.. 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