Scott Cordischi On Sports: Saints Bounty System Worse Than Spygate

Scott Cordischi On Sports: Saints Bounty System Worse Than Spygate

And you thought “Spygate” was bad?

Welcome to 2012 where the new NFL scandal isn’t about stealing a team’s defensive signs, it’s about intentionally injuring those who play the game and paying those that send players to the hospital.

You probably already know by now about the controversy in New Orleans where Saints coaches allegedly set up a bounty system for their defensive players paying them to injure opposing quarterbacks.

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In fact, we can take away the word “allegedly” because head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis came out Tuesday and admitted that it happened and that they had full knowledge of it.

At the center of the controversy is former Saints’ defensive coordinator Gregg Williams who maintained the bounty system which targeted specific players on opposing teams. If a Saints defensive player injured one of those targeted players, money would be paid to that player.

According to the NFL’s investigation into the matter, the Saints maintained a bounty pool of up to $50,000 over the past three seasons with players where payoffs were made for game-ending injuries that were inflicted upon both Brett Favre and Kurt Warner. “Knockouts,” where a player was knocked out of a game by a hit, were worth $1,000 each while “cart-offs” where a player had to be helped off the field were worth $1,000. The payouts reportedly doubled and even tripled in the postseason.

Like Payton and Loomis, Williams has already admitted his guilt in running the pool which he now admits was a “terrible mistake.” Now we await the punishment from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell which is expected to be severe.

New England was fined $250,000 and forced to surrender a first round draft choice in the 2008 NFL draft for “Spygate.” Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 but not suspended.

What will the punishment be for the Saints, Sean Payton and Greg Williams? Who knows? One thing is for sure: they should be severe.

The top issue concerning the NFL today is the issue of concussions which have caused serious problems for players during and after their playing days were over. In some cases, those head injuries resulted in death by way of suicide.

Knowing what we now know about this bounty system leaves Goodell and the league little choice but to be both swift and severe in their punishment of the Saints.

Some have suggested that Sean Payton be suspended for 4 games while Gregg Williams miss an entire season. In addition, many feel that heavy fines are also in order and that high draft choices be taken away from the team.

Ironically, there are others who feel that football is a physical sport and that defensive players are always trying to hit opposing quarterbacks as hard as they can and, therefore, this should go unpunished.

I wholeheartedly disagree!

It would be one thing if the players had a pool of money where guys were paid for interceptions, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and sacks. Same goes for the offense. Touchdown runs, passes or receptions could be awarded while offensive linemen could win money for not allowing a sack. But actually targeting specific players for the purpose of injuring them is unconscionable.

I am generally not a fan of Roger Goodell’s “tough guy” attitude, but I believe that this situation calls for him to be as tough as he has ever been since taking over as commissioner of the league.

-It’s conference championship week! Let the March Madness begin!

-I wonder where Peyton Manning will end up next season?

-Randy Moss reportedly had an impressive workout with the Saints. That’s great. But what will Moss do if things go bad for the team or he isn’t getting enough balls thrown his way?

-Linsanity is nice, but Rajon Rondo showed everyone what an elite NBA point guard looks like Sunday.

-Can the Bruins get it together in time for the playoffs?

-Former UMass and current Drexel coach James “Bruiser” Flint could very well be Jim Baron’s successor at URI.

-And here’s hoping that TJ Sorrentine gets a shot to coach the Brown Bears next season.

-The early favorites to land Manning are Miami and Kansas City.

-If you think that Josh Beckett was upset about the “snitch” who outed him for his fried chicken eating and beer drinking in the clubhouse, how do you think many of the New Orleans Saints players will react to the “snitch” who outed them for their bounty scheme?

-Tiger’s final round 62 at the Honda Classic Sunday was a glimpse of the old Tiger Woods.

-Two huge scandals for Syracuse in one season, yet the Orange are still 30-1.

-The NHL needs Sydney Crosby back on the ice.

-The Buffalo News says that Jim Baron could be a strong candidate for the Canisius job.

-And you have to feel bad for Billy Baron who transferred to URI to play for his father.

-Jermaine O’Neal should eat Puppy Chow for dinner because he plays like a dog on defense. If I were Doc Rivers, he wouldn’t see the floor when he returns to health.

-I’m not so sure I’d want Manning considering his age and the fact that he is coming off of multiple neck surgeries.

-It’s only spring training, but Daniel Bard and Alfredo Aceves both looked very good on the mound against Baltimore Tuesday.

-Congratulations to Tommy Amaker and the Harvard Crimson. They will be going to the NCAA tournament as Ivy League champions for the first time in school history.

-Ed Cooley has done a terrific job in his first year at PC, but he has to be extremely disappointed in his team’s effort in their loss to Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament. Missing shots is one thing, but a lack of effort on the defensive end of the floor is inexcusable.

-That 79-47 loss to the Pirates was the worst Big East Tournament loss in PC history. Their previous one was a 90-62 loss to St. John’s back in 1985.

-WEEI’s Gerry Callahan had the line of the week when talking about Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s denial that he knew anything about some of his former players testing positive for drugs. “He should have said my kids were screwing Laurie Fine. They couldn’t have been sober or straight to do that!”

-PC’s embarrassing loss to Seton Hall won’t help season ticket sales for next year, but Ed Cooley’s first recruiting class sure will.

-Josh Beckett has a bounty out on the “snitch” who ratted him and his fellow hurlers out.

-Did the Friars really lead 9-0 against Seton Hall or was I just imagining that?

-Give me Brandon Bass, Chris Wilcox or Greg Stiemsma over Jermaine O’Neal any day of the week.

-Make that 5 straight wins for the Celtics.

-And the Bruins are a perfect (5-0) against the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.