You realise that he wasn't in anyway justifying or saying the bounties weren't a bad thing right? That post was solely about whether they had any significant effect on the outcome of that game and was not at all immaterial in that sense.

The only really malicious hit in the whole game was (I think) on the first interception when he was hit high/low and he was hit after the ball was thrown there anyway. The injury it caused might have made a slight effect on Favre's thoughts about running on the last int but it's not as though Favre was known for playing it safe and never taking risks.

I think everyone gets that it was a bad thing and Saints are going to get the book thrown at them. I'm sure everyone also understands that the intentions behind any marginal hit made by any player under Williams over the period is going to be questioned and justifiably so. It doesn't mean it's not pretty lol to say that the bounties won the Saints the super bowl.

20 mil from the cap for a season prolly would be worse than taking their next 3 years worth of draft picks away from them

Considering our current window for being an elite team, yeah taking 20m away from the cap for 1 year would be catastrophic vs losing draft picks.

You all are underestimating the wrath of Goodell.

Yes, not only is he going to go 40x more than than the largest amount fined in NFL history, he's going to make it count against the cap as well!!!!11

goodell actually goes after tampering and penalizes hard.

it would be pretty ****ing hilarious if goodell fines the saints 20M then decides to count the 20M as salary against the cap going to the NFL

It is possible to have a reasonable discussion about punishments without throwing out completely absurd figures. I'm aware Goodell is going to go hard on this. LOL 20 million still stands.

I still say he should take every first born child from every member of the organization.

20 million is lol. I think 3 firsts plus sizable fines and a year suspension of Payton would be good.

No, but the rigged officiating in the NFC Title Game sure as hell went a long way. That officiating was terribad, and all the league did was acknowledge and agree with the fact that they blew it afterwords (to rig it for the feelgood story LDO).

Hate both teams for the record. Hope Brett Favre goes all media whore and sues the **** out of everyone.

I'm bummed because I really like the Saints.. but think Payton should probably get a year off.. along with a bunch of picks and financial fines.

If he was the bagman handing out cash then yeah I would probably say a year. As is I doubt he gets that.

maybe not, but i'm going to just convince myself the bounties probably cost the niners the super bowl (ginn doesn't go down, williams doesn't field punts)

http://deadspin.com/5890499/meet-the...bounty-program

I think that guys involvement is going to pose a problem for Sean Payton. Even more so than the whole bounty program. Dude got caught defrauding the NFL and was putzing around the Saints organization for years.

The Saints offense had bounties on fumbling the ball that game, no worries.

Yeah this guy still being around is so weird, never really got that either.

wow this thread got all emo

$30m ldo

I'll chip in $100 of that

it used to be an integral tactic. it was also a tactic used against receivers going over the middle, receivers jumping for passes, and against any offensive player after a turnover. all of those plays are now illegal.

I am STUNNED Rob Lowe hasn't announced the punishment for the Saints yet....

I think I'd rather pay the $20M if I were the Saints... ask the Raiders how never having a #1 pick works for you.

I'm curious to see exactly who they drop the hammer on. I figure since goodell (the owners) is meting out the punishment, they won't crucify the franchise/tom benson for "losing institutional control," even though imo that's where the buck should stop. they'll probably fine the coaches, but since belichick cheated in 3 SBs and didn't get suspended, the coaches won't get suspended either. which means they'll hammer the players, which is right in line with the new labor agreement. (5 punters and a kicker got franchised, sigh)

**** This is going to sound like im trolling(I am not)

But what was bad about the officiating in the MIN-NOH game? I remember a late call on Favre that should have been called that wasn't. but not much else

There was a PI on a ball that was probably uncatchable in OT

There was a high/low hit that was never called, along 2 or 3 different blatantly late hits that were never called. Blatant as in the ball was long gone and Favre was standing there watching it sail through the air completely defenseless when he was completely waffle crushed. Not the ball just left his hands, but the ball was LONG gone and Favre was admiring his handy work like the cocky **** pic sender that he was. The league later admitted to missing calls in the game.