Bountygate Thread

[JoeMcRugby]

Originally Posted by Rek

That's my question. Are Payton and the GM not allowed to have any say in the draft? How would that even work?

• Saints coach Sean Payton is suspended without pay for the 2012 season, effective April 1.

• Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of the 2012 season.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/77...-year-bounties

I'm guessing that Payton will not be allowed to "have say" in the 2012 draft, although difficult to close to impossible to enforce.

From the way this is written, it appears that Loomis will be allowed to conduct the draft and set the roster prior to the start of the regular season. He'll then not be allowed to conduct team business until Week 9.

[thumper300zx]

Originally Posted by WootMonkey

What the Saints did was worse. Whose career did BB threaten again?

Also BB wasn't caught and told to stop by the league then kept going anyways. The two situations are different, people have an irrational hatred for the Pats here.

I'm not saying the same thing -- but he should've been suspended.

The fines are not so hurtful. Taking the coach of the field sends a message.

Belichick should've at least been suspended a handful of games for wantonly disregarding the rules of the league. Belichick was fined only -- a suspension includes a fine, but the fine isn't the worst part. It's my understanding Belichick didn't even actually pay the fine (owners bailed him out), which pretty much provides no meaningful punishment.

So again -- NOT THE SAME punishment, but suspension should've been part of it. 4 games? 1/2 a season? A point should've been made.

The worst thing about these cheaters is that they cheated while winning -- they are suspended or fined and it doesn't affect the fact they cheated and achieved their goal anyway. They both have rings -- they both cheated. Belichick just gets to laugh about it. For once, with the Saints, it's not something to laugh at. This is a serious outcome.

It's about freaking time. The Niner's got wrist slapped. The Broncos got wrist slapped. The Patriots.

Not the Saints. This is big time stuff.

[AK46um]

Originally Posted by sdcfan720

I don't know if I agree with suspending him for an entire season. Especially when Belichick did not even get suspended at all.

Belicheeks is out there on a can smirking at this report.

[JoeMcRugby]

Originally Posted by chopper31

I can't see how a GM's suspension can be in any way comparable to a Players (or a coaches) suspension. Loomis can be in Timbuktu on game day, and it wouldn't affect the outcome of the game.

Seriously, unless you put the guy on an enhanced house arrest, you can't stop him from watching games, doing research, etc.

You are right though, with the big factor being when it takes effect. Based on the verbiage of "8 games" my initial guess was it starts in September. If that is the case, the bulk of his work is done for the year(as I understand things). Making it effective April 1st would of course have a much bigger effect. If that were the case though, I figured it would have been reported in # of months, not games.

When I say "effect", I'm talking about the terms of what the GM is allowed to do during the suspension.

For a GM suspension to have any teeth, enforcability issues aside he cannot be permitted to be in contact with the team starting in Week 1 through Week 8.

For the NFL to allow the GM to remain in contact with the team during his "suspension" would be a slap to the players' faces.

[Al "T.D." Bundy]

Originally Posted by thumper300zx

They should've done this to Belichick for cheating.

I agree. Pats got off easy compared to this.

I think the rationale is that one of Goddell's primary focuses is PLAYER SAFETY. The cheating was a BIG DEAL but wasn't centered on intentionally trying to injure another player.

[Al "T.D." Bundy]

Originally Posted by WootMonkey

What the Saints did was worse. Whose career did BB threaten again?

Also BB wasn't caught and told to stop by the league then kept going anyways. The two situations are different, people have an irrational hatred for the Pats here.

Yeah...see above. I agree with this.

[LABoltsFan]

Originally Posted by sundeval

Just read New Orleans head coach Sean Payton suspended for a year. Did the Chargers have a bounty system in place so that Norv can be gone for a year? (probably not, the Chargers D didn't hit anyone last year.....too bad)

re: Payton...
We'll see how it settles after an appeal.

re: Norv
The Anti-Norv stuff gets really old. Especially when we're only 1 month into a new season.
- Where's the hope, faith and devotion? If you are a chargers fan, don't you generally accept things you cannot change and hope for a SB?

[BMoseleyINC]

Damn, Goodell is not playing around.

GOOD. This whole Bounty situation is BS, ruins the integrity of the game. Weird how the last few years, I was thinking "Man, the Saints are smashmouth all of a sudden" Yeah, no wonder they we're hitting like an NFL team all of a sudden, money involved.

I think Belicheat should have gotten the same suspension. Dude dressed in JETS colors, pointing a camera at the D-Cord's play sheet....DIRTY!

[TJ-Charger-Fan]

They should've also been banned from post season play.

And like college, taking away scholarships and such, how about reducing their cap number limiting their FA signing ability for next year (since they cant do anything about this years cap). Taking away their 2nd rd picks isnt enough. A 1st should've been included as well.

[tmurder27]

sucks for them