New Orleans Saints "Pay for Performance" / Bounty System

**heybatter** · 03-02-2012, 04:43 PM

Wow, just wow.

**paco664** · 03-02-2012, 04:45 PM

??????????

explain??

**TonyH** · 03-02-2012, 04:46 PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...&sct=hp_t11_a2

**heybatter** · 03-02-2012, 04:47 PM

They apparently had a player funded pool the last three years under Gregg Williams where cash rewards were handed out for taking out players with big hits, along with some other things, such as INTs.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/76...ogram-nfl-says

**SalvadorMontenegro** · 03-02-2012, 04:50 PM

Williams should be tossed out of the league, permanently. What a sleazeball.

Look at this from ESPN.com:

Payments were made for plays such as interceptions and fumble recoveries. But the program also included "bounty" payments for "cart-offs," meaning that the opposing player was carried off the field, and "knockouts," meaning that the opposing player was not able to return.

Good God. That's about as ugly a thing as I can remember.

**slugg77** · 03-02-2012, 04:53 PM

These types of stories come out about every 2 years. There is a lot of gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands, and occasional swashing of buckles.

I would be floored to the point of being branded a rug if every team did not do something like this. It may not be as organized (or documented) but it happens. This is a sport were insanely large men collide at high speeds with one another. They do this to collect a paycheck. The fact that coaches, staff, or teammates may use money as an incentive to do things like hit extra hard, get INT's, or force fumbles, is not surprising to me.

However, I do not condone the injury portion of it all. I can not put my finger exactly on why, but it just seems like dirty pool to me. Mostly because I hate the idea of intentionally injuring someone.

**TonyH** · 03-02-2012, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by slugg77

These stories come out about every 2 years. There is a lot of gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands, and occasional swashing of buckles.

I would be floored to the point of being branded a rug if every team did not do something like this. It may not be as organized (or documented) but it happens. This is a sport were insanely large men collide at high speeds with one another. They do this to collect a paycheck. The fact that coaches, staff, or teammates may use money as an incentive to do things like hit extra hard, get INT's, or force fumbles, is not surprising to me.

However, I do not condone the injury portion of it all. I can not put my finger exactly on why, but it just seems like dirty pool to me. Mostly because I hate the idea of intentionally injuring someone.

I think that's the main issue here, the rewarding potential injury. Spiffs for INTs, etc are nothing new and nothing to be excited about. Bonuses for causing what could be permanent injury to another player should be punished in the most severe way possible.

Is it possible that the NFL could strip them of their title?

**heybatter** · 03-02-2012, 05:10 PM

"Is it possible that the NFL could strip them of their title?"

No way. But the penalty will probably be the stiffest has ever doled out. I wouldn't be surprised to see Goodell make them give up two first rounders.

**slugg77** · 03-02-2012, 05:14 PM

Stripping the title is window dressing. No one will suddenly forget that they won the game. Draft picks may not be enough either. Considering the league is getting a ton of negative press about concussions, player life spans, safety, and coming off of the lockout, you could see players and/or coaches being forced out of the league. Goodell may not be a great leader, but he is protective of his golden goose.

**TimmyBoston** · 03-02-2012, 05:25 PM

No real punishment will come down. Goodell talks tough, but he's spineless.

**Go West Young Man** · 03-04-2012, 09:40 PM

Has a coach ever said "Go out in the second half and ....... maybe let up on them a bit?"

**kwk285** · 03-05-2012, 04:47 PM

Considering how violent the game is I think all teams have some sort of bounty system.

**insomniac** · 03-05-2012, 07:13 PM

Easy solution is for the commissioner's office to offer $100K "knockout bounties" on each of the players/coaches who were involved. Doesn't even have to be on the field.

**slugg77** · 03-06-2012, 06:58 AM

Well, now the Redskins are being investigated. Lets take the intentionally injure someone part out for a moment, that is obviously deplorable. I was listening to the local sports talk this morning, and the callers all had the same general theme of "I can not believe they got paid to hit someone!"

That is the job description for most professional football players.

I think that Roger is going to have to swing the hammer fairly hard at this point.

**Go West Young Man** · 03-06-2012, 07:51 AM

OK, after having read more about it the deal seems to be that the organization (ie, coaches) authorized payments in return for injuring opposing players. I can see how that's a step over the line.

**California Cajun** · 03-06-2012, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by heybatter

Wow, just wow.

That really stings in the aftermath of that "feel good" Super Bowl season. Why do people feel the need to take short cuts?

**Miles** · 03-06-2012, 08:31 AM

Kind of reminds me of this guy:

**Jim** · 03-06-2012, 08:34 AM

Its time to go back to no pads and leather helmets. The lack of sportsmanship in athletics is abominable.

**insomniac** · 03-07-2012, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by slugg77

Well, now the Redskins are being investigated. Lets take the intentionally injure someone part out for a moment, that is obviously deplorable. I was listening to the local sports talk this morning, and the callers all had the same general theme of "I can not believe they got paid to hit someone!"

That is the job description for most professional football players.

I think that Roger is going to have to swing the hammer fairly hard at this point.

Any Redskins player who was taking money to try to knock someone off the field needs Joe Theismann to come in and personally kick their ass.

**tvldatsi** · 03-07-2012, 01:08 PM

I'm a Carolina Panthers fan and for the last few seasons I have watched our games with the Saints and seen a TON of low hits, helmet to helmet, high/low, twisting legs up and late/out of bounds hits. Is this because it's a heated division rivalry or because of a "bounty" system? I don't know but they weren't making legal hits and so to me, hearing all of the apologists say "everyone has a bounty on them, the defense is paid to play hard, you want to see them kill guys but get mad when it's against your team, etc etc," is preposterous. It doesn't take a big bad hard hitting fan favorite to injure someone who isn't expecting their head to get knocked off or ankle twisted up when they're already tackled.

I want to see good hits and I love guys getting rewarded for it, but it's damn near impossible to take someone out of the game with a legal hit which is why it is worthy of being rewarded in the first place. Just my opinion, and it's tainted by watching them try to decapitate and maim my boys. NBD, this is what happens when you try to tackle Steve Smith late in the end zone because you got burned: