The Saints had . 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. After the program was reported on, Payton and Loomis said they took full responsibility for the practice, which they said happened under our watch.. GM Mickey Loomis was suspended without pay for the first eight regular-season games of 2012. Everybody got out there and pushed their information one way or the other and I didnt. Williams, coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and several Saints players were suspended by the league for their role in Bountygate, and hours after those punishments were announced. On May 2, 2012, four current and former Saints players were suspended after being named as ringleaders in the scandal, with linebacker Jonathan Vilma being suspended for the entire 2012 seasonthe longest suspension for an on-field incident in modern NFL history. The NFL also previously announced the suspensions of Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight regular-season games of the 2012 season and Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt for the first six regular-season games. [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. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 seasonthe first time since Chuck Fairbanks in 1978 that a head coach had been suspended. With an early 7-3 lead in their week 2 matchup against the St. Louis Rams, two Giants players both fell to the ground with injuries at nearly the exact same time. The NFL previously suspended Saints coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season while levying an indefinite suspension on former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was accused of masterminding the bonus program. 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 . After that meeting, Vitt's lawyer, David Cornwell, said that Payton and Loomis met with Williams before the divisional playoff game and ordered him to shut down the bounty program immediately. One of those interviewed, Junior Seau, bluntly said that such practices crossed the line into threatening a person's livelihood. For instance, a special teamer who downed a kick returner inside the receiving team's 20-yard-line earned $100. Saints GM Mickey Loomis had been ordered by owner Tom Benson to shut down the program, but failed to do so. "[28] Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman reported that the Saints tendency toward illegal hits was common knowledge among the Tampa Bay coaching staff. Seifert argued that even before the findings were revealed, it was obvious that the Saints were determined to inflict a severe beating on Favre, even if it meant breaking the rules. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it. "[20] He was particularly upset that those involved had lied about the scheme on two separate investigations, and had denied that there was ever a bounty program in place. 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 | In NFL, non-contract bonuses are known as "bounties.". Vitt, who had been tabbed as a possible candidate to serve as interim coach in Payton's absence, was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season. 2004-07: Washington Redskins - Defensive Coordinator 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). Had the suspensions of Vilma and Hargrove been upheld, they would have been the longest for an on-field incident in modern NFL history, topping the previous record set in 2006, when then-Titans defensive end Albert Haynesworth was given a five-game suspension for stomping on the head of Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Andre Gurode. "If the Saints tended to injure more players, then teams that played them would tend to list more injuries the following week. At the same time there's a chance a guy's going to hit you, injuries happen, that's part of the game, that's why people are interested in it. An injured Vilma does not play but leads the "Who Dat" pregame chant before the Saints' 40-32 season-opening loss to the Washington Redskins. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the entire 2012 season, DL Anthony. Four National Football League (NFL) players who played for the New Orleans Saints between 2009 and 2011 were suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for their alleged participation in a pay-for-injury program, in a saga that became known as "Bountygate." The ensuing appeals process and legal . Nonetheless, it found the Saints organization as a whole guilty of conduct detrimental to the league as well due to Williams and the players' maintenance of the bounty pool, as well as Loomis and Payton's failure to act "in a responsible manner" to stop it. An @NFL player is injured let's start off by asking Sean Payton, who quite literally had a bounty system to Injure opposing teams players #BountyGate ask me how I know this to be True " Bold strategy by fox. Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White said that Bucs players bet on which player will have the biggest game, which reminded Saints fans of BountyGate. I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation. Published Feb 9, 2022. 1:11 PM EDT, Wed May 2, 2012. Williams said that he knew all along the slush fund broke the rules, and that "I should have stopped it" rather than get further involved. Matt George @ MattGeorgeSAC. April 15 - Payton holds his first team meeting at . I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. On March 30, Payton, Vitt and Loomis appealed their suspensions, and the Saints also appealed the fine and loss of draft picks. Roger Goodell announces Wednesday that Saints coach Sean Payton will be suspended for the 2012 season due to his role in the team's Bountygate scandal. He also said that there would be zero tolerance for payments for in-game performance in the future, saying that payments for good play eventually escalate to bounties for deliberately injuring players. Vilma, a linebacker who is still with the Saints, got suspended for a year, and teammate Smith, a defensive end, got a four-game suspension. Players could also be fined for mental mistakes and penalties. I. Fujita played the first four games of the season for the Browns before suffering a season-ending (and ultimately, career-ending) neck injury;[81] he would sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Saints in the offseason and retire with the team. [93], Despite the media outcry, an independent study speculated that Saints' players may have pretended to participate off the field but not put the tactics into action on the field. It is commonly known as the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. After seeing the NFLs decision letters, the NFLPA has still not received any detailed or specific evidence from the league of these specific players involvement in an alleged pay-to-injure program, Smith said in a statement. Did the New Orleans Saints injure more players? 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 . By CM Lucas. In football, a player is running the risk of being injured regardless of any bounty scheme in effect. Preparations for Saints games included warnings to offensive players to keep their knees protected, especially on plays near the sidelines. Injuries Injuries Injuries; Transactions Transactions Transactions; . Home Team focuses on Sean Payton and his too-good-to-be-true story before he was brought back onto the Saints in the 2013 season. From Playmakers, a look at how close Sean Payton came to becoming the Cowboys coach in 2019 -- and how Anthony Davis (yes, Anthony Davis) kept it from happening. But I would be shocked, that'll be something that gets tucked away or under the . He also believes that Williams put a bounty on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning during Super Bowl XLIV, and targeted Manning on several occasions while with the Titans. [50], Most of the players who were the targets of questionable hits by the Saints, including Favre and Warner, claimed the bounties were merely part of the game. I ask that you and ESPN report the facts. The revelation of the bounty system also caused renewed speculation about a 2006 game between the Redskins and Colts, in which Manning was knocked down by a high-low hit from the Redskins' Phillip Daniels and Andre Carter and appeared to lose some feeling in his neck. The hit went without penalty on the field, but the N.F.L., intent on meting out stiffer discipline for violations of player safety, docked Harrison $75,000 at least some of which, Harrison . [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. I remember over at Excelsior Springs when Im 16 years old I had a big hit in a ballgame and all of a sudden I got a movie certificate and it wasnt because I helped the guy up, its because I knocked the guy down. Rumors are circulating that Payton's retirement may be short-lived and that he may return to the game after sitting out for one year. The NFL has long frowned upon bounties, or "non-contract bonuses" as it officially calls them; but an underground culture of bounties is alleged to exist, with teams, it is claimed, turning a blind eye to the practice. Jonathan Vilma placed a $10,000 bounty on Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC title game. However, according to many former players, bounty systems of some sort have been around the NFL for decades, with the percentage of players participating speculated to be between 30 and 40 percent. [73], The NFLPA released a statement calling the suspensions unjustified, claiming that Goodell had not furnished them with any evidence supporting the sanctions. General manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season. He said that players and coaches involved in the scheme could face fines or suspensions, and the Saints could be docked picks in the 2012 NFL Draft and future drafts. The league has not yet announced any disciplinary action against the players involved. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season. Bountygate was alleged to have taken place from 2009 to 2011. 1990-92: Houston Oilers - Defensive Quality Control Coach While most will remember Sean Payton for his success with the Saints, his involvement with Bountygate won't be forgotten anytime soon either. [67] Payton, Vitt and Loomis met with Goodell on April 5. EN. Goodell also implied that Payton would have faced significant punishment in any event, since his contractual obligation to supervise his assistants meant that he at least should have known about the scheme. However, Woodson felt that several parts of Williams' speechparticularly his calls to go after Crabtree's ACL and target Williams specifically because he had concussions in the pastwent too far. I got the first one. Two of those players were reportedly Kurt Warner and Brett Favre. The data-driven answer is a resounding 'no.' [72], Earlier, Goodell had indicated that he was going to come down hard on the players involved, telling Eisen that they "enthusiastically embraced" the scheme. The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, colloquially known as "Bountygate,"[1][2][3][4] was an incident in which members of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) were accused of paying out bonuses, or "bounties," for injuring players on opposing teams. [53] On March 12, WWL-TV in New Orleans reported that Payton and Benson met with Goodell in New York for much of the morning to reiterate that the Saints would continue to cooperate fully with the NFL's investigation. Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season, effective April 1. ESPN NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said that much of Williams' speech was standard pregame rhetoric. In his weekly "Monday Morning Quarterback" column on March 5, SI's Peter King wrote that he believed Williams faced at least an eight-game suspension, and that Payton and Loomis would almost certainly be suspended as well. The players said that Williams paid his crew thousands of dollars for aggressive play, with the biggest payoutsas much as $8,000coming for "kill shots" that knocked opposing players out of games. No player was taken out of the game and no outcomes were changed by the injury of a player. [26] The NFL found no club money had been used to fund the bounty pool, and praised Benson for doing what he could to shut down the slush fund. From Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, the team's first-round draft pick in 2009, now comes perhaps the most remarkable. . 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." [39][40] Chidi Ahanotu, who played one year under Williams in Buffalo, indicated that such a program was not within his character at the time and that Williams was "the softest coach I've been around. [8] According to these players, such bounty programs were usually informal and often between players only, more with intent at locker-room braggadocio than systemic malice. This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:07. Story , Roger Goodell and the NFL have made a scapegoat out of Jonathan Vilma with his one-year ban. The New Orleans Saints were found to have operated a bounty system in which players were paid bonuses for, among other things, hard hits and deliberately injuring opposing players. In addition, the Saints franchise was fined $500,000 and docked second-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 drafts. "It was a terrible mistake, andwe knew it was wrong while we were doing it. The Saints appealed the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, but the NFL upheld the suspensions. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at Your login session has expired. While the findings may be troubling, we look forward to putting this behind us and winning more championships in the future for our fans. Vikings coach Brad Childress later said that there were at least 13 instances where he felt the Saints deliberately went after Favre. A year later, former commissioner Paul Tagliabuewould vacate the suspensions of those Saints' players on appeal. The players and Williams contributed their own cash to the pot, and received cash payments based on their performance in the previous week's game. Fujita, who left the team for the Browns immediately after the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, pledged "a significant amount of money" into the bounty program. [90] His former teammate, NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin, said that he "almost threw up" when he heard Williams tell his men to go after Crabtree's ACL, saying that players are taught from youth football onward to "never take out a man's knees. Late in the 2011 season, the NFL received what it called "significant and credible new information" that suggested there was indeed a "bounty" program in place. [48], CBSSports.com's Pat Kirwan tweeted that within hours of the NFL releasing its report, lawyers for several players were already telling him that their clients were considering legal action against the Saints and Williams. The league also found that head coach Sean Payton was aware of the bounty system and, though not directly involved with it, hadn't done anything to shut it down. There was never done with anybody trying to injure somebody. He cited a 1977 case in which Denver Broncos defensive back Dale Hackbart sued the Cincinnati Bengals for a late hit to the back by running back Boobie Clark that fractured three vertebrae four years earlier and ended his career. He even went as far as to call for Vilmathe only player specifically named as being involved in the scheme in the NFL's initial announcementsto be banned from the league for life. [54] On March 22, U.S. The Vikings were particularly angered when Saints defensive end Bobby McCray and defensive tackle Remi Ayodele knocked Favre to the ground with a high-low hit. The league also found that Vitt, whom Payton had assigned to monitor Williams (the two reportedly didn't get along very well), also knew about the broader lines of the scheme and even witnessed Williams handing out payments to players. [92], NFL Network analyst Michael Lombardi wrote that the scandal happened in part because during Williams' previous stops as a defensive coordinator, the head coaches under which he workedFisher, Joe Gibbs and Paytonessentially ceded him complete authority over the defense. Hargrove actively participated in the program as a Saint and obstructed the leagues investigation by being untruthful, the statement said, while Fujita pledged a significant amount of money to the program. Actions like this are what makes Goodell sick. We have made it clear that punishment without evidence is not fair. 1997-2000: Tennessee Oilers/Titans - Defensive Coordinator Players usually earned $1,000 for cart-offs and $1,500 for knockouts during the regular season, though they were encouraged to put their winnings back into the pot in order to raise the stakes as the season went on. "Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with the risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying, and categorically denied there was a bounty," Vilma said in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder. He played college football at the University of Miami, winning a National Championship in 2001.He went on to be drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.Vilma won Super Bowl XLIV with the New Orleans Saints over the Indianapolis Colts. It's not rather or not bountygate happened. I gave you facts that you can report if so choose. He was reinstated a year later, worked for the Titans in 2013 and returned to St. Louis last season. [15] Cerullo was released after the 2009 postseason for poor performance and lying about personal leave according to the New Orleans Saints. EN RU CN DE ES. [7] Williams and the players pooled their own money to pay out performance bonuses. Advertisement Bountygate Evidence and Audio Four past or present New Orleans Saints players were suspended Wednesday by the National Football League for their roles in the bountygate scandal involving bonuses for trying to hurt opponents. Cerullo also states in the article, "I was angry for being let go from the Saints". RT @JuniorGalette93: Bold strategy by fox. [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. League commissioner Roger Goodell responded with some of the most severe sanctions in the league's 92-year history, and among the most severe punishments for in-game misconduct in North American professional sports history. The league announced that Scott Fujita, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma were suspended without pay for varying lengths of time. The NFL's retort is that with all due deference, you don't get to second guess (Goodell). Williams, coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and several Saints players were suspended by the league for their role in Bountygate, and hours after those punishments were announced Williams, who had moved on to the Rams, issued this statement: I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans for my participation in the 'pay for performance' program while I was with the Saints,"Williams said in March 2012. 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. When the game clock hit 00:00 last night in Broncos' victory over the Jets, head coach Vic Fangio sprinted across the field yelling at players to head "right to the f***ing locker room . Roger Goodell claimed the Saints had a system from 2009-2011 where they would pay to specifically injure other players. 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. [74] Goodell issued the suspensions as part of his power to sanction any "conduct detrimental to the integrity and public confidence in the NFL," a violation of Article 46 of the CBA. The whole organization was fined $500,000, and they lost several draft picks. However, the players and team officials interviewed all denied that any bounty program existed, and the player who made the initial report subsequently recanted his allegations.[7][14]. The NFL began investigating the Saints in 2010 in response to allegations of deliberate attempts to injure players during the 200910 playoffs, but the investigation stalled until late in the 2011 season. 3,000 @ggerould - 10:35 PM. [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. One of the things was it was on my watch, but there was nothing that hasnt been done in the last 50 years in the sport and there was nothing done to try to hurt somebody, Williams continued. [14] Another source told CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman that Reggie Bush's agent at the time, Michael Ornstein, was closely involved in the scheme from the beginning. [37] Ruben Brown, a guard for the Bills during Williams's time as coach there, denied there was any sort of bounty system in place in Buffalo,[38] a position reiterated by linebacker London Fletcher and then-general manager Tom Donahoe. All four players can appeal the suspensions and would be entitled to a hearing and representation by counsel, the statement said. "[46], On March 3, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that the NFL intended to hand down penalties before the owners' meeting in late March. He is the first head coach in modern NFL history to be suspended for any reason. It was known as the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal or simply "Bountygate.". NEW: The NFL Players Association challenges the suspensions, Two of the suspended players are now with different teams, The suspensions are the latest by the NFL in the scandal over bounties, The league previously suspended a coach and a former defensive coordinator. Vontaze Burfict effectively single-handedly ended the season of 2 of the best 3 players on the steelers (bell and brown) and seriously injured the 3rd (big ben). [65] He reiterated this in an interview later that day with ESPN's Schefter, saying that the fact those involved "continued to mislead" the league about it was a significant factor in the sanctions. The plotline begins in 2012, when Payton is suspended for the season by commissioner Roger Goodell for the Saints' bounty scandal, which gives Payton the chance to re-assess his life and put it in . In an editorial, New Orleans' local paper The Times-Picayune called the revelations "an embarrassment for one of the most successful and beloved sports organizations of recent years," and that they were "particularly hard to take for (Saints') fans" in light of the Saints' rebound after Hurricane Katrina. "[33], All four players appealed their suspensions. On Tuesday, Sean Payton decided to step down as the New Orleans Saints head coach. [7] Every year, the NFL sends a memo reiterating this ban to every team before training camp opens. Several other stars, including quarterback Kurt Warner, were on the Saints' radar during a 'Bountygate' scandal between 2009-2011. Also Checkout: Kurt Warner super bowl wins, Be the first one to comment on this story. Sports without Gleason's approval. "I. Williams was suspended indefinitely, and was banned from applying for reinstatement until the end of the 2012 season at the earliest. Players regularly contributed cash to a pool, which may have topped $50,000 at its peak. Vilma was a captain of the defensive unit under Williams and assisted in creating and funding the bounty program, the NFL statement said. [12] It initially appeared that Cook's argument was strengthened by the fact that Warner was knocked out of that game with a chest injury (although he later returned), and retired two weeks later. There have been a few remarkable claims made in the five-plus weeks since the NFL first announced the discovery of a three-year bounty program in the Saints organization. Smith, a captain of the defensive unit, helped Williams with the program and pledged money for it, according to the statement. 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. In a recent interview with Mike Claiborne of KMOX radio in St. Louis, Williams talked about Bountygate, some of his first in-depth comments on the matter in three years. Payton turned a Saints team, which was one of the worst in the league, into one of the best teams and organizations in the NFL. 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