"S***ttt if you aren't living with a bounty on your head you must want the next guy or girl to have your job and your dreams... The NFL did what they had to do is what it is." -- Not Me
I think the penalty was too harsh. I agree with all the rationale, agree that it was a major infraction, that it was aggevated by them covering it up and not heeding warning. But you still have to make a final judgment of a punishment that fits the crime, and this feels like a little too much. I think maybe it should have been Williams for one season, Payton for a half season, and on down the line. One tweak downward in severity. Either that, or some sort of bounty on Payton in a "Hunger Games" kind of punishment. Something in a stadium.
No, when you are trying to make an example out of someone and set precedent you can never be too harsh, only too lenient. the NFL needs to make sure this never happens again, and any coach that thinks about it now knows they are looking at a year minimum, and probably longer if this punishment wasn't enough to deter them.
40 or more years ago I could see this happening when most pro athletes had to work during the off season but now? If you need to pay an incentive to put a lick on someone with the money they are making then maybe you need new players. Purposefully trying to maim someone is plain stupid, eventually it will come back around to you.
It is more than just the bounties. I think if they had stopped and cooperated with the NFL investigation the punishments would have been less severe, maybe a year for Williams and 6 games or less for Payton. However they deliberately lied to the NFL investigators, up until they were presented with clear evidence to contradict their statements. The coverup is part of the punishment as much as the original offense. The commish is sending two messages: 1. Bounty programs, and trying to injure players on purpose will not be tolerated 2. Don't fuck with the league's investigations, just like lying to the cops, it will be treated as an offense in and of itself and punished accordingly. What I'm interested in seeing is whether any players are punished for their roles, Vilma seems like the logical target, I assume that will come up when the league and NFLPA meet on this. Puts the union in a tough spot, Vilma and any other Saints involved are members on one hand, on the other the health and careers of a lot of other members are threatened by things like this.
